From court room to city hall: Marcela Arruda’s transparency push in São Paulo

For lawyer-turned-politician Marcela Arruda, her commitment to a more transparent and just São Paulo is not just theoretical.  

Having contributed to shaping public policy in her 14 years of practising electoral law, she took the chance to "turn ideas and principles into concrete actions” by taking on the role as Secretary of Management upon the city mayor's invitation in 2022. 

“The opportunity to directly impact people's lives and promote a more transparent and efficient government is what motivated me to take on this challenge,” she tells GovInsider. 

This is where she believes in the power of technology to foster transparency and accountability within São Paulo’s administration. 

Having witnessed firsthand the tangible impact of tech delivering on these promises, she shared that just last month, a man convicted of 17 rapes was arrested - thanks to the Smart Sampa control centre which enhanced the city’s oversight capabilities. 

Since Smart Sampa was put in place in last year, its 20,000-strong camera network has helped capture 969 fugitives and arrested 2181 perpetuators in the act, according to its website as of April 5. 

“This case is a clear demonstration of how the impact of this technology goes beyond statistics, as it helps protect vulnerable individuals - particularly women - restoring trust in institutions and reinforcing the sense of justice,” she shares.  

Now on the other side in the city hall, Arruda sets for herself three priorities: Strengthen transparency in public management, modernise administrative processes and invest in workforce training. 

To subscribe to the GovInsider bulletin click here.

Transparency as a non-negotiable 

“My main goal is to establish transparency as a non-negotiable principle of public administration in São Paulo,” Arruda boldly says. 

As Brazil struggles with a deep-seated corruption problem with a Corruption Perceptions Index of 34/100 (0 being most corrupt and 100 being very clean), she notes that tech has been a key enabler for effective oversight mechanisms and public participation.  

For example, São Paulo city has put in place the Public Procurement Portal that uses an electronic bidding system, as well as the Virtual Warehouse that provides real-time visibility into the inventory to effectively implement its public procurement regulations (New Bidding and Contracts Law). 

The digital tools make it harder for corrupt practices to go unnoticed because they track and regulate the flow of funds. 

“These initiatives have transformed the way we handle public procurement, bringing not only greater transparency, but also sustainability and reduced bureaucracy to the process,” she adds. 

Within 2023, São Paulo city committed over R$32 billion (US$5.8 billion) in public procurement, she says. This magnitude of purchases made by the largest municipal government in Latin America reflects the power of tech to improve governance in a practical manner. 

São Paulo also recently digitised the municipal government's official gazette, which is a public record of all government notices, to make it more accessible for the public. 

“When citizens have easy access to information and know how to report irregularities, corruption has fewer opportunities to thrive,” she explains. 

Moving forward, the Secretariat will continue to invest in technology to create integrated systems that improve asset management.  

One of which entails centralising the human resources management for São Paulo ‘s public sector in one platform known as the Information and Support Centre (CLIC), including content of interest to the public like ways to access internships. 

She adds that she adopts a pragmatic approach in policymaking, which is about "ensuring that policies are technically feasible, legally sound and effective in executive”. 

This means “reducing unnecessary bureaucracy” and “creating mechanisms that facilitate the effectiveness of government actions”, she explains. 

Managing over 130,000 public servants 

Implementing tech to automate processes and reduce opportunities for mismanagement is simply not enough, Arruda notes, adding that "transparency requires breaking longstanding practices and confronting interests that benefit from the lack of oversight”. 

“There is no point in advancing oversight systems if our public servants do not possess a mindset of cooperation and justice in pursuit of the common good,” she adds. 

As a result, the Secretariat takes a two-pronged approach to address this: By putting in place workforce training and strengthening internal oversight bodies.  

On the one hand, there are training initiatives that range from ethics and integrity programmes, to capacity-building workshops that ensure that public servants can make informed and efficient purchasing decisions. 

These are led by the São Paulo Municipal Comptroller General's Office, which is the internal control body of the city. 

To reinforce the Municipal’s commitment to professional development, it also works with the local School of Public Administration to curate a new range of courses. 

“By cultivating this culture of integrity, we are not only improving transparency but also ensuring that our public servants are equipped to carry out their duties with the highest standards of professionalism and trustworthiness,” Arruda explains. 

To foster a more engaged workforce, Pontos de Afeto is another initiative designed to support working mothers in the public sector. The project provides designated spaces where new mothers can safely express and store breast milk for their babies while they transition back to work. 

On the other hand, the Secretariat has also strengthened whistleblowing channels and protection mechanisms for those who report irregularities.   

"This cultural shift is essential for long-term success in tackling corruption and building a government that truly serves its citizens,” she emphasises. 

On her hopes of the future for governance and transparency in her city, she says: “I want to leave a legacy of innovation, integrity, and governance, ensuring that the city government remains open to public scrutiny and committed to the continuous improvement of services for the population”. 

Arruda was recently commended at the Future of Government 2025 awards for the "Leadership Award", which recognises a leader who has enabled their team or an organisation that has made a real difference to people’s lives.