Diretorias de unidades regionalizadas administrativas: perspectivas e contribuições para a gestão e fortalecimento da Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

Abstract

Public higher education institutions have faced increasing challenges related to territorial expansion, resource constraints, and the growing complexity of administrative processes. In this context, it becomes essential to rethink university governance models, particularly in multi- campus institutions such as the University of the State of Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brazil. In 2008, during UNEMAT’s II University Congress, an administrative decentralization proposal was approved, aiming to redistribute responsibilities previously concentrated in the Rector’s Office. One of the measures implemented was the creation of the Regional Administrative Units Directorates, including the Political-Pedagogical and Financial Directorate and the Administrative Directorate, intended to promote greater local autonomy, agility in processes, and rational use of resources. This study aims to analyze the perspectives and contributions of the Administrative Regional Unit Directorate (DURA) to the efficiency and efficacy of administrative processes, from the viewpoint of faculty managers and technical administrative staff. The theoretical framework is based on university governance, administrative efficiency and efficacy, public management decentralization, and the multi-campus university model. Methodologically, this research adopts a qualitative case study approach, combining documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with managers who experienced both the period before and after DURA’s implementation. Data analysis was guided by principles of Constructivist Grounded Theory, mobilized as a qualitative analytical strategy (grounded inquiry), enabling the development of a data-grounded analytical-interpretative model. The findings indicate that DURA functions as a mechanism for the professionalization and institutionalization of administrative management, contributing, according to participants’ perceptions, to improvements in operational efficiency and efficacy, particularly regarding administrative organization, rational resource allocation, and the strengthening of decentralized units’ autonomy. The study also identifies challenges to its consolidation, including structural constraints, organizational culture, and internal disputes. It is concluded that the implementation of the Administrative Regional Unit Directorate represents an advancement in UNEMAT’s management model, strengthening university governance and enhancing institutional responsiveness to academic and administrative demands. This research contributes to the debate on university management in public multi-campus institutions and offers insights for the improvement of decentralized administrative practices.