“The Path to Excellence: Experiences of School Administrators on External Preparation Accreditation in Davao City”

“The Path to Excellence: Experiences of School Administrators on External Preparation Accreditation in Davao City”

Alkhaser V. Sappayani¹, Glein B. Bustamante²,  Marleonie M. Bauyot³

¹Program Head, Davao Central College

²SHS Teacher, DepEd-Division of Davao City

³Faculty, Ateneo De Davao University

DOI : https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.806031

Received: 15 May 2024; Revised: 25 May 2024; Accepted: 29 May 2024; Published: 29 June 2024

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of the accreditation chairpersons in external accreditation preparation. The data were obtained from the nine chairpersons who had served as an accreditation chairperson. A purposive sampling technique was used in the selection of the participants of the study. The data were obtained using in-depth interviews. Emerging themes highlights the reviewing tools and requirements, Vice-President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) accreditation supervision, and time allocation for evidence compilation. In addition, there were five core ideas have emerged: checking the tools and requirements, management of the VPAA, previous accreditation experiences, availability of pieces of evidence, and time preparation. Moreover, the coping mechanism applied by the chairpersons focuses on integrated collaboration and accomplishment reports with two core ideas conducting meetings and open communication have emerged. Further, insights and strategies employed by the chairpersons were consolidations of documents and collective conviction. It has four core ideas, document compilation, being true to all documents, teamwork, and commitment. This research enriches the school administrators from higher education institutions (HEIs) by providing a holistic perspective on experiences, coping mechanisms, and insights and strategies employed by the chairpersons on external accreditation preparation. These findings highlight the importance of meticulous document management, collaborative efforts, and steadfast dedication in successfully preparing for external accreditation in educational institutions. Moreover, the findings underscore the significance of comprehensive planning and teamwork in successful accreditation preparation. Therefore, it is recommended that educational institutions can optimize their preparedness for external accreditation and enhance the quality of accreditation submissions. Administrators should develop comprehensive guidelines for reviewing tools and requirements, ensuring stakeholder understanding and minimizing errors.

Keywords: external accreditation, VPAA supervision, integrated collaboration, planning

INTRODUCTION

Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions is a significant accreditation process aside from the minimal specifications set forth by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), as they want to improve and level up all their programs.  This will benefit the school by offering more programs and courses aside from maintaining the standards.  Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order 46 Series of 2012, talks about how enhancing quality assurance measures is essential to helping construct a quality nation that can transcend the social, political, economic, cultural, and ethical concerns that limit the nation’s productivity, human development, and global competitiveness. Accreditation is a voluntary process that follows the guidelines of academic self-governance. Additionally, it is a procedure for quality assurance and collegiality in which the operations, services, and quality of an institution or program are assessed through peer review and self-evaluation (PAASCU, 2022). Similarly, article 2 of CHED Memorandum Order No. 1, series of 2015 states that, through self-evaluation and peer review, the process of accreditation evaluates and improves the educational quality of higher education programs and institutions. It results in the award of accredited status by an accrediting body and offers data on educational quality as well as public recognition.  Moreover, program accreditation refers to the evaluation of a program of a higher education institution. Further, institutional accreditation refers to the assessment of a whole educational institution, for which the current federations will work with the formulation of guidelines and standards or networks of accrediting agencies to be approved by the CHED.

Moreover, in France, schools engage external experts for their contextual and linguistic boundary-spanning expertise to facilitate accreditation processes (Vigier & Bryant, 2022). In Middle East, specifically in Saudi Arabia, Adas (2020) cited in the study that, faculty members’ disinterest and lack of enthusiasm in the accreditation process was shown by the recent push for program accreditation in Saudi universities. Further, at the University of North Alabama, many problems were encountered when using a home-grown data collection system for its institutional effectiveness reporting. It was a very clunky, non-transparent data import system. It would take two weeks to create a single report. It was very manual, using unstructured data from Excel sheets and PDFs (Watermark Insights, 2023).  Correspondingly, an extensive literature review was carried out, looking at the certification procedures in Portugal, Spain, the US, France, China, Japan, Sweden, the UK, India, and Germany. According to the main conclusions of the study conducted by Duarte and Vardasca (2023), they mentioned that most countries have efficient certification processes, and courses that are accredited promptly.

