Navigating ISO 21001:2018 Accreditation: A case study of the Admission and Records Center

Abstract

This article catalogues the ISO 21001:2018 certification procedure that was carried out by the Admission and Records Center (ARC) of the University of Baguio. This study aims to critically examine the ISO 21001:2018 accreditation experience of the Admission and Records Center Office, with the intent of analyzing its processes, identifying the challenges and opportunities encountered, and evaluating its overall impact on the operational efficiency and quality of service delivery within the Registrar’s Office. In this study, the essential activities, obstacles, and institutional alterations connected with the accreditation journey are identified using qualitative theme analysis of participant responses. There were six participants in the study. The respondents were directly involved in the accreditation process. The highlights of the study are: Getting ISO 2100:2018 accreditation enabled the change in the processes in ARC’s institutional positioning, professional practices, and organizational procedures. ARC was able to build its credibility both inside and beyond the organization by using standardization, adaptive tactics, and feedback-driven improvements in its daily operation. The ISO accreditation resulted in creating a culture of quality awareness that linked compliance with ongoing progress. This added to the operational excellence that was in line with the university’s overall mission and long-term goals. Furthermore, as an outcome of the certification process, there were improvements in documentation procedures, service quality and increased satisfaction among stakeholders. Despite resource limitations and resistance to change, these were achieved during the accreditation process. The office should maintain ongoing improvement practices by making them a standard part of its operations. In the same vein, the office ought to allocate resources for capacity building for the remaining staff who were not part of the earlier initiative. Lastly, ISO 21001 should not be viewed as a separate initiative; instead, it should be fully integrated into the university’s strategic management system to further enhance the credibility and competitiveness of the institution.