In alignment with the 2013–2020 strategic development plans of UFRPE and the Academic Unit for Distance Education, the PPGTEG, shortly after its creation, developed a Strategic Development Plan (PDI), which guided its actions during the 2013–2020 period.
The initial strategic planning of PPGTEG focused on the program’s development through the strengthening of its research lines, publication in academic journals, proposal of research projects, among other actions.
In order to update the Strategic Development Plan, the Didactic Coordination Board established in 2020 the PPGTEG Evaluation and Planning Committee (CAP), composed of three faculty members from the program. Throughout 2020, CAP worked with instruments provided by the Office of Graduate Studies (PRPG) and the Office of Planning (PROPLAN) at UFRPE, and is now finalizing a strategic plan for the next four-year period, taking into account new and challenging educational realities.
As part of this update, the program’s organizational identity and a new SWOT matrix have already been approved by the Coordination Board. Below is the organizational identity of PPGTEG:
- Mission: To provide professional training in the field of Distance Education through studies, research, and theoretical-methodological approaches in Distance Education and Applied Technologies, with an emphasis on epistemological and pedagogical foundations, as well as the development and evaluation of educational and technological resources.
- Vision: To consolidate itself nationally as a graduate program of excellence in generating knowledge and proposing technological and management solutions for Distance Education.
- Values: Innovation; Research Ethics; Scientific Rigor; Empathy; Transparency; Commitment.
The reflection process for the SWOT matrix led to the identification of several challenges to be addressed in the upcoming four-year cycle. Examples include:
- Restructuring the training process by updating course descriptions (syllabi), proposing new courses, and reassessing the balance between core and elective subjects to meet students’ scientific training needs;
- Recruiting new faculty members, following the identification of profiles aligned with emerging educational challenges;
- Improving research infrastructure, including access to dedicated laboratory spaces for the program;
- Discussing the balance between in-person and online activities in the program’s academic structure;
- Advancing international engagement through cooperation with international research groups;
- Improving students' academic output, particularly in international publications.
The strategic planning process for the next PPGTEG cycle was carried out as part of an initiative launched in 2020 by the Office of Graduate Studies (PRPG) in partnership with the Office of Planning (PROPLAN), aimed at developing and updating the strategic plans (PE) of UFRPE's graduate programs.
PROPLAN, as the institutional planning promoter at UFRPE, works in collaboration with various organizational units to build strategic planning processes. Its guidance and support efforts are aligned with its mission to “contribute to institutional development by promoting excellence in management and strategic thinking in an efficient and coordinated manner.”
Throughout 2020, PROPLAN held synchronous meetings with working groups from several UFRPE graduate programs and provided a variety of guiding tools, including spreadsheets and forms, to standardize the PE instruments developed by each program. A total of 16 strategic planning meetings were held between the CPDI/PROPLAN and the graduate programs (PPGs), amounting to approximately 40 hours of virtual guidance provided to more than 30 programs. Over 100 participants—including faculty members, students, and technical staff—interacted with CPDI/PROPLAN and received training on planning processes. PPGTEG took part in the synchronous meetings and adapted its strategic plan according to the instruments provided by PROPLAN.