Basic reference for the development of a humanization process in the municipal public health service in São Borja - RS. The book presents the author’s experience in strategic management of public organisations, referring more precisely to his period as Municipal Secretary of Health in the municipality of São Borja, on the western border of Rio Grande do Sul. During this period, he implemented the program Humanizar é Ser Humano (Humanize is Being Human), which obtained positive results and was the basis for this study.