Linguagem simples é dever institucional: a comunicação entre o TCE-SE e o cidadão

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the alignment of institutional documents and communications of the Court of Accounts of the State of Sergipe (TCE-SE) with Plain Language principles, considering the National Plain Language Policy (Law No. 15,263/2025) and ABNT NBR ISO 24495-1:2024, considering its role in promoting substantive transparency, accountability, and social oversight. Methodology: the study adopts a qualitative approach, with a documentary and analytical design, based on Content Analysis. The corpus consists of institutional documents from TCE-SE, examined according to the principles of relevance, information findability, comprehensibility, and usability. Main results: the findings reveal the predominance of technical-procedural language, limited communicational mediation, and weaknesses in information organization, constituting barriers to intelligibility and effective use of public data. A gap is identified between formal disclosure and social appropriation, indicating that availability alone does not ensure understanding. Relevance and Originality: The study innovates by framing Plain Language as a governance instrument in external control, shifting the focus from formal to substantive transparency, centered on intelligibility. Theoretical and methodological contributions: it consolidates Plain Language as an analytical category in Public Administration and proposes a documentary analysis model grounded in normative parameters. Social and managerial contributions: the study proposes a Technical-Technological Product (TTP), consisting of a draft resolution to institutionalize Plain Language within TCE-SE, aiming to improve communication and strengthen social oversight.