On the other hand, for organizations offering novel or cutting-edge courses or those applying for accreditation for the first time, the procedure may be more difficult and time-consuming. Findings from the study indicate that insufficient funding for research and extension led to subpar research outputs in Panay Island, Philippines, with weak community involvement, poor linkages, and weak extension as a result of the challenges faced by faculty members in implementing OBE practices. Thus, the degree to which HEIs have implemented OBE-related practices is directly and significantly impacted by their accrediting status. Hence, accreditation is therefore a useful system to assess and keep track of high-quality program offerings among HEIs in the Philippines in order to uphold higher standards (Hapinat, 2023).

However, aside from the financial aspect, the accreditation chairpersons were also preparing all the elements listed by the external accreditation agencies or associations. The researchers sought to understand the experiences, coping mechanisms, insights, and strategies as well as the steps of the higher education institutions (HEIs) that they take to achieve excellence as well as the difficulties they have in gathering all the supporting documentation and exhibits needed for external certification preparation. Accreditation is one way that HEIs keep themselves in check with the standards. With the growing number of HEIs in the country and the demand for skilled workers in the global market, there is an urgent need to further enhance the quality of education.

Research Objectives

This study aimed to determine the lived experiences of the accreditation chairpersons in external accreditation preparation. This study was guided by the following specific objectives:

1. to explore the lived experiences of school administrators in external accreditation preparation;
2. to determine the coping mechanisms employed by school administrators in external accreditation preparation; and
3. to unearth insights and strategies of school administrators in external accreditation preparation.

Research Questions

• What significant experiences have you encountered as school administrators in external accreditation preparation?

1.1 What are your preparations as a school administrator in external accreditation preparation?

1.2 How did you come up with this preparation in external accreditation preparation?

1.3 What are the challenges you have encountered as school administrator in external accreditation preparation?

1.4 Can you enumerate the challenges that you have experienced?

1.5 Can you describe and discuss each those challenges

• How do you cope with the challenges as school administrators in external accreditation preparation?

2.1 How do you overcome those challenges as a school administrator?

2.2 Can you elaborate on the specific strategies or approaches your school utilizes to effectively prioritize and address the challenges that arise during the preparation for external accreditation processes?

2.3 In what ways do you foster collaboration and teamwork among faculty, staff, and administrators to navigate the complexities of external accreditation preparation, ensuring a cohesive and comprehensive approach to meeting accreditation standards and requirements?

• What are the insights and learnings you can share with other school administrators?

3.1 Based on your experiences as a school administrator in external accreditation preparation, what lessons have you gained from it?

3.2 How will this lesson change your perspective in external accreditation preparation?

3.3 What lessons can you share with other administrators with this similar experience?

Theoretical Framework

This study was anchored on the Goal-Setting Theory by Edwin Locke and Gary Latham (1990). The theory posits that specific and challenging goals enhance motivation and performance. It emphasizes clarity, difficulty, commitment, and feedback as critical factors in practical goal setting. This theory best fits this study because the preparation during accreditation is challenging to meet the goals. The accreditation chairpersons or vice-chairpersons set a goal to meet the specific sections mandated by the accrediting agency. In addition, it focuses on leveling up their rank or status in higher education. The commitment and motivation poured by the accreditation chairpersons from the administration or institution, as well as the feedback and suggestions from the accrediting agency, will ignite the passion and competence of each institution to achieve that goal.

METHOD

This study employed a qualitative-phenomenological research approach. As Nassaji (2020) explains, qualitative research involves a naturalistic exploration of non-numerical data. Instead of focusing on explaining and controlling variables, its goal is to understand and investigate phenomena deeply. It emphasizes the development process or patterns rather than the final product or result of the research, and it is contextualized and interpretive. Through qualitative research, it is possible to gain insight into how a person interprets and subjectively perceives their social reality. Thus, the researchers chose this method because they could directly get clear information from the experiences of their research participants. The locale of this study was in Davao City. The participants of this study were the 9 chairpersons in accreditation preparation. For this study, there were nine chairpersons as participants in the private higher education institution. Creswell (2007) proposes that an appropriate sample size for a phenomenological study typically falls between 3 and 25 participants. Bernard (2013) supports this range, while Morse (1994), cited by Bekele and Ago (2022) recommends a minimum of 6 participants for phenomenological studies. This study employed a purposive sampling technique. Nikolopoulou (2023), a cbollection of non-probability sampling techniques known as purposeful sampling, selects units based on the qualities you require in your sample. This sampling technique depends on the researcher’s judgment to determine which people, situations, or events will yield the most information to meet the study’s goals. The instrument that was used in this study was a semi-structured interview. George (2023) cited that asking questions within a preset topic framework is the foundation of a semi-structured interview, a technique for gathering data. Semi-structured interviews are frequently qualitative when used in research. The gathered data through the interview guide were transcribed, coded, analyzed, and interpreted through thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is a method of assessing qualitative data, according to Caulfield (2023). Usually, it is used for a collection of texts, such as transcripts or interviews. To find recurring themes, topics, concepts, and patterns of meaning, the researcher carefully scrutinizes the data. The most popular method of thematic analysis involves six steps: familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and labeling themes, and writing up. There are other ways to conduct thematic analysis as well. By following this procedure, you can also help ensure your analysis is free from confirmation bias. The researchers abide by the ethical procedure of conducting the study by asking permission to conduct the study in a private higher education institution (HEI) and asking for the consent of the nine participants in Davao City.

