Abstract
In the new millennium was drafted in Portugal a new architecture promoting the right to education for adults: the processes of recognition, validation and certification of competences (RVCC), giving to adult people school and professional certification. The aims of this article are: to reflect on a) the importance of the symbolic dimensions within the organizational sociology from the theoretical contributions of the neo-institutional model, b) the role of the external evaluator in the RVCC process by the view of different actors of New Opportunities Centers (CNO) of Braga, Portugal and the application of a questionnaire to directors / coordinators of the CNO. The research results report that the figure of the external evaluator in RVCC processes is sociologically relevant mainly for their symbolic dimension.
Neo-institutional model; School certification; Evaluator
