Latin America Leadership Program

By: Guadalupe Ramirez and Ana Gomez Garces (B'25)

At the end of 2022, during the transition to the new government period of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2023–2026) in Brazil, the incoming administration agreed to reorganize the number and structure of the existing government ministries to make them more efficient without increasing costs or positions—an ambitious plan in Brazil’s bureaucratic history.

Thus, the team appointed by the newly established Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services focused on creating an innovative management model to centralize, integrate, and share administrative resources—including collaboration in human resources, technology, systems, and processes—to better serve the internal needs of the newly structured ministries and, consequently, positively impact Brazil’s more than 216 million citizens.

According to projections, ColaboraGov is estimated to generate savings of 415 million US dollars over four years.

From her role as Coordinator of Strategy, Articulation, and Innovation at the Secretariat of Shared Services at the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, based in Brasília, Isabel is responsible for the strategic management of ColaboraGov, which, due to its complexity and sophistication, could become one of the largest government shared services centers in the world. 

Currently, ColaboraGov facilitates collaboration among 13 ministries of Brazil’s federal government—a number that continues to grow—and involves the participation of 2,200 public servants.

"ColaboraGov is a robust and visionary public policy initiative of Brazil’s federal government, designed to promote innovation, integration, and collaboration in administrative services within the complex public sector. This enhances quality, efficiency, standardization, and effectiveness across 10 pillars of administrative support, including human resources, technology, logistics, finance, and strategic management. In this way, ColaboraGov generates public value for both the Government-to-Government (G2G) and Government-to-Citizen (G2C) ecosystems," explained Isabel Tarrisse da Fontoura.

A Culture of Innovation and Collaboration in Government

From the early stages of ColaboraGov, Isabel recognized the importance of fostering conversation, connection, and knowledge-sharing among employees from both the previous and new ministries. This was fundamental to the initiative’s success, particularly because its creation, implementation, and development had to take place without interrupting the real-time services already being provided.

Another key factor highlighted by Tarrisse da Fontoura is that the initiative was developed entirely by internal federal government talent and innovation, without outsourcing. Establishing and normalizing a culture of innovation was crucial due to the complexity of the ministries’ structures, the cross-functional nature of services, and the heterogeneity of their designs, as well as the varying degrees of administrative maturity among ministries.

In this context, the development and standardization of a three-tier governance model for ColaboraGov was a milestone, incorporating strategic and operational levels and ensuring active listening to participating ministries through thematic working groups focused on administrative support agendas.

Three years earlier, in 2020, Isabel Tarrisse da Fontoura participated in the Innovation and Leadership in Government (ILG) program, which had a profound impact on her personal and professional life, particularly in reshaping how she designs and manages ambitious projects across the public, private, and social sectors, with a multiplier effect for the common good.

"Through ILG, I witnessed how the program facilitates dialogue, learning, and collaboration among participants in an environment of mutual respect. Listening to the diverse perspectives of my cohort—comprising different nationalities, cultures, industries, and skills—helped me apply these lessons in collaborating with the ministries involved in ColaboraGov," said Tarrisse da Fontoura.

She continued: "The program inspires and prepares participants to develop resilience, courage, and determination to pursue new goals, even when we feel we may not have everything we need. It reaffirms our conviction to do the necessary work in our countries. That is why, at a pivotal moment in my career, I decided to focus on collaborating with the central government and applying my knowledge and experience to generate a greater positive impact."

ColaboraGov: A G2G and G2C Model

According to Tarrisse da Fontoura, the support of institutional entities, the Shared Services Center, and the governance model played a crucial role in ensuring ColaboraGov's success and continuity at different stages, both short- and long-term. This is particularly important because the initiative is not merely about technological consolidation but rather about process innovation. The initial phase focused on establishing strong foundational pillars and creating regulatory frameworks for implementation, and it continues to evolve.

As part of the initial results, 21 projects were completed in 2024 to optimize processes related to budget management, contracts, human resources, and transparency. This improved service delivery time and transparency, enabling, among other innovations, a pioneering approach to managing over 1,730 active contracts with a total value of nearly 852 million US dollars, 742 of which were formalized last year.

Additionally, the new model oversaw the digital and physical management of over 300,000 administrative processes and developed the Sustainable Logistics Plan for the Ministry of Innovation and Management, which promotes the efficient use of natural resources in the workplace and aligns with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015.

Regarding its direct impact on the population, three standout examples include:

1. The implementation of Reconstruction Aid in Rio Grande do Sul, which processed benefit payments (893 USD per citizen) within just three days.

2. Support for the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples by coordinating emergency transportation for the distribution of food baskets to the Yanomami communities.

3. The pioneering implementation of a government decree at the Ministry of Management that facilitates the hiring of women experiencing domestic violence.

Given the immense potential of ColaboraGov, the administration is now working on the next phases, including promoting a national and international agenda for experience and best-practice exchange, as well as identifying opportunities for dialogue with other governments, research centers, and academic institutions.

Reimagining and Contributing to Better Governance

For Isabel, ColaboraGov is a clear example of reimagining and strategically innovating bureaucratic management—both elements that she learned during ILG and which she continues to apply daily in her government work.

"After participating in ILG, I realized I wanted to pursue a more formal role in public innovation. Working at the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services has been an incredible opportunity to apply what I learned. The dialogues and cooperation with participants from other Latin American and Caribbean countries gave us a broader perspective and helped us develop skills applicable to projects in our respective countries. This is something I always keep in mind when working with ministries—each person has a different background, and we can all learn from one another," said Tarrisse da Fontoura.

With her academic background and professional experience in innovation management, social development, trade, and investment, Isabel is deeply committed to creating impact with purpose. In this regard, the ILG alumni network has also been a valuable space for exchanging experiences, leveraging strengths, and working together to make a difference.

"ILG undoubtedly gave me greater courage to keep moving forward and reimagine how government can function. From my position, I strive to help make that vision a reality," she concluded.

Bio Isabel Tarrisse da Fontoura

Isabel is Brazilian with a strong public sector background. She joined the Ministry of Management and Innovation in 2023 after a period in postgraduate education. She holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the University of Oxford, where she focused on the digital transformation of Brazilian state governments, and a Certificate in Economic Development from Harvard Kennedy School (2020).

She previously served as Head of the Internationalization Unit and Chief of Staff at Apex-Brasil, led communications at the Ministry of Finance, and worked in international public affairs at the Brazilian Presidency, specializing in sustainable development. With expertise in journalism, public administration, and economic development, Isabel is committed to reimagining government and fostering public sector leadership and innovation.

Source: Isabel Tarrisse da Fontoura (ILG 2020) and ILG Alumni Network