Since the 1970s, Austrian universities have been providing data, published in the Statistical Pocketbook, to the Ministry in charge of universities. This data serves as the immediate basis for decisions in the area of university policy made by politicians and administrative entities and as a main fact pool for all other stakeholders involved in university policy.
The Statistical Pocketbook has been published in print irregularly since 1975 and was then published annually from 1981 by the Department of University Statistics at the Ministry in charge of public universities. The data base was already out of date on the day of publication and could not be updated until the next issue.
When interacting directly with university representatives and when studying the international reporting system, it became also evident that oftentimes indicators and results that were not comparable were used. This was caused by the use of different data sets and differing ways of counting.
The implementation of the new University Act in 2002, which linked budget allowances to performance agreements, and the provision of "extended autonomy" to Austrian universities led to new challenges for the universities’ administration, as it changed the nature and strategic frameworks of internal control processes. Direct control elements had to be replaced with strategic frameworks, responsible monitoring and new public management. Ministry-imposed university management had to be shifted towards a modern university management.
A quantitative guidance framework for performance agreements, transparency of university performance and goals set by university policy, and the monitoring of the quantitative aspects of decision-making processes in the area of university management (goal and performance agreements) became therefore essential.
The data basis that was originally not always comparable, now evolved into the major control component for the definition of objectives and performance goals between universities and the Federal Ministry of Science and Research. For this purpose, a valid and publicly accessible data basis was indispensable.
Processes to increase the data quality of university statistics and to avoid result asymmetries between universities and the Austrian Ministry of Education and Research as well as optimized working processes at the Department of University Statistics and the Ministry became necessary.
Further requirements were an enhanced need to justify the use of public funds and transparency vis-à-vis the public.
Beside the Austrian related changes in university policy, as well international and societal developments like the implementation of the Bologna process or the gender perspective required a tool to monitor objectives set by university policy and the Austrian Ministry of Education and Research. In addition to that, the entire tertiary education sector became subject to Europe-wide competition.
Finally the needs of users of the Statistical Pocketbook have changed enormously over the past ten years, which is reflected in their request for more interpretation and higher data availability. Target groups and stakeholder groups range from the universities' management to the administration and participants in Austria's knowledge society, e.g. the Austrian Students' Union, advisory institutions such as the Science Board and science journalism.
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