MONITORING & REPORT

Throughout previous strategic planning cycles, a culture of continuous monitoring and regular evaluation of the activities at the University of Coimbra has been established and developed across the organisational structure and at various management levels, and is now fully integrated into the academic community.

The dynamic process built into the UC management cycle will be maintained, enabling the continuous development of the planning, monitoring, evaluation and feedback processes to achieve excellence in all mission pillars, axes and sustainability areas.

Regular monitoring will be carried out for each pillar, axis, and area of sustainability and social responsibility to assess progress and deviations from the initially established goals, and thus the impact of the initiatives implemented, (measured through Key Performance Indicators - KPIs). The target dashboard will be monitored every six months to ensure all strategic pillars and perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard are addressed (organisational, learning and growth, financial, and social). It should be noted that in this dashboard, each target is defined as a range, encompassing values from the minimum target achieved (lower limit) to the target exceeded (upper limit). This approach adapts to the evolving context, with the lower limit linked to a more pessimistic scenario and the upper limit associated with a more optimistic scenario.

To enable effective monitoring of progress, reporting will be done through annual monitoring reports, complemented by interim reports covering the first semester of each year, with the first report covering 2023. These reports will provide guiding data for evaluation and subsequent decision-making by the University of Coimbra's governance and management bodies of the University of Coimbra. Key findings from each annual report will also be included in the Consolidated Management Report and Accounts of the University of Coimbra Group.

The evaluation will consider, as previously mentioned, the evolving context, enabling continuous assessment of how well the strategic initiatives and goals align with changes in potential opportunities and external risks. Each report will also include monitoring of the various action plans, along with regular self-assessment by responsible stakeholders at different levels—from the University to sub-units and services—on the due implementation of activities outlined in their respective Action Plans. Thus, the process goes beyond mere measurement and is complemented by the definition and implementation of improvement strategies based on the evaluation conducted. In line with the principles of quality assurance, supported by the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle and risk-based thinking, it will involve analysing and identifying deviations from the plan and triggering the necessary actions—adjustments, corrective measures, continuous improvement, disruptive change, innovation, and reorganisation—in a dynamic process that monitors both internal and external contexts.

The Strategic Plan is dynamic and flexible enough to adapt to ongoing contextual changes. As such, it can be revised whenever deemed necessary following the analysis of monitoring results or relevant changes.

Throughout the process, and in line with the principles of participatory management and transparency, it will be essential to establish communication channels with stakeholders to keep them informed about the progress of the Strategic Plan’s implementation and the various evaluations conducted, while also allowing for the continuous submission of suggestions for improvement.

A final evaluation will be conducted at the beginning of 2027, reflecting all the work completed over the four-year period and concluding another cycle of integrated strategic planning.