Evaluation and accreditation in higher education institutions: regulation in Brazil and Argentina

Abstract

This text is an essay that addresses the topic of higher education evaluation, specifically regarding state regulatory procedures for the accreditation of courses and institutions. Focusing on the Argentinian and Brazilian contexts, the aim is to highlight the similarities and differences between both models. The discussion involves the concept of New Public Management (NPM), configured from the perspective of a management matrix focused on efficiency and productivity, stemming from government reforms implemented in the early 1990s. It is emphasized that this form of regulation, while possessing external mechanisms for verifying and controlling the quality of courses and institutions, encourages self-evaluation, geared towards autonomy. In both Brazil and Argentina, evaluation is the responsibility of commissions, in the first case by Comissão Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Superior (CONAES) and in the second by Comisión Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria (CONEAU). The procedure follows standards established by law and is carried out by peers. It can be concluded that, although the Argentinian and Brazilian models present institutional specificities, both are part of a convergent regulatory logic, marked by the incorporation of principles of New Public Management, which highlights permanent tensions between state regulation, institutional autonomy, and accountability.