Implementing Transparency and Integrity in Higher Education Institutions (UA0114)

At present, higher education institutions lack a widely accessible and standardised tool for assessing the level of transparency and integrity, which makes it difficult to identify their strengths and areas for improvement and limits opportunities for the systematic improvement of their management, financial and educational processes. Information on key procedures and decisions at higher education institutions is often fragmented or presented in a way that is difficult for students and the public to understand. The lack of clear, structured and accessible analytical information limits the ability to make informed choices about educational pathways and undermines confidence in the national science and education system. The aforementioned problem is systemic and is becoming increasingly relevant in the context of digital transformation and growing demands for transparency in public administration.

The main challenge is the lack of standardisation in approaches to assessing openness, transparency and integrity at higher education institutions. Limited financial and human resources make it difficult to engage external experts to carry out an independent assessment, whilst insufficient digitalisation of self-assessment processes reduces the efficiency of data collection and analysis. The lack of automated recommendations also limits the ability to translate assessment findings into practical management decisions.

In 2023, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention launched the 'Transparent Universities' project. As part of the project, higher education institutions have the opportunity to introduce the course 'Anti-Corruption and Integrity' for students (to date, it has been introduced by more than 90 higher education institutions), participate in awareness-raising and training activities for teaching staff and students, and make use of the Recommendations on the application of tools and mechanisms for transforming various areas of higher education institutions' operations in accordance with the principles of transparency, openness and integrity. As part of the implementation of the 2023-2025 Action Plan for the Open Government Partnership Initiative, approved by Order No. 1049 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 17 November 2023, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention has developed recommendations on transparency and integrity for staff at higher education institutions ('Recommendations on Building Integrity') and piloted them at a number of higher education institutions.

To further develop the above approaches, it is envisaged to introduce an online self-assessment tool for measuring the level of transparency and integrity in higher education institutions. The tool will comprise structured sets of questions covering key areas of higher education institutions’ activities and provide for the automated calculation of results. Following completion of the self- assessment, the higher education institution will receive a report containing an overall assessment of its level of transparency and integrity, as well as personalised recommendations on practical steps for improvement. The proposed solution focuses on automation, practical outcomes and minimising the resources required for its implementation, which will help to make self-assessment more accessible and facilitate its regular use.

The expected outcomes of these measures are:

a tool for regular self-assessment and operational improvement, as well as for enhancing the transparency of management, educational and financial processes, has been introduced at higher education institutions;

students, applicants and their parents, as well as other stakeholders, have gained improved access to information on the level of transparency and integrity of higher education institutions;

conditions for fostering a culture of integrity in higher education have been created.

Steps | Responsible agency | Completion time/period | Partners | Delivery indication
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1. Development of conceptual approaches and the structure of an online tool for the self-assessment of transparency and integrity in higher education institutions | National Agency on Corruption Prevention Ministry of Education and Science | June-August 2026 | higher education institutions (subject to consent) civil society organisations (subject to consent) education experts (subject to consent) international organisations, development partners engaged in international technical assistance projects (programmes) (subject to consent) | The structure of the online tool and the list of assessment indicators have been approved
2. Technical development of the online tool | National Agency on Corruption Prevention | September - December 2026 | civil society organisations (subject to consent) international organisations, development partners engaged in international technical assistance projects (programmes) (subject to consent) | A trial version of the online tool has been developed
3. Piloting and refining the online tool | National Agency on Corruption Prevention Ministry of Education and Science | January-March 2027 | higher education institutions (subject to consent) civil society organisations (subject to consent) international organisations, development partners engaged in international technical assistance projects (programmes) (subject to consent) | Pilot testing of the online tool has been conducted, and recommendations for its further development have been taken into account.
4. Commissioning of the online tool and its roll-out to higher education institutions | National Agency on Corruption Prevention Ministry of Education and Science | April - December 2027 | higher education institutions (subject to consent) civil society organisations (subject to consent) international organisations, development partners engaged in international technical assistance projects (programmes) (subject to consent) media partners (subject to consent) | The online tool has been commissioned, and higher education institutions have begun to use it.