The effects of time on the performance of local government: the “Pact for Health Care” Program

Abstract This study evaluated the impact of the time a Brazilian local government stays as member of the program “Pacto pela Saúde” (Pact for Health) - by signing a Management Agreement -, and its efficiency to provide primary health care for the population. The research observed the period from 2008 to 2012. The program was an initiative of the Federal Government operated by municipalities through the Management Agreement and aimed to improve healthcare policy management adopting a results-based managerial approach. The program was in place between 2006 and 2012 and was operated by 4,587 local governments (80 percent of the Brazilian municipalities). The research question guiding the study was ‘What was the effect of the time of a local government in the program (in years) on the efficiency of health care delivery to local populations? A quasi-experimental research design was adopted, estimating a dose-response model with generalized propensity score. An efficiency indicator of the primary care policy (IDEAB) was estimated via principal component analysis, based on the targets recommended by the program. The results of the dose-response model showed that the number of years in the Management Agreement had a positive and statistically significant impact on the efficiency of health care delivery in participating municipalities. For each additional year in the agreement, IDEAB increased by an average of 0.011 to 0.019 units. Therefore, the results suggest that establishing targets are important for the governance of the Brazilian health care policy.