Plataformas informatizadas para a gestão do Programa Municipal de Alimentação Escolar em Uberlândia: um estudo de caso

Abstract

The management of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) in large municipalities faces significant operational challenges. In Uberlândia, many key processes in the management of the Municipal School Feeding Program (PMAE), such as menu planning and stock control, remain dependent on manual methods or fragmented spreadsheets, generating risks of errors, rework, and low transparency. The objective of this work was to analyze the feasibility of the tools currently used and to assess the need for computerization of PMAE management in Uberlândia. The methodology adopted a qualitative-quantitative approach, configured as a case study. A structured questionnaire was administered to the entire technical staff (n=20) of the program's nutritionists, yielding a 100% response rate. The instrument used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to measure receptivity to innovation. The quantitative results confirm the operational bottlenecks: the perception of integration between sectors is low (mean 2.5/5), and the frequency of rework is considered high (mean 3.3/5). The main challenges identified were the "Lack of data standardization" (26.6%) and the "Difficulty in finding updated information" (21.9%). Conversely, the TAM results revealed an ideal human receptivity, with high means for Perceived Usefulness (4.8/5), Perceived Ease of Use (4.7/5), and a unanimous Behavioral Intention to Use (5.0/5). It is concluded that the implementation of an integrated digital platform is not only an urgent necessity to overcome the diagnosed bottlenecks but also highly viable, given the technical staff's complete receptiveness to the concept.