Data and AI drive government efficiency in Brazil
SAS helps governments achieve citizen-centered digital transformation.
Improvements in citizens’ daily lives and better resource management by agencies
Espirito Santo achieved this using SAS® Viya®
In an era where citizens expect better and faster public services, governments everywhere are working to reverse their reputation for inefficiency. This widespread perception can hinder public trust and engagement. By using modern data analytics and AI tools, governments have the opportunity to revitalize their services, making them more agile, transparent and citizen-focused, to reshape the relationship between the public sector and the communities they serve.
Espirito Santo, a dynamic state in southeastern Brazil with a population of about 4 million, is embracing digital transformation to enhance responsiveness and transparency, and redefining the way government agencies interact with citizens. Leading this effort are Victor Murad, Undersecretary of Digital Transformation, and Washington Bila, of SAS Partner VERT Analytics, where he serves as Chief Technical Officer.
“This change isn’t just about technology; it’s about transforming people’s lives and creating a cultural shift,” says Murad. “We wanted to show people the tangible benefits of having a government, and let them see for themselves how government can be really useful in their day-to-day lives. We approached this transformation intentionally, with a focus on improving outcomes for government and for the general public that we serve.”
In turn, Bila stresses the importance of collaboration, adding, “Success requires a diverse and skilled team that can turn ideas into tangible solutions, delivering real value to the customer.”
Together, they are driving a more efficient, transparent and citizen-focused future for the state.
This change isn’t just about technology; it’s about transforming people’s lives.Victor Murad Undersecretary of Digital Transformation Espirito Santo
Meet Espirito Santo’s state government
Espirito Santo, like many state governments, faced hurdles in meeting citizen needs, upgrading outdated tech systems and overcoming a culture resistant to change.
Disconnected agencies that operated without a common vision for how government could be better resulted in inefficiencies and a lack of transparency. The solution? Integrating modern data and AI tools to unify operations focused on improving citizens’ everyday lives without compromising individual agency goals.
Partnering with VERT Analytics and SAS, Espirito Santo created an AI-powered analytics framework. According to Bila, this collaboration enabled tangible use cases that improved decision making across eight different government agencies. The broader digital transformation project led by Murad included a ninth agency, and the creation of a citizen services portal.
How SAS and VERT helped
Espirito Santo centralized data collected and previously maintained by each individual agency in tens of thousands of spreadsheets and databases into the Analytical Intelligence Center, a single data analytics platform powered by SAS. This put real-time information about health care, education, public sector – and more – into the hands of decision makers to automate services and directly impact public services
These investments in technology, along with the process improvements and cultural shifts within each agency, fueled the digital transformation in Espirito Santo.
One improvement simplified the inventory and distribution of high-priced medications for chronic conditions in Espirito Santo’s public health system. A system of alerts minimizes wait times for patients based on real-time information and ensures timely access to critical treatments.
Espirito Santo’s tourism has also seen improvement with SAS insights. The state identified visitor trends and began redirecting tourists to explore lesser-known regions like mountains and remote beaches. This eased congestion in popular spots while creating economic opportunities for underexplored areas.
In the public safety arena, investigators can cross-reference multiple data points related to an investigation to solve crimes in days that once would take months, according to Murad. In some cases, investigators are even using data to proactively prevent future crimes by understanding crime patterns and criminal networks, and applying resources where they are most needed.
SAS Viya deployed in 9 agencies
From traffic and finance, to education and justice, the digital transformation project at Espirito Santo has been implemented in nine different agencies:
DETRAN – Espírito Santo State Traffic Department
SEFAZ - Espírito Santo State Finance Department
SEJUS - Espírito Santo State Justice Department
SEDU - Espírito Santo State Education Department
SECONT - Espírito Santo State Control and Transparency Department
SESP - Public Security Secretariat of the State of Espírito Santo
PCEES – Civil Police of the State of Espírito Santo
SESA - Health Secretariat of the State of Espírito Santo
SEGER - Management and Human Resources Secretariat of the State of Espírito Santo
Eight of these nine agencies deployed SAS with technology partner Vert. Across all programs, citizens can access data and dashboards from these projects in a citizen-access portal provided by the government.
Espirito Santo – Facts & Figures
9
government agencies modernized with data and AI
10,000+
spreadsheets consolidated into one data lake
Millions
of citizen-focused insights
What happened next
Murad described the development of a “single smart portal” to provide a wide variety of digitized public services for citizens, ranging from transit timetables, routes and payments to public safety services and more. He anticipates extending SAS solutions to all 78 municipalities in the state, ensuring an even greater positive impact on the citizens of the state through efficient governance.
According to Bila, the success in Espirito Santo, which effectively involved a time-consuming but more meaningful agency-by-agency “build-from-the-bottom-up" approach of digital transformation has already sparked interest from other Brazilian states looking to replicate its transformative approach.
Modernized government operations
The partnership among Espirito Santo, VERT Analytics and SAS showcases the transformative power of strategic collaboration and intentional applications of data and AI. By adopting SAS solutions, the state has modernized its government operations, enhancing efficiency and service delivery in sectors, such as health, education, public safety and tourism.
“The public health application has revolutionized people's lives,” explains Murad. “Especially those dependent on medication to manage chronic or life-impacting conditions, such as HIV, cancer or diabetes. The public benefit of that application is clear, tangible and immediate.”
Looking ahead, Bila sees the partnership growing stronger and broader, with new use cases that will further benefit citizens. Both Bila and Murad say this success serves as a model for other states to follow.
The results illustrated in this article are specific to the particular situations, business models, data input, and computing environments described herein. Each SAS customer’s experience is unique based on business and technical variables and all statements must be considered non-typical. Actual savings, results, and performance characteristics will vary depending on individual customer configurations and conditions. SAS does not guarantee or represent that every customer will achieve similar results. The only warranties for SAS products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements in the written agreement for such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. Customers have shared their successes with SAS as part of an agreed-upon contractual exchange or project success summarization following a successful implementation of SAS software. Brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.