New Director of Social Economy Services and Division Head Departure at IVBAM

The Official Journal of 12 November 2026 published two changes to the regional administration's senior management: the appointment of Vera José Figueira Rocha as director of services for the social economy area and the termination, at the officeholder's request, of the service commission of Bella Karina de Olim Freitas as division head at the Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira, IP-RAM (IVBAM). The appointment takes effect on 10 November 2026 and the termination on 21 October 2026.

What was decided#

• Appointment: by Despacho n.º 445/2026, signed on 10 November by the Regional Secretary for Inclusion, Labour and Youth, Paula Cristina Baptista Margarido, Vera José Figueira Rocha, a master's graduate in Law and senior technician of the centralised human resources management system of the Regional Secretariat for Finance, was appointed Director of Services of the Directorate of Services for Support to the Social Economy (DSAES) of the Regional Directorate for Citizenship and Social Affairs (DRCAS). The post is an intermediate first-grade management position, filled under a service commission for a period of three years, renewable for equal periods.
• Termination: by Aviso n.º 598/2026, the termination, at her own request, of the service commission of Bella Karina de Olim Freitas, senior technician, as Division Head of Viticulture at the IVBAM was authorised. The effects run from 21 October 2026, inclusive. The authorising order was issued by the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries.

Who the new director is#

According to the curriculum note attached to the order, Vera José Figueira Rocha holds a law degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra (2006-2010) and a master's degree in Legal-Forensic Sciences from the same faculty (2010-2012). She completed a legal traineeship with the Madeira District Council of the Portuguese Bar Association (2011-2013). In the regional administration, she was a senior technician at the Regional Directorate for Heritage between 2015 and 2022, and division head of the Technical Support Division of the DRCAS between February 2022 and November 2025.

The same note states that the appointee has held the post of Director of Social Economy Support Services since 1 December 2025, under a one-year service commission. The published text does not clarify the relationship between that role and the new appointment, nor explain why the term is now three years.

Legal framework#

A service commission is the temporary form of appointment to senior posts: the officeholder remains in the position for a set period and may be replaced before the term ends. Both acts rest on the regime governing senior staff of the regional administration. The order cites Regional Legislative Decree n.º 5/2004/M, of 22 April, which adapts Law n.º 2/2004 to the Region, and the General Law on Work in Public Functions, approved by Law n.º 35/2014. The core structure of the DRCAS was approved by Portaria n.º 386/2020, which created the DSAES, and the organic framework of the regional directorate is set out in Regional Regulatory Decree n.º 40/2024/M, of 16 December.

The post was filled following the recruitment procedure opened by Aviso n.º 360/2026, published on 3 August in Series II of the Official Journal, n.º 136, 3rd Supplement. The selection jury proposed the appointment of the candidate. The expenditure has budgetary coverage under the Secretariat 49 line item.

As for the termination, the notice cites paragraph i) of n.º 1 of article 25 of Law n.º 2/2004, of 15 January, as its basis, without stating the reason for the request. The notice is dated 13 October 2026 and was signed by the Head of Cabinet of the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Fisheries, Sara Mónica Fernandes da Silva Relvas. Publication took place almost a month later, with effects backdated to 21 October.