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This review examines how knowledge management processes impact accreditation outcomes in Saudi higher education, focusing on NCAAA standards.

July 5, 2026Open Access

Knowledge Management for Sustainable Accreditation in Saudi Higher Education: A Systematic Review of NCAAA Implementation and Quality Assurance Practices

Key Points

This review examines how knowledge management processes impact accreditation outcomes in Saudi higher education, focusing on NCAAA standards.
Conducted systematic narrative review of 42 sources, including journal articles and policy documents
Analyzed literature from 2005 to 2025 related to NCAAA accreditation standards
Evaluated the evidence quality and challenges in KM implementation during accreditation.
Identified challenges such as information decentralization and inadequate training that hinder effective KM
Found potential links between KM practices and improved accreditation outcomes, though evidence remains observational
Noted associations with sustainability and alignment to SDG 4 and SDG 16, suggesting areas for future research.

Abstract

This systematic narrative review synthesizes 42 distinct sources including peer-reviewed journal articles, selected conference papers, and policy documents to examine the role of knowledge management (KM) processes in Saudi higher education accreditation, with specific focus on the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Evaluation (NCAAA) standards. Drawing on literature published between 2005 and 2025, the review investigates how KM frameworks, including Nonaka and Takeuchi’s SECI model (socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization), may be associated with accreditation outcomes in Saudi universities. The reviewed literature suggests an association between systematic KM approaches and more effective accreditation processes; causal conclusions are not warranted given the observational and case study nature of the evidence base. Certainty of the overall evidence body is rated as low to moderate. The study reveals significant challenges, including information decentralization, inadequate training, resistance to change, and the absence of dedicated governance structures that appear to impede effective knowledge transfer during accreditation processes. A secondary sustainability coding pass identified associations between KM-driven accreditation practices and institutional sustainability, environmental sustainability, and alignment with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Strong Institutions); these findings are hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory. It should be noted that all screening and data extraction were conducted by a sole reviewer; a post hoc validation exercise achieved Cohen’s kappa = 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72–0.90) for inclusion/exclusion decisions, providing retrospective assurance of acceptable consistency. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines.

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