Sport management at the municipalities of the state of Santa Catarina: an outlook of the structure of its governance and public policies

The analysis of sports policies implemented at the municipalities level in Brazil is still scarce. This gap is concerning, considering the relevance of these policies for understanding the panorama of sports development in the territory. Furthermore, it is important to understand the administrative arrangements that facilitate the delivery of sports services to the community, the structure, and the stakeholders linked to the development of public policies, as well as the political and cultural predispositions of the area. Thus, the present study aimed to collect and analyze data related to sports management in the municipalities of the state of Santa Catarina (Brazil). Data were collected through the Sports Management Research Instrument in States and Municipalities (GEEM), which has 270 questions divided into six pillars: general organization data; governance, human resources, sports policy, sports infrastructure, and sports culture. The managers of the 295 municipalities in the state of Santa Catarina received access to the system on the Sports Intelligence Research Institute (IPIE) website and answered the instrument online. The data were treated quantitatively using Excel and Power BI software. The study included 171 municipalities. Regarding items related to the governance of these entities, the results point to a profound weakness of these bodies when addressing principles of good governance. Items relating to transparency, such as the publication of documents, democratic processes, such as the non-existence of a sports council, and equity and diversity of managers at the highest hierarchical level present results that highlight flawed or non-existent practices. Regarding the planning, implementing, and evaluating municipal sports policy, a considerable percentage of municipalities do not have a document guiding local sports policy. Regarding service levels, it was possible to observe a focus on sport for life. When implementing actions, there is a low percentage of actions for people with disabilities. The evaluation of sports policy was also an item that showed few levels of practice in the municipalities. In general, the data points to a low level of governance within sport management in municipalities, principles of transparency, accountability, and democratic processes need to be expanded. Such findings can support future research in the area that dialogues with theories on the management of public sports policies, seeking to outline methodologies applicable to the different realities encountered. The aggregation and analysis of data can favour the formulation of more effective public sports policies, seeking social value for the community where it is developed.