How to document ANCHOR program outcomes with digital badges

Korea's ANCHOR program allocates funding based on performance. Issue digital badges to students who complete a program, and you keep a record of who achieved what, by which criteria, which makes reporting outcomes much easier.

Key takeaways

ANCHOR evaluates last year’s outcomes to decide this year’s funding
Badge records keep the recipient, issue date, and whether the badge was viewed, for every badge
Check your program’s indicators first to see which evidence counts

What’s changed with ANCHOR?

In April 2026, Korea’s Ministry of Education announced its plan for ANCHOR, a regional talent development system. It helps Korea’s 17 regional governments grow local universities in line with their own development strategies.

The key change is performance review. About KRW 400 billion goes to performance incentives, and each year’s funding depends on how last year’s work and outcomes are evaluated, including whether students and local talent were properly considered.

Programs are also shifting toward projects students can feel, such as industry-sponsored degrees, long-term work placements, and entrepreneurship training. As students take part directly in more programs, recording what each student learned and achieved matters more.

What does a badge record keep?

When you issue a digital badge to students who complete a program, every badge builds up its own issuing record. In Certi’s admin console, you can see the recipients of each badge and download the issuing history.

Record	How it helps your report
Recipients	The list of students who completed the program
Issue date	When they completed it
Viewed	Whether the student received and opened the badge
Criteria	What it took to earn the badge

Criteria are written into the badge when you create it. With the recipient list and criteria in one place, you don’t have to gather evidence separately at reporting time.

Create a separate badge for each program

If you run several programs, such as work placements, capstone design, and entrepreneurship training, create a badge for each one. Records stay separate by badge, so you can summarize each program at a glance.

The digital badge list in Certi's admin console, with separate badges for Capstone Design Excellence, Long-term Work Placement, and Entrepreneurship Training, each showing earners and publishing status

Check your performance indicators first

Which evidence counts as an outcome varies by region and program. Before you start, check your program’s indicators and how evidence is submitted, and decide which indicator your badge records will support.

How do you get started with Certi?

Create a badge for each program and issue it to the completion list in one go. See how to create a digital badge for the steps. If your report needs certificate files, you can issue PDF certificates alongside badges.