Information management in basic sanitation in the State of Pará through the focus of information cycle

ABSTRACT This paper employs information management to analyze the sanitation information cycle in the State of Pará, due to the need of implementing municipal information systems. Methodologically, the research used Lancaster’s Information Transfer Cycle approach. Questionnaires were applied to collect and qualitative analysis of data from state agencies of the Basic Sanitation sector. Among the results, there was a lack of state and municipal information systems in addition to a deficient informational framework in the state, portrayed by a lack of systematic record, integration and sharing, as well as availability of produced information. It was concluded that there is a need to implement a local information system as an instrument of the sanitation state policy, targeting the informational knowledge related to the sector besides a larger participation of Pará municipalities in the national information system. It was also proposed the restructuring of informational dimension in the State of Pará, through a new sanitation information cycle.