Institutional Self-Evaluation as a Management Tool at the University of Brasília (2017–2022)
Higher education; Sinaes; Self-assessment; Use of results; University of Brasília.
This research addresses institutional self-evaluation, a core component of the National System for the Evaluation of Higher Education (Sinaes), focusing on the University of Brasília (UnB) as its locus of investigation. Conducted by the Institutional Self-Evaluation Committee (CPA), the self-evaluation process plays a central role in supporting the other assessment procedures that compose Sinaes. The study aimed to examine how UnB’s administration utilized the results of institutional self-evaluation across the evaluation cycles of 2017–2019 and 2020–2022. It is a single case study, descriptive-interpretive in nature, with a qualitative approach grounded in a critical-dialectical perspective. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis of national and institutional materials from UnB were employed. Fourteen participants took part in the study, organized into two groups: (i) the CPA chair and committee members, and (ii) administrators associated with the Office of Planning, Budget, and Institutional Evaluation (DPO). Data analysis was based on Bardin’s (2021) thematic content analysis. The findings indicate that UnB demonstrates a high degree of institutionalization of selfevaluation, stemming from its pioneering experience in institutional assessment. However, challenges remain regarding the balance between formative and regulatory dimensions, the low engagement of the academic community, and the CPA’s limited executive capacity. Although the self-evaluation reports inform the 2023–2028 Institutional Development Plan (PDI), they still lack deeper analytical insights. The AvaliaUnB Program and the Alumni Survey stand out as significant formative practices. The study concludes that UnB has consolidated a consistent evaluative structure but must expand the use of selfevaluation results and strengthen its formative evaluation culture.