Contributions from the District’s 14 Municipalities Are Essential to the Manual of Procedures and Best Practices for Social Services
Póvoa de Lanhoso was represented yesterday morning at the 1st Meeting of the Community of Practice (CoP), “Sharing to Transform”. The initiative brought together representatives from the Braga District Centre of Social Security, the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), as well as Mayors and Councillors responsible for Social Affairs from all 14 municipalities in the district. Póvoa de Lanhoso was represented by the Councillor for Social Cohesion, Fátima Moreira, accompanied by technicians from the Social Assistance and Support Service (SAAS).
The meeting, held at the Aula Magna Auditorium of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at the Portuguese Catholic University (Braga Campus), served to present the Manual of Procedures and Best Practices for Social Action in the District of Braga.
Created in January 2024 as part of the decentralisation of responsibilities, the Braga Social CoP brings together the district’s 14 municipalities (Amares, Barcelos, Braga, Cabeceiras de Basto, Celorico de Basto, Esposende, Fafe, Guimarães, Póvoa de Lanhoso, Terras de Bouro, Vieira do Minho, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Verde and Vizela) and the District Centre of the Social Security Institute (ISS, IP). The project has a clear objective: to eliminate disparities in social support and ensure a fair and equitable response for all individuals and families.
To date, the CoP has held 29 travelling monthly meetings, establishing itself as an innovative and structured methodology. This work has made it possible to define common guidelines and procedures that support the daily work of around 170 professionals from the Social Assistance and Support Services (SAAS). The result is greater operational efficiency, preventing the duplication of financial support and contributing to the optimisation of public resources.
This pioneering model of intermunicipal cooperation has been recognised by ANMP, which validated the Braga CoP as a national example of good practice in social-sector collaboration, with the potential to be replicated in other regions of the country. This journey is founded on networking, the sharing of knowledge and experience, and the commitment of all the municipalities involved.
