Published by the Evaluation Office of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, the new Evaluation Report on the University of Genoa’s Digital Transformation Plan 2025–2027 examines the plan’s progress one year after its launch and the initial results achieved in improving process efficiency and the quality of services supporting teaching, research and university management.
The plan forms part of the Planet Goal’s Enhancing Research Mission and is structured around six areas of intervention aimed at modernising organisational processes and strengthening the university’s activities.
The evaluation provides an overview of progress on the various initiatives and the expected benefits in the short, medium and long term, highlighting the results already achieved and prospects for further development.
One year after its launch, the plan has freed up approximately 7,300 working hours per year, equivalent to around five full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. A significant improvement in efficiency, with an estimated annual economic value of around €218,000, allowing professional resources to be redirected towards other high-value activities. Once fully implemented, over a period of five to ten years, the benefits are estimated at around 9,000 working hours per year. Progress monitoring also highlights significant results, with an Output level of 79%, reflecting what has been delivered, and an Outcome level of 71%, relating to the immediate effects on processes and people.
In terms of administrative efficiency, the migration to the new PICA recruitment procedure has reduced the time required for each application by between 15% and 50%, simplifying the management of more than 900 procedures per year. At the same time, the Data Analytics initiative aims to strengthen a data-driven culture, increasing the number of users authorised to carry out reporting activities from 45 to 250. The AI@UniGe project, meanwhile, supports the introduction of artificial intelligence by developing guidelines and training programmes, with the aim of promoting its informed and responsible use under appropriate governance.
The initiatives also cover infrastructure supporting teaching. The remote monitoring system covers 107 of the university’s 119 teaching rooms, while measures to secure IT equipment help ensure continuity in teaching activities.
Alongside the results achieved by the University of Genoa, the Evaluation Report identifies several recommendations to guide support policies and the design of innovation processes in higher education.
The first concerns the importance of integrating technology, skills and governance, which is essential to ensuring that individual initiatives deliver lasting benefits across the organisation as a whole. Another key factor is the role of enabling investments, such as those in data, security and digital platforms, which help reduce risks and make new ways of working possible.
The evaluation also highlights the need to define process indicators from the outset, in order to monitor progress and measure the impact of the initiatives. Finally, long-term sustainability requires careful planning of recurring costs and consideration of the potential to replicate the solutions adopted in other university settings.
The UniGe Digital Transformation Plan Evaluation Report can be viewed and downloaded in the Evaluation Library of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_raw_html css=””]JTVCU2V6aW9uZV9Eb2N1bWVudGklNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]