Orchestrating national literacy policies in Brazil: The Union’s role in network governance

Abstract

This study analyses the Union’s role and the complexities (substantive, strategic and institutional) that characterise the network’s governance of two national literacy policies formulated during the last 10 years in Brazil: The National Pact for Literacy at the Right Age (PNAIC) and the recent National Commitment to Literate Children. This analysis maps the visible actors, the arenas, the formal rules and the resources available. The aim of the comparative analysis is to reflect on the network’s governance in these policies, considering the absence of a federative coordination body in the education field that operates in the formulation and implementation of these policies. As a result, the Union’s role in these policies oscillates between a hierarchical governance model and a multi-level governance model, and there are new elements introduced in the most recent policy’s arenas configuration.