Abstract

Background: The critical role that the boards of trustee play in the governance of medical universities clarifies the necessity of evaluating its performance. This evaluation can help a board to identify its strength and weakness and help them to adopt required actions that may result in improving effectiveness and/or efficiency. Despite the importance of such evaluation, existing evidence demonstrated few studies have been done on the suitable model of board performance evaluation especially in Iran.

Aim: This study was aimed to develop a model to evaluate the board performance in Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences.

Methodology: The present study was done through a mix qualitative-quantitative approach. The study’s participants were all stakeholders of board performance evaluation, which selected using purposively and snowball sampling. The study, firstly, focused on the world experiences about the models, dimensions and indicators of the board performance evaluation in the universities. Then, this study tried to investigate the current and proposed model of the board performance evaluation in the Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences. Hence, by a qualitative research, data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews, observation and relevant document analysis and then we analyzed them using framework approach. After that, the clustering and rating of the proposed dimensions and indicators of the board performance evaluation was done through a quantitative approach using the concept mapping method. Data was gathered using a questionnaire and analyzed by multidimensional scaling and clustering analysis. Concept System _4.0.175 was employed to produce maps of the results in this phase. Finally, the study concentrated on the expert consensus about the labels and the importance of the dimensions and indicators of the board performance evaluation as well as the initial proposed model of the board performance evaluation using focus group discussion and nominal group session techniques. Data analyzing was done using SPSS software _16.0.

Results: The results indicated that there was no "one best model" for the evaluation of the board performance. These results also demonstrated that despite the importance of the board performance evaluation, there was no comprehensive model to do this evaluation in Iran. According to another part of findings, a model was proposed to evaluate the board performance in Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences which had eight parts as well as sixty-four proposed indicators for the board performance evaluation. These proposed indicators were clustered in seven dimensions, including trustees’ characteristics, board leadership, board structure, board selection, development and evaluation, board relationships, board meetings and board results. The weights of these dimensions were respectively 11, 12, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 35 percent of total weight. Finally, the finding showed a model to evaluate the board performance evaluation. This proposed model had eight parts including the objects, required actions, frequency, issues, indicators, the sources and methods of data gathering, the way of the result using and publishing of the board performance evaluation.

Conclusion: This study helped to develop a valid model to evaluate the board performance evaluation in a special kind of university, namely, the Universities of Medical Sciences. Such model can be used to produce useful tool for evaluating the performance of the board. It is suggested the performance of the board of universities to be evaluated with respect to the proposed model. According to the results of such evaluation and identified strength and improvement areas, appropriated correction measures to be designed and done. This can concluded better university governance.

Key words: Performance evaluation, Board of trustees, University of Medical Sciences, Indicator, Concept mapping