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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 174 (2015) 2962 2966

INTE 2014

Comparative analysis between the institutional development plan

and strategic planning methodologies: the case of the Federal
Institute of Education at Minas Gerais - Brazil
Bontempo, P.C*; Moscardini, S.B.**; Salles, J. A. A.*
* Faculdades Alves Faria
** Instituto Federal de Educao, Cincia e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais

Abstract
This article presents a comparative analysis of the Institutional Development Plan (IDP) of the Federal Institute of Education
at Minas Gerais (IFSULDEMINAS) with the methodologies of Strategic Planning. Starting from a historical review of technical
education in the country since the creation of the schools of apprentices until the formation of the federal education schools the
article examines the role played by the IDP in this institution and if the IDP can be seen as a strategic planning methodology. The
case study included interviews with current managers of the IFSULDEMINAS and analysis of organizational documents. We
found that the PDI and Strategic Planning methodologies are similar in their development process. However, it was possible to
conclude that the PDI methodology still demands improvements.
2015
by by
Elsevier
Ltd.Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

2014The
TheAuthors.
Authors.Published
Published
Elsevier
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review
under responsibility of the Sakarya University.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Sakarya University

Keywords: Strategic planning; technical education.

1. Introduction
The Federal Government of Brazil, through the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) and its Program for the
Expansion of Vocational Education (Proep) has transformed many isolated technical schools in Federal Institutes of

* Corresponding author. Jose A. A. Salles. Tel.: +0011953010545.

E-mail address: jose.salles@alfa.br

1877-0428 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Peer-review under responsibility of the Sakarya University

doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.1035

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Education Science and Technology. The union of three technical schools at Minas Gerais gave rise to the Federal
Institute of Science and Technology Education (IFSULDEMINAS) administered by a rector installed in Pouso
Alegre.
This study starts with a historical review of technology education in Brazil and the legal requirements that
emerged with the transformations that have occurred over time. The methodologies of strategic planning were
compared with the Institutional Development Plan (IDP). After this comparisons and analyzes, it was carried out a
survey with managers of the IFSULDEMINAS for checking the similarities between both methodologies.
The history of the Federal Institutes of Technology Education begins in 1906, when the President of Rio de
Janeiro created four professional schools (NUNES, REINATO, ROSA, 2009). The purpose of these schools was to
supply industrial demands that were emerging in the country. During the 100 years, these schools have gone through
several transformations. In 1937, they became high schools intended to supply mass production companies. In 1959,
these schools acquired teaching and management autonomy (NUNES, REINATO, ROSA, 2009). In 1978, the first
Federal Centers for Technological Education emerged. The National System for Technical Education increased the
emergence of a Federal Network of Vocational and Technical Education in the country, transforming the federal
technical schools in Federal Education Centers (CEFET).
In 2004, the decree 5154, enabled schools and students freedom to choose which educational model to follow. In
the same year, the Federal Network of Technical Education was free to create and deploy courses at all levels of
professional and technical education. Finally, in December 2008, Law No. 11,892 created 38 Federal Education,
Science and Technology. By the transformation and integration of Federal Centers for Technological Education. The
changes that occurred were not only in nomenclature. Supervision became the responsibility of the MEC; the form
of admission became to be through entrance exams.
The IFSULDEMINAS emerged in 2010 from the amalgamation of three independent institutes located in the
same region. Currently the institute has a rectory located in the city of Pouso Alegre. I also has five campus located
in the cities of Machado, Muzaffarnagar, Passos and Poos de Caldas. The institute offers courses at all levels of
education except doctoral degree.
2 - PDI and Strategic Planning
With the transformations that have occurred in technological education, new legal requirements emerged and the
Institutional Development Plan (IDP) is one of them. This requirement resulted from the transformation of Institutes
in Higher Education Institutions, placing them under the responsibility of the National System of Higher Education
Assessment (SINAES). In April 2004 it was established the obligation of the IDP. From May 2006, the plan needed
to be carried out for the period of 5 years and should contain elements that identify the IES as its philosophy,
mission, teaching guidelines, financial, organizational structure and academic activities, current and desired features
for years to come. According to Francisco, Nakayama, Oliveira and Ramos (2012) the PDI consolidated the
institutional policies and became the guiding instrument to help the schools to reach the effectiveness of the teaching
and learning.
Rami and Spers (2007) define the importance of PDI in the context of the Brazilian reality as a conductor of
strategic planning.
The concept of strategic planning emerged as a military concept to gain advantages over the adversaries
(BERGUE, 2011). Following the military organization, companies began to assess their strengths and weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of the environment, with the goal of placing in the top position of your competitors.
The process of developing a strategic planning involves analyzing the vision, mission, values and principles of
the organization, firstly, based on this information takes place plans that meet these characteristics who seek a
prominent position in the business market (OLIVEIRA, 2013). The purpose of planning is to define actions, projects
and business objectives, assessing its consequences in order to reduce the uncertainty involved in the decision
making process. Planning is an activity performed routinely and in order to achieve a purpose it is essential to
organize actions to achieve goals (MATOS, MATOS, ALMEIDA, 2007). For this to happen a continuous analysis
of the external and internal environment is necessary.
The strategic planning process can summarized in four steps. The first stage is responsible for operating
organizational environment, values and vision. In a second step, it is necessary analyze how to gain competitive
advantage over competitors. The third stage of planning summarizes to define the goals, strategies, policies and

