Práticas de controle interno na administração pública: percepção dos colaboradores de uma autarquia municipal

This study verified the perception of employees at a municipal authority regarding internal control practices, based on the Coso (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission) model. To this end, a descriptive study with a quantitative approach was carried out. To collect data, a survey was used, with the application of an in-person questionnaire in a municipal authority located in the state of Ceará. Of the institution's 70 employees, 67 participated in the survey, representing a sample of 95.71%. Four components of internal control were analyzed, considering the perception of employees and based on the Coso model: (i) control environment; (ii) risk assessment; (iii) control activity; and (iv) information and communication. The results indicate that the components with the greatest suitability for Coso were control environment and control activity, with more than half of its internal control practices perceived by employees. On the other hand, the risk assessment and information and communication components showed low adequacy to the Coso model, with none of the practices related to risk assessment being noticed by employees. Furthermore, it was observed that less than half of the respondents stated that they had knowledge about the topic of internal control. Thus, this research may contribute to the process of implementing and improving internal control in the organization, since public managers can identify their strengths and weaknesses, helping to outline strategies and decision making.