The role of quality assurance commissions in the innovation process: challenges and prospects in the context of brazilian universities

In the current higher education scenario, innovation plays a crucial role in fostering new alternatives for positioning complex institutions, such as universities, within competitive and dynamic environments. Recent studies highlight the need to broaden this discussion, with a particular focus on the relationship between innovation and quality assurance processes. This article examines the development of convenience and technical competencies in higher education institutions, emphasizing the role of the Self-Assessment Commission (CPA). The CPA, responsible for governance in institutional evaluation, operates in alignment with ISO 56002 standards. Using a mixed-methods approach, the results indicate that the evaluation commissions responsible for quality assurance in Brazilian higher education have limited involvement in innovation processes, and universities tend not to support the development of these commissions' convenience and operational competencies. The conclusions suggest the need to increase the prominence and autonomy of these commissions, allowing them to actively participate in the innovation process within Brazilian higher education institutions.