Defining performance metrics for campus management based on public-private partnership principles

Introduction. Within the federal programme “Creating a Network of Modern University Campuses” new campuses are being developed through public-private partnerships (PPP). A campus is treated as a multi-level socio-economic system that simultaneously generates educational, scientific-technological and entrepreneurial value. The effectiveness of managing such a system can be demonstrated only through an integrated indicator framework that objectively captures the performance of the three primary actors — the public partner, the private partner and the university — in pursuing the project’s shared strategic goals.

Materials and methods. The aim of this study is to develop an approach for defining a set of performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of joint campus management in projects implemented through public-private partnership mechanisms, taking into account the interests of the public partner, private partner and the university. The research employs methods of legal and regulatory analysis, comparative case studies of domestic and international university campuses and content analysis of Russian and international publications.

Results. The analysis of existing approaches reveals a shift in campus management focus — from physical infrastructure to the creation of competitive advantages stemming from activities carried out within the campus. The applicability of the product-service approach to achieving campus competitiveness is justified, which is determined by the quality of the developed product portfolio, taking into account the development goals, potential and competencies of the regional government, private investor and university. The study proposes an approach to defining a set of metrics that enables the evaluation of joint campus management performance, comparison of academic, infrastructural, and regional socio-economic outcomes, timely identification of imbalances in the target product development model and justification of managerial decisions aimed at aligning stakeholder interests. The developed approach can be applied in the design of metric systems for individual
PPP-based campus projects, serving as a management tool that supports investment return, achievement of academic goals and enhancement of regional socio-economic impact.

Conclusions. The competitiveness of a PPP-based campus equals the competitiveness of its product portfolio, shaped at the intersection of three interdependent domains: university operations, infrastructure quality and regional potential. Achieving product portfolio competitiveness requires managing processes that generate competitive advantages through the coordinated efforts of all key stakeholders — the public partner, private partner, and the university.

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