I had the privilege of experiencing one of the most transformative journeys in public administration by coordinating the implementation of the OKR methodology in two of the main state secretariats of Goiás, Brazil. First at the State Secretariat of Administration (SEAD), where we structured a strategic plan that broke away from decades of shelved plans, and later at the State Secretariat of Economy, where we consolidated a results-driven management culture that has become a benchmark. What seemed unlikely – making government think and act in an agile, measurable, and deeply results-oriented manner – has been becoming a tangible reality, with engaged teams, achieved goals, and, above all, a legacy of transparency and efficiency that transcends administrations.

This journey was only possible thanks to the exceptional mentorship of Professor Marcos Barros, an international authority on OKRs, whose strategic vision and unique teaching approach enabled us to translate concepts born in Silicon Valley to the complex reality of Brazilian public administration. Marcos not only masters the methodology with technical excellence but also possesses the rare ability to adapt it to the particularities of the public sector – with its legal constraints, political dynamics, and, most importantly, its essential mission to serve citizens. Under his guidance, we transformed insulated bureaucracies into intelligent organisations capable of establishing ambitious goals and pursuing them with discipline and focus.

If you believe the public sector can and should be a protagonist of transformation, if you seek practical tools to navigate the complexity of governmental management without losing focus on what truly matters, or if you simply want to understand how two state public entities managed to do things differently and better, get to know the work Oxford Business Masters is doing. It is a work born from practice, speaks to practitioners, and I am certain it will catalyse a new generation of public managers committed to excellence and delivering value to society.

João Paulo Dantas
Chief of Staff, State Secretariat of Economy of Goiás, Brazil
Former Superintendent of Integrated Management - SEAD and State Secretariat of Economy