RESULTS

Figure 1. The Lived Experiences of School Administrators in External Accreditation Preparation

As shown in Figure 1, from the collected data during the in-depth interview (IDI) of the participants, three (3) major themes have emerged in the experiences of school administrators in external accreditation preparations, these are: reviewing tools and requirements, VPAA accreditation supervision, and time allocation for evidence compilation. Also, five (5) core ideas have emerged; checking the tools and requirements, management of the VPAA, previous accreditation experiences, availability of pieces of evidence, and time preparation.

Figure 2. Coping Mechanisms Employed by School Administrators in External Accreditation Preparation

Presented in Figure 2, from the collected data during the in-depth interview (IDI) of the participants, two (2) major themes have emerged in the coping mechanisms employed by school administrators in external accreditation preparations which are integrated collaboration and accomplishment reports. In addition, two (2) core ideas have emerged: conduct meetings and open communication.

Figure 3. Insights and Strategies of School Administrators in External Accreditation Preparation

As shown in Figure 3, from the collected data during the in-depth interview (IDI) of the participants, two (2) major themes have emerged to unearth insights and strategies of school administrators in external accreditation preparations which are consolidations of documents and collective conviction. In addition, four (4) core ideas have emerged: document compilation, being true to all documents, teamwork, and commitment.

DISCUSSION

This chapter focuses on interpreting and extensively discussing the study’s findings and delving into its implications and potential future directions. Within it, five fundamental themes have surfaced regarding the experiences of school administrators in preparing for external accreditation.

Checking the tools and requirements

Six participants have mentioned checking and preparing the tools and requirements in preparation for external accreditation. Participants mentioned that it is their first task to do before going through the whole process of external accreditation. This was supported by the following participants:

“Check the requirements and potential outputs for our section.” -IDI-P3-L15

“Check on their preparation and ensure compliance to the requirements.”-IDI-P4-L23-24

“First is to familiarize the tools used in accreditation, so that you will be prepared to all the necessary documents to be prepared.” -IDI-P5-L27-28

“Instrument Tool for evaluation purposes.” -IDI-P6-L35

As supported by Koh et al. (2023) it is still very difficult for any institution to integrate in-depth data analytics training into their current curriculum because of the multiple professional accreditation requirements that higher education institutions have to meet. In addition, Salmon (2023) cited that the main purpose of reviewing materials like a requirements document, code, or test is to increase the chance that the artifact is fit for the intended purpose, which is what this article will concentrate on. A review is also a venue where the culture of an organization, such as a development team, can be seen in action.

Management of the VPAA

The Vice President for Academic Affairs Accreditation Supervision was highlighted as a factor when preparing the external accreditation process. The Office of the VPAA is the head of the academe that has sole authority to disseminate information and instructions with regards to the preparation. It is supported by the two (2) participants in the study:

“based on the management strategy of the VPAA.” -IDI-P1-L55

“A series of meetings were carried out, first with the management team

headed by the school VPAA.” -IDI-P4-L63-64

Monitoring is the duty of every school leader. If the school head is to succeed, it may just involve going around the campus, interacting with students, stopping by classes, and chatting with teachers, or it may entail creating complex information systems to track student performance. The success in which school heads perform these tasks defines the school’s effectiveness. In addition, Salendan and Dapitan (2022) averred that it is the school head’s responsibility to collaborate with all school stakeholders in competitive learning. It is a style of instruction that aims to support, uphold, and enhance academic standards. This oversight would be precise and sensitive to the requirements of the school staff. It is the process of producing certified teachers who can adjust to shifting conditions, curricula, policies, and other aspects of education (Prididilok, 2009).

