A COMUNICAÇÃO NA CONSTRUÇÃO DA CONFIANÇA EM UM ÓRGÃO OFICIAL DE ESTATÍSTICAS

Abstract

Official statistics agencies and the trust in their results are crucial for governmental and private decision-making. In Brazil, this function is performed by IBGE. The present study aimed to diagnose the effectiveness of the institute’s communication in constructing and preserving the population’s trust in the agency. To achieve this, the study employed institutional communications theory, official documents, and interviews with experts who are involved in IBGE’s communication in the states. The results indicate that IBGE’s communication principles and the theory are coherent. The criticisms and suggestions for improvement presented by the interviewees are also in accordance with the theory. Therefore, as a conclusion, rather than changing its reference documents, IBGE should adhere to its communication principles more faithfully. The institute should enhance its communication by utilizing the most prevalent media channels, enhancing the comprehensibility and accessibility of its messages, acknowledging and appreciating the cultural heterogeneity of each state. For this, the state representatives should have more participation on the communication decisions of the agency. This text provides a reference for the institution’s investment, grounded on the opinions of the people who work on IBGE’s communication daily applying theory to practice.