Poverty and Social Policy: the implementation of complementary programs for the Bolsa Familia Program

The Bolsa Familia Program involves the transfer of income and the implementation of complementary programs to foster human capital development and empower the beneficiaries. To analyze the implementation of complementary programs in Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, a review of documents and secondary data was conducted, focus groups of beneficiaries studied and semi-structured interviews were staged with governmental, nongovernmental stakeholders and beneficiaries. The design, coverage and evaluation of the complementary programs have been weak, and beneficiaries were even unaware of vocational training courses. The program administrators acknowledged the failings and the fact that the courses offered by Proximo Passo are not adapted to local demand, even though they were conceived as a vocational training strategy aimed at creating construction jobs in the Growth Acceleration Program and the tourist industry in the city. Considering that the social inclusion perspective is linked to access to public policies, the supply and follow-up of these activities by government agencies and civil society organizations are essential for the effectiveness of the fight against poverty and hunger, aimed at contributing to the so-called "exit routes" from the Bolsa Familia Program.