A gestão do Plano de Desenvolvimento Institucional (PDI) em uma instituição de ensino superior privada de Imperatriz-MA

Abstract

This dissertation aims to analyze the political nature of the management practices adopted and implemented in the Institutional Development Plan (PDI) of a private Higher Education Institution located in Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil. It is based on the assumption that the PDI, in addition to being a regulatory requirement defined by Law No. 9.394/1996 (Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education) and Law No. 10.861/2004, which established the National System for the Evaluation of Higher Education (SINAES), can also be understood as a strategic planning instrument aimed at integrating academic and administrative management. The research, with a qualitative and descriptive-analytical approach, was grounded in a bibliographical review on educational management, regulation policies, and strategic planning, as well as in the documentary analysis of current legislation and institutional instruments, including the PDI 2020–2024, the Internal Regulations, the Institutional Report, and the External Evaluation Reports for reaccreditation and course recognition (2023). The results indicate that the PDI fulfills its regulatory function by meeting legal and evaluative requirements, but reveals a predominance of quantitative goals and limitations in defining qualitative indicators. It was also found that its appropriation by institutional management occurs in a restricted and predominantly formal manner, prioritizing regulatory compliance rather than its potential as a strategic management and continuous monitoring tool. It is concluded that, although the PDI has been consolidated as an essential document for the evaluative and regulatory processes of higher education, its effective use as a management instrument requires greater integration among planning, evaluation, and institutional practices, as well as the strengthening of a participatory management culture aimed at organizational improvement and the consolidation of a democratic management perspective.