POLICY OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Excerpt from the Quality Manual of the "EdNet" Quality Assurance Agency in Education

The "EdNet" Agency adheres to the principles of transparency and accountability, which form the foundation of its activities. These principles are enshrined in the Quality Manual (dated 04.09.2024 No. 2) and implemented through clearly defined mechanisms and commitments. We strive for a high level of social responsibility and openness toward all stakeholders, including educational institutions, students, employers, and the general public.

The principles of transparency and accountability are directly linked to the mission outlined in Section 2.3, "Mission and Objectives". According to this mission, " The main objective of EdNet is to contribute and promote the improvement of the performance of all levels of education institutions and their study programmes and to guarantee the fulfilment of the basic requirements for their official and international recognition through diversity, equity, and inclusion".

Within the scope of its mission, the agency emphasizes " To promote the quality culture, academic quality, improvement and accountability   in education system and increase public awareness about this aspect".

As stated in the section "Fundamental Components of the Quality Policy," the "EdNet" Agency identifies "the constant promotion of transparency and accountability in all its activities" as one of its key tasks.

The principles of transparency and accountability are formalized in Section 3.2.7, "Code of Ethics," where they are defined as:

• "Public Accountability" (Clause 2).
• "Transparency focus on results" (Clause 8).

"EdNet" actively contributes to:

• Enhancing academic quality, improving processes, and ensuring accountability in the education system of the Kyrgyz Republic.
• Raising public awareness of the significance of transparency and accountability in education.

All participants in the agency's activities, including employees, members of the Supervisory Board, the Accreditation Council, and other stakeholders, are required to adhere to these principles. Transparency is understood as "As part of their activity, and in the relationship with their colleagues, individuals involved in the implementation of Agency’s activities should act in a transparent manner, always providing objective, factual and substantiated information, as necessary for the performance of their duties".

Section 3.2.9, "Accountability," of the Quality Manual describes the mechanisms for implementing this principle:

As part of its activities, the agency publishes up-to-date information, including:

• The annual Report presented to the Supervisory Board.
• Information about ongoing Agency Projects and documentation prepared within their framework.
• Accreditation Process Results, including external review reports and feedback from educational institutions, if available.

All participants in our activities, including staff, experts, and council members, are required to provide only objective, factual, and substantiated information.

Additionally, according to Section 3.2, "Internal Quality Assurance Procedures," accountability and transparency toward stakeholders require "high professional standards and the continuous review and improvement of the agency's activities".

The complaint and suggestion procedure is also accessible to all stakeholders on the agency's website.

We continue to review and improve our procedures to meet the best international standards and the expectations of our stakeholders, ensuring that our activities benefit the education system and society as a whole.

The approaches described above demonstrate the "EdNet" Agency's commitment to its mission and objectives aimed at creating a more inclusive and higher-quality education system.