Education House of Strategy: um quadro estratégico para alinhar missão, visão e execução operacional em Instituições de Ensino Superior

João Carlos dos Santos

doi:10.34624/1fts6r32

Authors

João Carlos dos Santos University of Aveiro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7895-0781 (unauthenticated)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34624/1fts6r32

Keywords:

Strategic planning, Higher education, Strategic governance, Balanced Scorecard, Organisational innovation

Abstract

Strategic planning in higher education has faced increasing challenges, shaped by regulatory pressures, financial constraints, and growing demands for academic quality and social relevance. While classical models such as the Balanced Scorecard, MOST, and Mintzberg’s typologies have contributed to conceptual advancement, their direct application to the sector reveals significant limitations, particularly regarding the integration between strategic and operational levels. To address these gaps, this study introduces the Education House of Strategy (EHoS), a model tailored to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), inspired by the original House of Strategy concept (Dror & Barad, 2006) and developed within the context of the Instituto Superior de Ciências da Informação e da Administração (ISCIA). Based on a matrix architecture, the EHoS interconnects four strategic axes — Research & Innovation, Teaching, Partnerships & Ecosystems, and Communication — with six organisational pillars: people development, quality assurance, infrastructure modernisation, financial sustainability, transparent governance, and internationalisation. This framework is operationalised through hierarchically structured objectives: Must-Win Battles, Must-Deliverables, Must-Essentials, and Must-Enablers, supported by educational performance indicators. The exploratory, case-based study demonstrates that EHoS enhances both vertical and horizontal coherence, strengthens strategic clarity, and increases institutional agility, enabling timely responses to changes within the educational ecosystem. The findings suggest that the model offers an innovative and replicable approach for higher education, effectively aligning mission, vision, and operational execution in an integrated and measurable manner, thereby reinforcing social relevance and organisational resilience.

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