Previous accreditation experiences

The experiences of the past accreditation chairpersons contributed to the external accreditation preparation. The insights and feedback coming from the previous accreditation chairpersons guided the new chairpersons to prepare themselves with the new checklist and exhibits to be prepared and presented. This is supported by the following participants:

“Previous experiences provided me insights on what to prepare for the visit.” -IDI-P2-L60

“past experiences and feedback from previous accreditation visits.” -IDI-P7-L78

“previous documents pass during the last accreditation.” -IDI-P8-L82

Obrein et al. (2023) reiterated that the accreditation experiences of two representative schools, as well as the experiences and expectations of external review panels during site visits will help. The panel will also discuss the application of the updated standards, the expectations of the Committee on Accreditation, the Office of Accreditation’s support services for programs, and the preliminary and evolving experiences with doing so. Attendee remarks, inquiries, and observations are also welcome to the panel.

Availability of evidences

Moreover, three core ideas have emerged in the coping mechanisms employed by school administrators in external accreditation preparations. The participants mentioned that it is hard for them if the resources are not available.

“not able to gather pieces of evidence to say it really happened.” -IDI-P1-L90-91

“when pieces of evidence for a provision was not available.” -IDI-P2-L94-95

“Additionally, some required files were missing.” -IDI-P3-L116

“gaps in existing documentation or if the evidence needs to be collected.” -IDI-P7-L144

These findings resonate with the study by Girotto et al. (2023) which suggests that standardizing an assessment tool poses challenges. The inability to gather evidence, instances where evidence for a provision is unavailable, and missing required files all point to gaps in existing documentation or the need for further evidence collection. Accrediting bodies should heed these challenges and monitor the results of evaluation procedures in schools’ day-to-day operations. Since accreditation signifies quality, it can potentially drive changes in educational practices, influencing their structure, content, and overall outlook.

Time preparation

The participants mentioned that the availability of the members as well as the exact time where they need to gather seems to be the problem in external accreditation preparation.

“They need sufficient time and more motivation to prepare the documents.”-IDI-P4-L121-122

“when committee members do not prioritize or allocate sufficient time to their assigned tasks.” -IDI-P6-L129-130

“Time, other member has classes and cannot meet for a meeting.”-IDI-P8-L146

“I’ve encountered in the preparation is time.” -IDI-P9-L148

These findings are aligned with the research by Ziker et al. (2013) which emphasizes the importance of understanding how workload time allocation affects productivity. The need for sufficient time and motivation to prepare documents, instances where committee members fail to prioritize or allocate adequate time to their tasks, and scheduling conflicts due to other commitments all underscore the significance of time management in academic settings. By examining the relationship between time allocation and productivity, we can explore various factors contributing to successful and content faculty members. In a similar vein, the deadline for preparation for accreditation soon, insufficient physical evidence, incomplete accreditation guidelines, schools not having time to conduct self-evaluations, and lack of coordination, and communication between individuals and teams. The presentation and evaluation stages are an attempt to overcome the problem of the limited time that schools have for self-evaluation. In general, the service activities went smoothly. Although there are obstacles related to the compatibility of time between the mentoring team and the school accreditation form team, they can be overcome with other communication media.

Conduct meetings

Participants emphasized the importance of holding meetings during external accreditation preparation. These gatherings enable members to exchange insights on preparation strategies and brainstorm effective approaches.

“Conducting regular committee chair meetings was one strategy.”-IDI-P2-L159

“Conduct meetings. Create Gantt chart for monitoring.”-IDI-P5-L176

“Meetings are essential for collaboration. As for my team, we had meetings via online or face-to-face to make sure that the artifacts were to be gathered on time.”-IDI-P1-L202-203

“Through regular meetings, everyone has a chance to share insights and concerns, ensuring a cohesive approach to meeting accreditation standards.”-IDI-P6-L219-221

“Conduct meeting and FGD.”-IDI-P8-L229

The findings regarding the importance of conducting meetings during external accreditation preparation align with the concept of work-integrated learning. Work-integrated learning emphasizes participative and situated learning experiences that integrate formal education with real-world concerns. Regular committee chair meetings and other meetings serve as strategies for fostering communication and teamwork, essential elements for successful work-integrated learning initiatives. Furthermore, creating a culture that encourages communication and teamwork, as mentioned by Hardy (2013), is crucial for the success of such initiatives. Evaluating factors like call volume and communication patterns helps establish guidelines and standards for effective communication, which is vital during accreditation processes. This recognition informs decisions regarding the primary means of communication, including phone conversations, video calls, and live chats, facilitating smoother interactions with accreditation members.

