Dimensionamento da força de trabalho nas Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior: análise do uso estratégico do Sistema de Dimensionamento de Pessoas

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to analyze how Brazilian Federal Higher Education Institutions (IFES) that use the Personnel Dimensioning System (SISDIP) structure and operationalize the Workforce Dimensioning (WFD) process, with a view to enhancing strategic human resource management in the federal public sector. Despite the normative consolidation of WFD within the Federal Public Administration, there remains a gap in the empirical literature regarding how SISDIP has been institutionalized and strategically utilized in Brazilian IFES. Methodology: This is a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, designed as a single, embedded case study. Data collection involved both primary and secondary sources, including the application of a structured questionnaire with closed-ended Likert-scale and open-ended questions to IFES using SISDIP, as well as documentary analysis of regulations, manuals, and institutional guidelines. The empirical investigation encompassed eight IFES across different regions of Brazil. Data analysis combined descriptive statistics, the construction of an institutional maturity index for SISDIP, and thematic content analysis, supported by qualitative data analysis software, enabling the integration of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Main Results: The findings indicate that the use of SISDIP across IFES presents heterogeneous levels of institutional maturity. Advances are observed in the formal structuring of the WFD process, such as the establishment of technical teams, training initiatives, and normative support. However, significant weaknesses persist regarding the integration of dimensioning results into decision-making processes, particularly in relation to public recruitment, staff redistribution, and internal reorganization. The study found that WFD maturity is less associated with structural characteristics of institutions and more closely related to organizational factors, such as internal governance, top management support, information quality, and implementation capacity. Relevance and Originality: By focusing on a specific case—SISDIP—analyzed in an integrated manner across multiple units of analysis, this study offers an empirical, practical, and applicable approach, contributing to the national literature on workforce planning and strategic human resource management in the federal public sector. Theoretical and Methodological Contributions: From a theoretical perspective, the study expands the understanding of WFD as a practice embedded in complex public organizational systems. Methodologically, it contributes by combining qualitative and quantitative analysis within a single, embedded case study design. Social and Managerial Contributions: By strengthening workforce planning in the federal public sector, the study contributes to a more rational allocation of personnel, enhances state capacity, and indirectly improves the quality of public services delivered to society. In the field of public management, it results in the proposal of a best practices manual grounded in empirical evidence, with potential for national replication.