Performance indicators in the university: an evaluation

Abstract

Performance evaluation in higher education is a very controversial matter, which is being discussed already by researchers abroad for over a few years, but on1y recently in Brazil, still with no visible consensus.

In order to contribute to this discussion, officially recognized by the Comissão Nacional para Reformulação da Educação Superior (National Comission for the Restructuring of Higher Education), the article envisages a critical study on the viability of using effectiveness and efficiency indicators, withing the context of Brazilian universities. Starting from organizational peculliarities of the university, the study intends to gather evidence on the inconsistency in the use of said indicators and, from its conclusions, goes on to suggest some lines of research the author considers as priority guidelines for performance in Brazilian universities.