Open communication

Communication is essential in this endeavor. The members and chairpersons talk about updates and issues regarding the preparation.

“I always communicate with my chairman to ask for guidance.”-IDI-P3-L239

“Open communication and updating were fostered in our team.”-IDI-P4-L244

“overcoming challenges in external accreditation preparation involves promoting collaboration and open communication.”-IDI-P6-L252-253

“you must have strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills to overcome challenges.”-IDI-P7-L256-257

“Monitoring of the progress constantly and leading the committee.”-IDI-P8-L292

The findings regarding the importance of promoting collaboration and open communication during external accreditation preparation resonate with the insights shared by Freire et al. (2019). Freire et al. highlighted the significance of creating plans to enhance internal communication, which contributes to the consistency of knowledge and increased professional involvement in activities. By fostering open communication and updating within the team, individuals can overcome challenges more effectively and ensure a cohesive approach to accreditation preparation.

Moreover, the emphasis on strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills, as well as the role of monitoring progress and leading the committee, aligns with the idea of promoting collaboration and open communication. It emphasizes the importance of involving professionals in the accreditation process, as it leads to a shift in employees’ perspectives and attitudes. This involvement is crucial for the successful implementation and maintenance of accreditation certification, as it fosters a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration within the organization.

Documents compilation

Storing and compiling the documents are necessary during accreditation preparation. These are vital during exhibits. The participants made it sure that evidences and resources were available and needed to be compiled.

“habitual practice of procuring document necessary per event.” -IDI-P1-L329

“You have to make sure that pieces of evidence/documents needed are complied.” -IDI-P2-L333

“All activities of the program must be properly and accurately documented and filed.” -IDI-P4-L343

The consolidation offers an opportunity for the accreditation committee to embrace enhanced research and the growth of the institution. During the process, thoughtful and robust reports are needed to complete all needed documents (Mullis et al., 2019). Further, Mythnik (2005) mentioned that to prepare a compilation of documents or texts adopted and used by various intergovernmental, international, regional, and subregional organizations aimed at promoting and consolidating democracy, the compilation uses a variety of texts and documents with varying legal standing. Among the various kinds of texts and documents are constitutive acts, treaties, charters, statements of principles, conventions, rules, action plans, tactics, guidelines for behavior and best practices, suggestions, and rules. Other subjects include the democratization of education and fostering a democratic culture highlighted in a number of the texts that make up the compilation.

Be true to all documents

Participants reiterated that being true to all the documents to be exhibited must be true and align with morals and principles. In addition, the main purpose of the accreditation is to help the institution that is undergoing this procedure.

“The purpose of undergoing accreditation is for the improvement of the system or operation of the institution. Therefore, we have to be true in whatever we present to the evaluators.” -IDI-P2-L374-376

“you have to make sure that you work hard for it and truthfully do what’s expected for you to do.”-IDI-P3-L384-385

To create a model of education for honesty in schools, with a focus on communicating the steps, resources, and setup required to implement honesty education in a school. A robust educational system and well-defined phases can facilitate the implementation of an honest culture. There are four steps involved in putting an honesty culture into practice. Protection comes first, followed by introduction, habituation both inside and outside of the classroom, and celebrations in fourth place. To support the development of an honest culture for students and all school personnel, the school gathers policies, programs, and facilities (Suud et al., 2019).

Teamwork

Participants have specified that collaboration is an essential tool in accreditation preparation. They also added that strategic planning and communication are key factors in teamwork.

