Key Performance Indicators for Higher Education. Lessons From Poland

Abstract

It has been argued that quantitative KPIs for academics can create perverse incentives. By narrowing the attention of academia to measurable outcomes rather than its broader mission, they can be a distraction from maximizing universities' positive impact on society. Quantitative assessments are nonetheless required, among others by governments which finance or co-finance the higher education institutions in many countries. This work presents an analysis of past regulations concerning the evaluation of universities and their impact on the Polish higher education sector. Quantitative as well as qualitative aspects are discussed. The results illustrate the Goodhart's law stating :“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” However in some aspects the case study of Poland also shows how the absence of quantitative assessments is likely to result in undesired outcomes.



Author Information
Katarzyna Joanna Błocka, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Institute of Econometrics, Poland
Tomasz Szapiro, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Institute of Econometrics, al. Niepodległości 162 00-001 Warszawa POLAND, Poland

Paper Information
Conference: ACEID2018
Stream: Economic management of education

This paper is part of the ACEID2018 Conference Proceedings (View)
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Posted by James Alexander Gordon