Introduction: The national policy of permanent health education sets new guidelines for democratic management in the area of health education, such as: participatory management, the role of workers and users and the strengthening of social control. Objective: Analyze the implementation process of Permanent Education in Health Policy in Federal District, Brazil. Methods: A case study using the theory of public policy was held in the Federal District, involving 24 key participants responsible for the management and implementation of this policy. Results: The findings point to a centralized model of management with little involvement of other segments of the civil society, financing obstacles due to bureaucratic issues and devaluation of space policy implementation. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the policy changes and management have not been performed with the necessary breadth for the collective construction of knowledge in health services.