Roles, Responsibilities, and Value Flows: A Stakeholder Map of Micro-Credential Processes in Higher Education Ecosystem

Abstract

bstract – Micro-credentials are transforming how learning
achievements are recognized across formal and non-formal
education. This paper maps the stakeholder landscape of
micro-credential processes, clarifying roles, responsibilities,
and value flows among participants. Drawing on stakeholder
theory and ecosystem mapping, five core roles are identified:
earner, course provider, issuer, verifier/viewer, and policy maker;
and analyzed across four process groups: learning and earning,
issuance, verification and recognition, and maintenance. The
paper contributes by systematizing stakeholders and their
interrelations, offering a structured view of value exchanges
that supports the design of interoperable, transparent, and
trustworthy micro-credential ecosystems in higher education.