Uso de ferramentas digitais na gestão de escolas municipais: importância e impactos no Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE)

Abstract

The National School Feeding Program (PNAE) serves approximately 40 million students in public basic education networks throughout Brazil and is recognized as one of the largest programs of its kind in the world. Managing this policy involves planning nutritionally adequate menus, procuring foodstuffs (with at least 30% of purchases from family farming in 2025 and 45% in 2026), coordinating distribution logistics, and providing transparent accountability. In large municipalities, such as Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, these challenges are intensified by the high volume of meals, multiple school units, complex delivery routes, cold chain requirements for perishables, and strict delivery time windows. Accordingly, this study used a documentary and comparative review to analyze digital tools that help increase efficiency, traceability, and nutritional quality within the Municipal School Feeding Program (PMAE). To this end, the following sources of information were used: documentation from FNDE/PNAE, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Development (MAPA/MDA), oversight bodies (Federal Court of Accounts – TCU, Office of the Comptroller General – CGU) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, municipal governments and municipal education secretariats, nutrition councils and professional bodies (CFN/CRN) and CECANEs; in addition, searches were carried out in databases such as SciELO, Google Scholar, LILACS, and institutional repositories. The study argues that, although electronic spreadsheets are still widely used, in large networks they become operational bottlenecks—being prone to formulation errors, duplicate versions, and weak integration with inventory control. In contrast, the adoption of integrated school meal management systems and PNAE-specific platforms (e.g., Plan PNAE, IQ-COSAN, SIGPNAE, support applications) has been associated with reduced delays, decreased waste, greater compliance with program regulations, and improved transparency for the community. The article presents the benefits, limitations, and opportunity costs associated with this digital transition, with emphasis on the case of Uberlândia and comparison with other municipalities of similar profile. The study concludes that digital transformation constitutes a necessary pathway to improving the efficiency, transparency, and nutritional quality of the PNAE in large networks. When accompanied by adequate infrastructure, governance, and capacity-building, process modernization strengthens food security, optimizes the use of public resources, and ensures that school feeding fully fulfills its social role. In summary, digitalization is not merely a technical advance but a strategic instrument for a more effective, equitable, and sustainable PNAE.