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guidelines of the company. To complete the drafting process, the fourth step, control and evaluate the activities
planned for them to meet their specific goals.
Strategic planning is an ongoing process, as the constant reevaluation of proposed actions to apply to achieve
their goals is necessary. This continuous controls, and corrections applied where necessary, are actions that allow
the development planning that meets the business needs. The process to be correct and efficient requires a thorough
knowledge of the organization, the aspirations and determination of its future desire.
Some authors studied the strategic planning applied to Higher Education Institutions (FERNANDES, CORRA,
NOVAES, VIANA, 2009). According to the authors universities are increasingly adopting strategic planning,
considering that this is vital tool in the development of a modern social institution.
The complexity and dynamics of planning at Brazilian higher education institutions are linked to governance
issues that change with the opinions, case law, revocation and creating laws, ordinances resolutions, provisional
measures, often created randomly and immediate manner, seeking solution (ROCHA, 2005).
By conducting a comparative analysis between the institutional development plan and methodology for strategic
planning, Mizael (2012) concluded that the PDI is an excellent tool for public management of Federal Institutions of
Higher Education (IFES), as a mean of pursuing excellence in teaching, research and extension, as well as achieve
their goals with effectiveness, efficiency and public transparency.
Despite the PDI have arisen from a legal requirement of the MEC for Higher Education Institutions it seems that
it is very similar to strategic planning (FERNADES, CORREA, NOVAES, VIANA (2009). Andrade and Tachizawa
(2006) also see similarities between Strategic Planning and PDI affirming that both, rather than a static document,
should be seen as a management tool that contains early decisions about the line of action to be followed by schools
in fulfilling its mission. According to Rami and Spers (2007), PDI follows an "official script, predetermined by the
MEC for bureaucratic purposes of accreditation and follows the methodology of strategic planning. The PDI
therefore represents an excellent opportunity to assess the situation before, understand the present and the plan for
the future, allowing mapping the direction that the institution can track and project the future position of the
institution in the market.
For
Bergue
(2011)
there
is
no
conceptual
incompatibilities
between
instruments.
According Schmitt and Mafra, (2003) similarity is evident, but not its applicability and only through research is
possible to know the applicability of this instrument in each institution. The authors cast doubt on the effectiveness
of the Institutional Development Plan by saying that the plan guides the IES in their actions, but does not help the
institutions think strategically.
3 - Methodology
In order to verify the applicability of the PDI ate the IFSULDEMINAS it was made an analysis of documents and
it was conducted a survey including the deans of the institution. The documentary analysis showed that the PDI
complies with all legal requirements as to the preparation process and the proposed objectives are compatible to the
mission.
The chosen methodology was a case study, a methodology used in the analysis of contemporary events,
interviews and observations.
We did analysis in order to verify the importance of the PDI for the institution and to understand if it represents a
strategic planning tool.
The
survey
included
the
Provost
and
five
Deans
of
the
IFSULDEMINAS.
The issues addressed in the questionnaire aimed to determine the recognition of the PDI as strategic planning
methodology, how it works and who should be responsible for its elaboration, if it is just a report or a strategic
planning methodology, if there is an analysis of the past in this plan, whether it is democratic or centralized, if it
generates commitment and if each department has a specific plan.
4 - Results
The questions were analyzed in order to ascertain the applicability of PDI and what it represents for the current
management of the IFSULDEMINAS. It was attempted to verify how well this plan was developed and can
compared to a strategic plan methodology.
Respondents stated that the PDI should be built in a participatory and democratic, involving all levels of the IES

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and the community, in spite of adopting these actions as political action and not as a division of responsibility and
knowledge exchange. They also point to the existence of the four stages of Oliveira (2013) in the preparation of this
PDI process. However, recognize the plan as static and reevaluation of plans due to new government claims that
arose after the completion of the IDP.
Through the responses obtained, it can be stated that the PDI is seen as a mere report by the majority of academic
technical community, perhaps for lack of physical structure and staff in the Institute. It was observed that the PDI
was restricted to the decision making level despite being a public document.
However, respondents recognize that involvement generates commitment and power sharing. Thus, the
democratization of the PDI is essential for its implementation.
The interviewed managers recognize the importance of the current IDP but find that the instrument needs to be
more specific in its requirements and proposed actions. Some of them believe the PDI was done more to report than
to guide actions and that it was built without much precision. The institution was very new and the PDI was
prepared without full knowledge of the institution. As a result, today the PDI does not represent the reality of
IFSULDEMINAS. These results show the importance of reevaluation of proposed actions and correction of faults to
continue directing the IES. The responses of managers show that PDI, in addition to long-term planning, actions
must exist in the short term, "with course corrections, due to new found realities Another respondent adds: "I think
as a manager that the PDI is an institutional planning in strategic and tactical terms because it addresses the
institutional horizons in the medium and long term, detailing human, financial and structural resources."
There was no consensus on the answers given by managers on the existence of specific plans for each area. None
of the responses concluded that each area is structured and planned to meet the proposed objectives.
It was possible to verify that the PDI is a director of the guidelines and goals driven by government plans that aim
to meet the socioeconomic and cultural needs of the regional population. However, from the interviews it was
possible to observe that the actions, plans, guidelines and specific goals do not analyze the changes that the
environments suffer, much less adapt to them.
It could be observed that the PDI was not adapted to environmental changes and soon became outdated an
underutilized.
In conclusion, at the IFSULDEMINAS the PDI is not yet being used as a strategic planning although managers
value it as an administrative tool. Some limitations of this study include that it was not to monitor all stages of
development. Also the fact that its use could be checked only on the point of view of managers and not in the
institution as a whole. Still, it is possible to verify the importance to be given to the Plan of Institutional
Developments in the management of the Institution of Higher Education.

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