A Study on the Application of Project Management Practices to Higher Education Management in Brazilian Federal Institutes and Universities

Abstract

Projects play an important role in organizations. Studies conducted by project management associations since its inception in the 1960s have indicated a growing use of project management techniques within companies worldwide. Brazilian government applies these practices into the Federal Institutes and Universities, to offer and manage research and extension projects. These institutions have defined an Institutional Development Plan to support teaching, research and extension activities. The Institutional Development Plan is designed to run in a period of four years. This work investigated in the Institutional Development Plans of the institutions located in the state capitals, the use of the following project management terms: objective, goal, indicator, dimension, guideline, axis, project, program. It has been found that not all terms are used, either in isolation or related. According to good practices, it would be recommended that at least the basic terms (objective, goal and indicator) were used in a related way, and preferably also the other terms should be used. This would imply a reevaluation and change in the way plans are elaborated. The terms “project management” and PMO were also searched and it was found that few institutions use them.