A gestão de riscos em pregões eletrônicos e suas implicações nos custos de transação

Abstract

This study examines risk management in public procurement under Law No. 14,133/2021, a strategic governance tool aimed at enhancing integrity, efficiency, and predictability in bidding processes. The research is justified by the need to strengthen government procurement management and to foster an organizational culture oriented toward risk mitigation. The central objective was to analyze how risk management in electronic bidding processes conducted by the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT) between 2021 and 2024 contributed to reducing transaction costs and optimizing procurement procedures, considering the governance practices adopted. Grounded in Transaction Cost Theory (TCT), the study highlights how governance structures promote more efficient contractual relationships. This applied research adopts a qualitative and descriptive approach, based on document analysis, mapping of electronic bidding procedures, and semi-structured interviews with procurement officials. Data were analyzed through triangulation of institutional sources, interviewees’ perceptions, and current legislation. The findings indicate that the main operational risks are concentrated in the planning phase, undermining efficiency and increasing transaction costs. Identified issues include procedural failures, delays, and behaviors associated with bounded rationality and opportunism, which intensify costs, generate uncertainty, and compromise the predictability and effectiveness of procurement. Risk management was found to be incipient, reactive, and weakly integrated into the organizational culture, hindered by limited staff training, ineffective communication, and insufficient strategic leadership. The study reveals governance fragilities and structural and cultural barriers to establishing effective risk management. The findings underscore the need to institutionalize risk management as a strategic tool, with coordinated action from senior management and technical leadership committed to prevention and continuous improvement. As a practical contribution, a technical report was developed with proposals to strengthen procurement governance at UFT. Limitations include the study's temporal and institutional scope, the ongoing normative transition, and the internal focus of the analysis. Future research should expand the analytical scope to include supplier perspectives and performance indicators to assess the impact of governance on procurement outcomes. The study offers an original contribution by demonstrating that the absence of consolidated governance and risk management practices undermines the effectiveness of public procurement, calling for structural and cultural reforms in public organizations.