Institutional self-evaluation in higher education: understandings, uses, and meanings attributed by educational managers

Abstract

Institutional self-evaluation, established within the National System for the Evaluation of Higher Education (Sinaes), is a strategic instrument for enhancing management in higher education institutions. However, the literature and practice suggest that its effective use as a management tool remains limited and uneven across institutions. This article analyzes how educational managers understand, use, and assign value to institutional self-evaluation in three Brazilian higher education institutions with distinct legal and administrative structures, focusing on its effectiveness as a tool for strategic management.” The study adopts a qualitative, applied approach with descriptive-exploratory objectives, based on a multiple case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with institutional directors and program coordinators, complemented by document analysis, and analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate varying levels of institutionalization of institutional self-evaluation (AAI), which is most effective when integrated into planning, management, and collective participation. The findings suggest that the effectiveness and efficiency of institutional self-evaluation depend not on its formalization alone, but on the effective use of its results to inform decision-making. Its strategic value, in turn, is shaped by institutional evaluation culture, stakeholder engagement, and the integration of its results into decision-making.