Through the players of the QA system, the University coordinates activities related to the quality of research by defining guidelines and operational indications, as well as by promoting education initiatives dedicated to the dissemination of the culture of quality and providing tools for monitoring research results.
The University coordinates the Quality Assurance activities of the Departments by making available and monitoring reference data, including those related to the University's publications.
On 21 March 2024, the Rector's Contact Person for Quality of Research Assessment process within the governing team is confirmed for a second term. Since 2022, the representative has also been a member of the PQA.
In the University, the role of coordination and rationalisation between the Departments and other units for Research, Technology Transfer and Services to the Territory is carried out by the University Committee for Research, Technology Transfer and Services to the Territory (in Italian Comitato di Ateneo per la Ricerca, Trasferimento tecnologico e Servizi al territorio, CARTT), which includes the President of the PQA, as Vice-Rector for Quality.
The University has initiated important strategic planning and related monitoring processes with the University Strategic Plan and the Departmental Strategic Plans, in order to also respond to the requirements of ANVUR with the SUA-RD and SUA – Third Mission (a completion Activity no longer required by ANVUR as of 2016).
In the area of Research, as well as for the Third Mission and Teaching, the process phases include a number of policies that the University has implemented over the years and which are summarised here.
- Planning (PLAN) by the University (PSA) and Departments (PSD) and the identification of KPIs, useful in all phases of the process
- Implementation (DO) of the strategy by the Departments;
- Self-assessment and monitoring (CHECK) carried out by the Departments, including through the use of indicators, to identify strengths and weaknesses and the actions to be taken (ACT);
- Evaluation of the indicators and progress of the PSA and the performance of each Department, carried out periodically by the Evaluation Board. The specific activity of assessing the quality of research output is carried out by ANVUR through the VQR process;
- External evaluations carried out by ANVUR during periodic accreditation and evaluation of research quality and the Third Mission Social Impact.
In the action planning phase, both at university level and at individual department level, KPIs will be identified. These will be useful for monitoring, self-assessment and final or periodic evaluation of individual actions (as defined, for example, in the Action Plan).