Sources Of Efficiency And Productivity Growth In The Philippine State Universities And Colleges: A Non-Parametric Approach

Abstract

This paper evaluates the efficiency and productivity growth of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the Philippines.  The SUCs performance is determined on the changes in total factor productivity (TFP), technological, and technical efficiency.  We use two Data envelopment analysis (DEA) models for the first time in estimating the relative performance of SUCs. Firstly, the output-orientated DEA-Malmquist index is calculated from panel data of 59 SUCS over the period 1999-2003 or a total of 295 observations, and secondly, the DEA multi-stage model (input reduction) is estimated. The two DEA models are calculated using three educational outputs and three inputs. Using Malmquist Index model, findings reveal that 49 SUCs or 83 percent are efficient.  The technological index shows that six (6) SUCs or 10.16 percent only shows a technological progress.  In terms of total factor productivity, SUCs obtained an index score of 1.002, which implies a productivity growth.  This means that 27 SUCs or 45.76 percent shows a remarkable productivity growth. The main source of productivity growth is due to technical efficiency than innovation. In general, SUCs shows a 5.2 percent technological regression over the study period. Lack of innovation in the Philippine higher institutions has a policy implication: the Philippine government should exert more efforts to provide modern teaching and learning facilities in every state school to improve its deteriorating technological performance. Furthermore, using multi-stage method, technical efficiency has an average of 95.4 percent (Constant-returns-to scale DEA) compared with 96.6 percent (Variable-returns-to scale DEA). Finally, the scale efficiency has a 98.7 percent rating. This implies that, in general, SUCs obtained a below frontier efficiency score. The new findings in this paper may give impetus to Commission on Higher Education, lawmakers or legislators, and the university administrators to adopt measures that would be beneficial to the improvement of State Universities and Colleges in terms of inefficiency and unproductive growth.