The system speeds up the maintenance of school buildings throughout the RS

Launched in March 2024 by the Secretariat of Public Works (SOP), simplified contracting begins in 2025 and is present throughout Rio Grande do Sul. The process makes the maintenance of the buildings of the 2,300 schools in the State Network more agile, reducing the time required for the application and the start of work. From around 430 days in 2022, it dropped to around 90 in 2024.

Along with the announcement of the expansion of streamlined hiring, the SOP begins publishing a series of materials that, during this week, will present a retrospective of the main secretariat events of the past year.

“The first few months of experience with simplified hiring have shown that it is an excellent solution for making school renovations faster and more efficient. Now, the entire state has this system, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the “education. We will ensure that students and teachers have the school they deserve and that society demands. And it will be soon, without long waits”, said the director of the SOP, Izabel Matte.

The latest regions to join the system are covered by the Regional Public Works Coordination Offices (Crops) of Bagé (13th), Canoas (11th), Guaíba (12th), Santana do Livramento (19th) and Uruguaiana (10th) °).

According to the new model, in 2024 the Rio Grande do Sul government has allocated R$74.7 million for state schools, including works in the procurement phase, to be started, executed and completed. 147 requests were satisfied in 121 institutions.

The implementation throughout the state occurred gradually, starting from the areas covered by four Crops: Porto Alegre (1st), Estrela (3rd), Pelotas (5th) and Bento Gonçalves (16th). They are the ones who have had the largest investments thanks to the simplification of hiring last year, with the capital in advance, with approximately R$ 38 million allocated for 87 requests in 70 schools.

The planning had to be redone when Rio Grande do Sul was hit by floods in May. It was necessary to prioritize the regions most affected by water, accelerating the expansion of the new system.

Shorter deadlines

The simplified procurement makes the maintenance of school buildings more agile because the tenders are made in batches, depending on the area affected by the crops. It is not necessary to prepare an offer for each request. It will be sufficient to contact the pre-contracted company responsible for the lot to which the school is part and request the service in a “catalogue” available to the SOP, with much shorter times than previous processes. The same region can have more than one lot and be served by more than one company.

This is the first time that Rio Grande do Sul has adopted this system, called the price registration report. This is a possibility provided for by the new national law on offers and contracts, which allows you to make multiple purchases without making offers for each one.

The study for the preparation and presentation of the project to the Tender Center (Celic) was carried out in 2023 by a group composed of SOP, State Attorney General’s Office (PGE) and departments of Education, Finance, through the Accounting and Auditor Office General of the State (Cage), and Planning, Governance and Management, through Celic.

System expansion

Duration is the main difference between simplified trading and other previously available models. It allows for shorter deadlines and quicker requests. In the past, starting work via tender could take months, depending on progress. The new system allows a demand to be fulfilled within 24 hours if it is considered an emergency.

Thanks to the positive results and the agility in meeting the needs of schools, the simplified contracting will be extended to other public buildings. The tender is being finalized and should be concluded with the hiring of companies in the first half of the year.

Outlook for 2024

In recent years, the state government has carried out structural reforms that have recovered the state’s investment capacity, allowing it to once again invest in state schools. In parallel, SOP rethought processes and modernized flows to enable rapid and efficient progress of renovation works. These actions are the result of Governor Eduardo Leite’s determination, early in this administration, to make education a priority for his second term.

Simplified hiring, progressively, is increasingly being adopted in the maintenance of schools. The time will come when the reforms will all take place with this system, using the old models in specific cases that reach more significant figures, such as building expansions or new constructions.

In 2024, Simplified Hiring has already completed 34 requests in 32 schools, with an investment of R$2.8 million. In total, however, the government completed 183 works in 172 schools, for a total of R$62.5 million.

Over time, the scenario will reverse and simplified contracting will concentrate the greatest number of requests. Currently, 77 requests from 71 schools are satisfied, with an investment of R$43.4 million.

The general data relating to educational works in the current administration, considering all forms of procurement, are encouraging: from 2023 to today, the government has allocated 253 million reais for 531 requests in 460 schools, including completed works, in the process of contract, to start and with work in progress.

New projects

In addition to accelerating improvements to school buildings through contract simplification, the government continues to increase investment in education with major projects planned for the coming months, totaling R$52 million.

This projected value includes ongoing tenders for the construction and renovation of schools and a new development that will be a qualitative milestone for the State Education Network. This is the project of a standard school, adaptable to the location. Its concept maintains visual unity between different institutions, ensuring faster and more sustainable work.

To meet the demand of residents of the Breno Garcia neighborhood, in Gravataí, the government will invest R$45 million in the construction of a new school. It will be the first based entirely on the standard school model developed by SOP. It will be built on a 14,400 m2 plot and will have a 4,400 m2 building, a sports field and an open field. In construction, priority will be given to the use of sustainable materials and resilient solutions, designed to achieve greater energy efficiency and environmental comfort.

In Porto Alegre, the Colégio Estadual Protásio Alves will undergo a general renovation, with expansion and construction of spaces. By adopting elements of the standard school model, the reform will qualify and optimize the structures. The interventions will cover approximately 5 thousand square metres, with an investment of over 7 million reais.

At Catarina Bridi State High School, Ibarama, SOP will implement another innovation she designed: the model gymnasium. With approximately one thousand square metres, it is designed to be resilient, that is, capable of adapting in times of emergency, such as floods. The structure, if necessary, can be easily adapted to accommodate up to 80 people, who will have bathrooms and a cafeteria at their disposal.

PCOS Review

From Monday (13/1) to Friday (17/1), SOP will look back at 2024, recalling the initiatives, modernizations and main achievements of the year. The materials will be published on the site and in means of social communication of the secretariat.

With GovRS information.