THE INCORPORATION OF INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATION INTO UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT: ANALYTICAL MEDIATIONS

Abstract

Institutional evaluation in higher education has been widely associated with quality improvement and the strengthening of university management. However, the formal existence of institutional evaluation does not, in itself, ensure its incorporation into planning and decision-making processes. In this context, this article aims to discuss, in light of the theoretical framework in the field, the institutional mediations that shape the incorporation of institutional evaluation into university management. This qualitative study, grounded in a theoretical-analytical approach, is linked to an ongoing doctoral research project whose empirical focus is the State University of the Tocantins Region of Maranhão (UEMASUL). The study is based on a literature review and documentary analysis of the university’s Institutional Development Plans for the periods 2017–2021 and 2022–2026. The analysis identified three central mediations: the appropriation of institutional evaluation results, the use of evaluation in institutional planning, and its integration into decision-making processes. The findings suggest that institutional evaluation tends to acquire greater relevance for university management when articulated with institutional planning and integrated into the university’s decision-making processes.