The Transformative Power of Evaluation on University Governance

The aim of this chapter is to investigate how external evaluation contributes to the transformation of universities through effects on their internal governance. The inquiry is driven by two research questions: what makes evaluation a powerful instrument affecting the governance of universities?; and do different evaluation instruments (evaluation of research, evaluation of teaching, quality assurance) have different strengths in affecting governance? In the current study, we consider evaluation as having several areas of potential effect in the transformation of universities: i) changes in the hierarchical relationships between actors, with possibilities of verticalization in the distribution of power, and reinforcement of the central power through the definition of strategies, and the use resource allocation and performance assessments; ii) contributions to the reconfiguration of the academic profession and the formation of new elites; iii) improvement in management and performance, through the rationalization of the use of available resources and the pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness. The study investigates the first of the above three effects of transformation, arguing that evaluation does not bring about a concentration of power in the hands of the university's central governing bodies. Rather it is expected that an observable division of competences and influences between the actors involved, meaning between the top and middle managers, is linked to the type of evaluation used. Furthermore, we argue that research evaluation is likely to produce a deeper impact on university governance than other forms of evaluation, particularly the assessment of teaching.