Improvement of administration quality in the institutions of higher education

Straipsnyje išanalizuota ir apibendrinta teorinė medžiaga apie administravimo procesą, jo esmę, pagrindinius principus ir tobulinimo priemones, siekiant identifikuoti jų pritaikymo galimybes aukštojo mokslo ir studijų institucijų administravimo veiklos kokybės gerinimui. Darbe siekiama susieti administravimo procesą su kokybės vadybos galimybėmis, ir tokiu būdu suformuluoti rekomendacijas ir įžvalgas administravimo kokybės tobulinimui aukštojoje mokykloje. Darbe išryškinama mokslo ir studijų organizacijų veiklos specifika, kokybės užtikrinimo proceso sudėtingumas bei administravimo kokybės tobulinimo aktualumas ir būtinybė. Straipsnyje atskleidžiama administravimo veiksmingumo lemiama įtaka institucijos pagrindinių tikslų įgyvendinimui, kadangi administravimui yra patikėtos tokios svarbios veiklos sritys kaip žmogiškųjų išteklių, finansų, infrastruktūros, informacinių technologijų, mokslo ir žinių bei informacijos vadyba. Švietimo paslaugas teikianti institucija turi atliepti ir prognozuoti studijų kokybės kaitos tendencijas, kurias diktuoja studentų, darbdavių, kitų socialinių partnerių, visuomenės ir valstybės reikalavimai, o šiuolaikinėmis mokslo ir studijų erdvės internacionalizavimo sąlygomis – dar ir Europos bei pasaulinės aukštojo mokslo kokybės užtikrinimo nuostatos ir tarptautiniai susitarimai bei standartai. Straipsnis parengtas remiantis naujausios mokslinės ir normatyvinės literatūros sistemine ir lyginamąja analize, šalies ir užsienio aukštųjų mokyklų patirties administravimo kokybės užtikrinimo srityje apibendrinimais, Bolonijos proceso dokumentais ir jų įgyvendinimo atvejo studijomis. Darbe identifikuoti vadybos modeliai, sistemos ir priemonės bei pasiūlytas jų diegimo šalies aukštosiose mokyklose administravimo ir kitos veiklos procesų kokybės palaikymui bei tobulinimui.The article deals with an analysis and generalization of theoretical research material on the process of administration, its subject matter, and the main principles. It also discusses the issues on the implementation of quality management systems and the adaptability of the aforementioned processes for higher education institutions, seeking to improve their activities. In the work, an attempt is made to link the administration process with quality management opportunities and thus to present the possible theoretical variant of the model for the improvement of administration quality in the higher education institution. In the article, the specific activity of the higher education institution, the complexity of the quality assurance process and the necessity for improving the administration quality are underlined. It is notable that the implementation of the main goals of the institution depends on functionality of the administration efficiency, since such important fields of activities are delegated to administration, like the management of human resources, finance, infrastructure, information technologies, science and knowledge as well as information. The institution providing education services shall respond and forecast tendencies in the change of education quality, which are prescribed by students, employers, other social partners, society, State, and in the modern age of globalization not only by the European, but also world higher education quality assurance provisions. Higher education institutions, being distinguished not only by their specific science, studies, knowledge, and other intellectual activities, are special organizations where the application of quality methods and models is an exclusive and complicated phenomenon. However, a well-analyzed situation, the precise forecast of the institution’s aims and the selection of the way – method for their achievement helps the institution to achieve high results in the area of quality. It is not bad that no fully identical institutions exist and that quality management system requirements cannot be applied to all higher education institutions in turn, since while adapting the quality management principles and measures in the concrete institution, there is freedom left for the creativity of human capital, the use of its intellect, free self-determination to seek for achieving quality, the necessity arises for quality idea and its information dissemination in the organization, as well as for sharing the available experience among the members of the institution, organizations of similar type and other external partners. A model of administration quality improvement is of recommendatory type, prepared on the basis of exhaustive scientific and methodical literature analysis, as well as with the use of the previous empirical research, conducted in the vocational training institutions and other educational institutions in other European Union countries. The article was prepared on the basis of comparative analysis of scientific, methodical, normative literature and information sources on the issues of administration and quality assurance, as well as using the secondary data of empirical research performed. Experience of Lithuanian and European higher education institutions was summarised and possible developments for Lithuanian colleges are predicted. Comparative analysis of three different quality management models and requirements is presented. Main aspects of effective quality management system implementation in higher education institutions were highlighted