In this paper the structural and functional organization of the Institute of the Educational Sciences of the USC is described at the beginning of the last nineties, and developed action programs, contextual and limitations of the institution and the most significant achievements are listed. The text, written by one who had managerial responsibilities within the institution, also serves to make a critical reflection on the functionality of the Institute of Educational Sciences at USC and to propose a desirable development perspective as "(Galician) Institute of Educational Sciences".