Eficiência em educação: um estudo sobre as universidades federais brasileiras

Abstract

Higher education institutions play a crucial role as pillars of human and social development, acting as centers for the production and dissemination of knowledge. However, they face challenges in the efficient management of resources, evaluation by control bodies, and the need to establish clear plans. In a scenario of scarce resources, efficient management becomes crucial to maximize results in the face of financial and personnel constraints, aiming to offer quality higher education. Efficiency analysis provides transparent management and allows society to monitor and evaluate public policies. In view of this, the general objective of this study is to investigate the level of efficiency of Brazilian federal universities from 2013 to 2022. To achieve the proposed objectives, the Data Envelopment Analysis methodology was adopted in order to measure the level of efficiency of the units studied. This technique consists of comparing inputs and outputs in the analyzed system. During the efficiency analysis performed, some econometric tests were used, including the Granger causality test, to establish the relationship between the input and output variables. The results of these tests indicated a causal flow between the variables considered as inputs and outputs, supporting Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Calculations of several efficiencies were performed: standard, inverted, composite, and normalized composite. These analyses highlighted the Federal University of Minas Gerais as the most efficient institution between 2013 and 2022. However, other institutions did not achieve maximum efficiency, presenting a significant variety of results. This diversity suggests the need for measures to improve the efficiency of these institutions. The factors that prevented these institutions from achieving maximum efficiency were identified, aiming to guide managers in decision-making to promote their efficiency. The analysis of the variation in normalized composite efficiency during the Covid-19 pandemic, using the Malmquist index, showed varied impacts on Brazilian federal universities. Therefore, the hypothesis that the efficiency levels of Brazilian federal universities decreased during the pandemic was not confirmed. It was observed that older universities are generally more efficient, possibly due to their greater experience and consolidated infrastructure, confirming the hypothesis of a significant difference in efficiency between young and old universities. It was also concluded that there is a significant difference in the average efficiency between universities in more developed and less developed municipalities, considering the GDP per capita. Results by region indicated significant differences in the average efficiency of universities among the different Brazilian macro-regions.