The author makes a contrast between the conventional planning and what was called institutional planning and/or design. All this discussion was undertaken having as a background the notion of paradigm. Because of that, institutional design is understood, here, as a concept far away from the well known "institutional building" in the public administration literature. Other notions such as developmental style and organizational style are discussed also. At an empirical level, accidents are seen as excellent indicators of a certain organizational style, which is approached in terms of some strategic characteristics, such as: meaning, self-reliance; requisite variety; permanent learning and democratic learning.Discussão paradigmática. "A versão" ao paradigma mecânico-fatalista, estendendo-se ao positivismo, ao pragmatismo e ao funcionalismo. Predomínio das ideias vivas emancipadoras. Reconceituação do processo de planejamento, explicitando sua dimensão epistemológica. Noção de estado organizacional. Articula macroquestões do planejamento com as micro. Importância da "questão organizacional" para o planejamento institucional. Acidentes como indicadores do estilo organizacional.