“you need to collaborate with others and be flexible.” -IDI-P3-L410

“teamwork is the key to success.” -IDI-P4-L413-414

“Strategic planning, teamwork, and communication should be given top priority in the accreditation processes.”-IDI-P7-L424-425

“Encourage your teammates to be cooperative always and to do this as a help in the school.”-IDI-P9-L431

“Emphasize the importance of teamwork and collaboration among committee members.”-IDI-P6-L451-452

A collaborative setting requires a variety of skill sets. The organization needs to have these essential skills to quickly adjust to the global workplace. It is crucial to evaluate proficient teamwork abilities as part of the accreditation process. Classification of skills and comprehension of the reasons the accreditation committee needs to function in teams is essential for efficiently evaluating team dynamics. Teamwork and other measures of team performance are positively related with organization performance. Furthermore, it is important to recognize any quirks that may arise from teamwork in a technical context and that frequently set it apart from other types of collaboration (Boakye, 2015).

Commitment

Six participants mentioned that commitment is one of the strategies employed. Putting your heart and enthusiasm into preparing for the accreditation process is really leading to excellence and shows how the participants loved their institutions.

“The values I develop and still developing are diligence, commitment, and wisdom in procuring tasks for the accreditation.”-IDI-P1-L435-436

“Honesty, commitment, perseverance and more.” -IDI-P2-L437

“Commitment to excellence. Sense of responsibility and resilience.” -IDI-P4-L444

“Commitment na matapos ang process ng external accreditation.” -IDI-P5-L447

“Commitment lang na it is for the program and for the school.” -IDI-P8-L462

“The values I have developed that I can share with other chairman and vice chairman are, perseverance, discipline, commitment, and flexibility.” -IDI-P9-L63-464

Bustamante and Sappayani (2023) revealed in their study that teacher commitment is defined as their drive to perform. One’s attitude, including its impact, embodies commitment, conviction, and the way he intends to behave in his work. The definition of a teacher’s dedication to the school is their efforts to adopt those goals and values, their belief in and acceptance of those goals and values, and their fervent wish to continue participating in the school. Furthermore, teachers are motivated to invest more time and energy in sustaining school involvement by an internal force known as teacher commitment. Teachers and the school form an emotional bond when they are prepared to support it, which motivates them to look for ways to enhance their instruction and establish productive learning environments that help the school achieve its objectives.

CONCLUSION

Through in-depth interviews with school administrators, a comprehensive data analysis has unearthed insightful findings regarding their experiences with external accreditation preparations. From this rich data emerged three overarching themes: the meticulous review of tools and requirements, the pivotal role of the VPAA in accreditation supervision, and the strategic allocation of time for evidence compilation. Additionally, five core ideas encapsulate the essence of these experiences: the importance of diligently checking tools and requirements, the critical role of effective management by the VPAA, the valuable insights gained from previous accreditation experiences, the necessity of ensuring the availability of evidence, and the significance of thorough time preparation. These findings shed light on the multifaceted nature of accreditation preparations, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive planning and strategic decision-making to navigate the accreditation process successfully.

Moreover, the qualitative data analysis derived from in-depth interviews (IDIs) with school administrators has illuminated fundamental coping mechanisms employed during external accreditation preparations. Two prominent themes, integrated collaboration and accomplishment reporting, emerged as vital strategies utilized by administrators in navigating this process. Two core ideas surfaced: conducting regular meetings and fostering open communication channels. These findings underscore the significance of cohesive teamwork, transparent communication, and timely reporting in managing the challenges associated with external accreditation preparations in educational institutions.

Furthermore, the qualitative data analysis obtained through in-depth interviews (IDIs) with school administrators has revealed valuable insights and strategic approaches utilized in external accreditation preparations. Two overarching themes: consolidation of documents and collective conviction have emerged as pivotal strategies administrators employ in navigating this process. Moreover, four core ideas have been identified: comprehensive document compilation, adherence to document authenticity, fostering teamwork, and demonstrating unwavering commitment. These findings highlight the importance of meticulous document management, collaborative efforts, and steadfast dedication in successfully preparing for external accreditation in educational institutions.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Educational institutions can optimize their preparedness for external accreditation and enhance the quality of accreditation submissions. A systematic and collaborative approach to accreditation preparations is essential, yielding superior outcomes and acknowledging academic achievements.
2. Administrators should develop comprehensive guidelines for reviewing tools and requirements, ensuring stakeholder understanding and minimizing errors. Adequate support and training for VPAA are imperative to oversee accreditation activities effectively. Standardized procedures for document compilation, emphasizing authenticity and completeness are vital. Additionally, fostering commitment and accountability at all levels is essential, with administrators demonstrating unwavering dedication to accreditation goals.

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