The Transversal Units are instrumental structures with specific areas of application and can be created by decision of the Board of Directors for the implementation of specific projects of a temporary nature and, depending on their need or convenience, can acquire a permanent nature, to be evaluated after the period of operation.
IPCA is composed of the following Transversal Units:
Social Action Services
The Social Action Services is the IPCA unit dedicated to ensuring the implementation of the school’s social action policy, as defined by the government and IPCA’s own bodies, with the mission of guaranteeing fair conditions for access to and participation in higher education, as well as providing quality services that contribute to the integration, social and academic experience and academic success of IPCA students.
Competences:
The Student Support Centre is responsible for, among other things, the management of scholarship application procedures and other direct support, as well as the technical analysis of scholarship applications and proposal of decisions.
The Centre for Cultural, Sporting, Social and Academic Integration is responsible for promoting and ensuring measures and support in the field of
The Centre for Cultural, Sport, Social and Academic Integration is responsible for promoting and providing measures and support to ensure the mobility of students and other members of the Academy, as well as sports and cultural activities.
Flexible Transversal Unit for Cooperation and Internationalisation
The Flexible Transversal Unit for Cooperation and Internationalisation promotes the international dimension of IPCA by expanding internationalisation and cooperation activities and projects, with particular attention to participation in international teaching and research networks, international student recruitment, student mobility and cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries.
Competences:
- Support the physical and financial management of the RUN-EU project;
- Supporting the activities in which IPCA coordinates or participates in the RUN-EU project;
- Management of all activities related to the mobility of students, teachers and technicians;
- Annual planning of IPCA’s internationalisation and cooperation activities;
- Preparation of applications for national and international programmes to promote internationalisation, in particular the Erasmus+ programme;
- Preparation of follow-up reports on the activities carried out;
- Contributing to the improvement of the internationalisation strategy, defining the activities needed to implement the strategic measures and defining the corresponding indicators and measurement targets;
- Monitoring the public procurement procedures necessary for the operationalisation of internationalisation and cooperation projects and activities;
- Representation of IPCA towards external partners.
Flexible Transversal Unit for Sustainable Development
The Flexible Transversal Unit for Sustainable Development aims to contribute to the sustainable development of society by implementing a comprehensive transversal programme that ensures that everything done at the institution is socially responsible, avoiding negative social and environmental impacts and promoting positive ones, creating synergy between all the functions of the institution and community actors.
Competences:
- Definition, implementation and evaluation of the actions foreseen in the SUSTENDEV programme of the SKILLS BOOST 2025@IPCA project;
- Management of projects and activities related to sustainability, in liaison with the different IPCA schools and units;
- Annual planning of IPCA’s sustainability activities;
- Preparation and submission of applications for funding for projects related to sustainability objectives;
- Preparation of follow-up reports on the activities carried out;
- Contributing to the improvement of the sustainability and social responsibility strategy, defining the activities needed to implement the strategic actions and the corresponding indicators and measurement targets;
- Monitoring the public procurement procedures necessary for the operationalisation of sustainability projects and activities;
- Represent IPCA to external partners.
Flexible Transversal Unit for the Strategic Mangement of Infrastructures and Procurement
The Flexible Transversal Unit for the Strategic Management of Infrastructures and Procurement is to plan, organise and monitor the execution of IPCA’s investment plan, whether on campus or in the institution’s various centres, based on the Strategic Plan and the approved Investment Plan, in order to provide IPCA’s schools, units and services with the physical conditions necessary for the proper functioning of teaching, research and student support activities, as well as interaction and relations with society, within the scope of IPCA’s mission.
Competences:
- Monitoring and participation in project and construction meetings with the municipalities of Barcelos, Braga, Guimarães, Esposende and Vila Nova de Famalicão;
- Physical and financial planning of ongoing and new investment projects;
- Supervision of the preparation of applications for funding programmes;
- Management of projects co-financed by European and national funds;
- Preparation of preliminary programmes for architectural and specialised projects;
- Preparation of specifications for tendering procedures;
- Supervision of public procurement procedures for infrastructure and equipment;
- Supervision of the execution of public works contracts and supply of equipment;
- Supervision of compliance with building safety legislation, in particular with regard to the implementation of self-protection measures;
- Representation to external bodies, in particular the DGES, local councils and other bodies with competence in the area of licensing IPCA infrastructure and projects or in which IPCA has an interest.
Flexible Transversal Unit for the Strategic Management of Organisational Processes and Information Systems
The Flexible Transversal Unit for the Strategic Management of Organisational Processes and Information Systems aims to plan, organise and guarantee the implementation of IPCA’s Digital Transition Plan by correctly aligning organisational processes with the development, acquisition, maintenance and operation of IT systems/platforms, whether on campus or in the institution’s various centres, based on the Strategic Plan and Investment Plan approved for this area.
Competences:
- Strategic planning of IPCA information systems;
- Development and management of the Enterprise Architecture (and corresponding maintenance of the IPCA Organisational Process Network Register), ensuring and promoting its alignment with the underlying application, solution and infrastructure architectures;
- Designing and implementing IT applications capable of supporting and streamlining IPCA’s organisational processes by defining IT solution architectures, developing in-house applications or acquiring commercial off-the-shelf solutions;
- Identify, characterise and assess the risk of making changes to the installed enterprise architecture (applications, solutions and infrastructures) in conjunction with the Information Systems Division;
- Manage and maintain the installed application architecture, ensuring that it is up to date and secure;
- Managing and archiving the documentation portfolio related to the defined Enterprise Architecture, as well as all processes related to the design, implementation or acquisition of computer applications;
- Promote, manage and disseminate the information necessary for the correct operation of the implemented solutions and their alignment with the defined Business Architecture;
- Participation in and monitoring of projects involving the development or acquisition of any IT solution with an impact on IPCA’s information systems and organisational processes;
- Oversee the preparation of applications for funding programmes in the area of information systems;
- Preparation of technical specifications for information systems tenders;
- Supervise the execution of contracts related to information systems in the framework of IPCA’s digital trnsition projects;
- Ensuring compliance with legal provisions related to cybersecurity and GDPR in IT systems and platforms in the implementation of digital transition projects;
- Supervising and monitoring the activities carried out by the Information Systems Department.
