Orientation to Local Development as Evaluation Criterion of Professional Education in Local Universities

Abstract

Arguments are provided on the need to evaluate professional education in local universities toward implementation of local development strategies. Local universities are professional training institutions which create human capital for local entities through undergraduate and post-graduate programs. They also create capacities to generate analysis and solutions to local development problems in concert with faculty and students. Documentary review included the quality evaluation standards of the European Foundation for Quality Management, and from several countries in Latin America. The adoption of international evaluation standards detected in the study was found to interfere with local specifics, having a limited system vision in terms of training and systemic response to continuous professional training, among others. The transversal application of local development oriented criteria to assess the dimension s of process evaluation (pertinence, process operation, and utilization of organizational resources) created insight on increased pertinence and future institutional development.