INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR BRAZILIAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES

The Institutional Development Plan (PDI) is an instrument that provides relevant information about the Higher Education Institutions in Brazil. Such information reveals the universities' identities and expresses the goals and actions aimed at achieving education quality. The tool can also assist in controlling financial resources and the planning for new investment and technologies, in order to promote development. According to law No. 10.861/04, the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) provided a base model for the PSI to the institutions that serves as a prerequisite to the accreditation, authorization and recognition of higher education courses. Taking this context, the main objective of this research has been to identify whether the PDIS of the Brazilian Federal Universities contemplate the requirements and dimensions that have been set by the MEC. The study is classed as descriptive, quantitative and documentary due to the methodological processes employed. Based on the law and on MEC requirements, a check list was drawn up to facilitate the collection and analysis of data. The collection was accomplished through documents taken from the websites of the sample institutions, which numbered twenty-four. The results indicate that, of the universities surveyed, not one of them has 100% of the requirements and dimensions set by the MEC in their PDIS. It was found that just five universities contain more than 70% of the items, ten feature between 50% and 70% of the items and nine have less than 50% of the items. It is concluded that the PDI is not important to most Brazilian Federal Universities. The results contradict the importance and relevance given to the PDI by the MEC.