The evaluation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is a challenging task, due to the complexity inherent in the context in which they are inserted, the different institutional profiles, the variety of resources used and the results offered in the performance of their mission. In this way, the present study proposes an evaluative approach that aims to measure efficiency taking into account the diverse activities characteristic of university institutions. To this end, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach, known as Network DEA, is used, which encompasses the different processes and subprocesses that take place within these institutions. In all, the evaluation considers eleven variables organized in three distinct stages, which reflect the performance of the HEIs in different perspectives: financial, undergraduate level and graduate level (student training and scientific production and innovation). Finally, the model was applied at 45 Brazilian federal universities. This case study allows a comprehensive efficiency analysis to be carried out for the set of institutions considered, from each perspective taken into account in the approach.
Keywords: Efficiency evaluation; Higher education; Network DEA; Universities.
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