Assessment and recommendations

This chapter presents on overview of the main findings and recommendations resulting from the OECD review of the external quality assurance system in the federal higher education system in Brazil. The analysis has assessed the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the external quality assurance procedures applicable to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and higher education institutions (HEIs) in the federal higher education system. The chapter summarises findings and recommendations in relation to the different components of the external quality assurance systems: a) procedures to regulate the “market entry” of new HEIs and new undergraduate programmes b) procedures for the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of existing undergraduate programmes and related feedback and corrective measures c) external quality procedures governing academic postgraduate programmes d) ongoing monitoring and evaluation of higher education institutions (institutional evaluation) and e) governance and administrative bodies and arrangements that have been created to implement and oversee the processes above.