Eficiência dos campi do IFCE e seus efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento socioeconômico dos municípios cearenses

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between the efficiency of the Instituto Federal do Ceará (IFCE) campuses and municipal socioeconomic development. The study is grounded in Human Capital Theory, which positions education as a driver of productivity and inequality reduction. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with bootstrap correction was applied to measure the technical efficiency of 32 campuses, using current and personnel expenditures as inputs and the number of graduates as output. Subsequently, panel data regression analysis was used to assess the impact of this efficiency on the FIRJAN Index of Municipal Development (IFDM) from 2017 to 2023. The study's results confirm the hypothesis (H1) that higher levels of institutional efficiency are positively associated with socioeconomic development, with more pronounced effects in the Employment and Income dimensions. These findings demonstrate that Professional and Technological Education (EPT) acts as a strategic anchor for productive inclusion and mitigation of regional disparities in Ceará. The results suggest that efficient management of public resources enhances the knowledge effect and technological spillover in the served territories.