Timescales for data collection
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Collection 2008/09
Stages of the DLHE exercise
Version 1.1 Produced 2009-07-13
This document is designed to guide institutions through the stages of the DLHE exercise. These stages can also be viewed in the DLHE schedule diagram.
Stage One: April Survey (Census date: 20 April 2009)
Stage Two: January Survey (Census date: 11 January 2010)
Stage Three: DLHE data submission (Return date 31 March 2010)
Stage One: April Survey
Arrangements for those who complete their courses between 1 August 2008 and 31 December 2008
This stage details the schedule for the completion of the 20 April 2009 census survey. Full details of the requirements of this schedule are available in the Methodology.
|
March 2009: DELIVERY OF POSTAL QUESTIONNAIRES AND TELEPHONE SCRIPTS |
Standard
postal questionnaires and telephone scripts are delivered to
institutions
for the April survey. It is important that institutions check their
consignment on delivery, as shortfalls cannot be recitifed later.
|
27 March 2009: CONTROL PANEL OPENS FOR S08018A DLHE APRIL ONLINE SURVEY |
Institutions must register to use the April census (see Centrally-hosted online DLHE survey - Guidance notes).
This system enables graduates to complete the standard DLHE
questionnaire survey online. Institutions are encouraged to make use of
this facility.
|
Early April 2009: E08051 DLHE APRIL TARGET LIST SYSTEM OPENS |
The E08051 DLHE April Target List System
helps institutions identify students who meet the
DLHE Target Population (POPDLHE) for the April survey in Coverage of the record. In order to
generate the POPDLHE for the April survey, institutions will need to submit
XML files that conform to the Cyy051 XSD (i.e.
the 2008/09 Student Record (C08051) specification). A user guide for
submission to the DLHE April Target list system can be viewed at: DLHE April Target List system (Eyy051).
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20 April: CENSUS DATE |
Leavers surveyed in April are those that meet the POPDLHE in Coverage of the record and have Instance.ENDDATE 2008-08-01 to 2008-12-31.
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20 April to 11 May 2009: INITIAL CONTACT |
Institutions are required to make initial contact
with all graduates in the April POPDLHE between 20 April to 11 May
2009. In
the period 20 April 2009 to 11 May 2009 the only acceptable method of
data capture is any version of the standard questionnaire, as detailed in Methodology. For Data protection purposes this should be accompanied by the covering letter/email. In this period the survey should be completed
by the graduate only.
|
11 May to 29 June 2009: FOLLOW-UP CONTACT |
During
the period 11 May to 29 June 2009 follow-up contact can be made using any version of the standard questionnaire, and/or the telephone script. Contact can now be made with third parties.
Follow-up contact is optional.
Stage Two: January Survey
Arrangements for those who complete their courses between 1 January 2009 and 31 July 2009
This stage details the schedule for the completion of the 11 January 2010 census survey. Full details of the requirements of this schedule are available in the Methodology.
|
September 2009: DELIVERY OF POSTAL QUESTIONNAIRES AND TELEPHONE SCRIPTS |
Standard
postal questionnaires and telephone scripts are delivered to
institutions
for the January survey. It is important that institution's checks their
consignment on delivery, as shortfalls cannot be recitifed later.
|
September/October 2009: POPDLHE LIST |
C08018 POPDLHE
list is produced when the 2008/09 Student Record (C08051)
passes the COMMIT-stage
validation checks. The list includes those leavers who should have been
surveyed in the April 2009 survey and those expected to be surveyed in
the January 2010 survey. DLHE record contacts are advised to liaise
with
colleagues responsible for submitting student data to HESA, in order to
confirm the final version of the list.
|
26 October 2009: CONTROL PANEL OPENS FOR S08018A DLHE JANUARY ONLINE SURVEY |
Institutions must register to use the January census (see Centrally-hosted online DLHE survey - Guidance notes).
This system enables graduates to complete the standard DLHE
questionnaire survey online. Institutions are encouraged to make use of
this facility.
|
16 November to 27 November 2009: INITIAL CONTACT |
Institutions
are required to make initial contact with all graduates in the January
POPDLHE using versions of the standard questionnaire from 16 November
to 27 November 2009. In the period 16 November 2009 to 11 January 2010
the only acceptable method of data capture is any version of the standard questionnaire, as detailed in the Methodology. For Data protection purposes this should be accompanied by the covering letter/email. In this period the survey should be completed
by the graduate only.
|
11 January 2010: CENSUS DATE |
Leavers surveyed in April are those that meet the POPDLHE in Coverage of the record and have Instance.ENDDATE 2009-01-01 to 2009-07-31.
|
11 January to 12 March 2010: FOLLOW-UP CONTACT |
During this period 11 January to 12 March 2010 follow-up contact can be made
using any version of the standard questionnaire, and/or the telephone
script. Contact can now be made with third parties.
Follow-up contact is optional.
Stage Three: DLHE data submission
| November 2009 | Validate data locally using validation kit |
| March 2010 |
C08018 data collection opens |
| 31 March 2010 | Return date |
| 9 April 2010 | Commit date |
| 9 April to 7 May 2010 |
Data quality checking period |
| 7 May 2010 |
Last submission and sign-off |
| |
The C08018 validation kit is made available to download from: Validation kits 2008/09.
The kit enables institutions to test their data locally against the INSERT-stage validation ahead of the main collection opening in the Spring.
Institutions are strongly encouraged to use the validation kit as part of their data preparations.
Further details on the checks included in INSERT-stage validation can be found within the field details of the C08018 record description.
A guide to using the validation kit can be found in Help with validation kits. Alternatively please can contact Institutional Liaison (liaison@hesa.ac.uk).
The C08018 collection database opens on the submit site at the beginning of March.
For a user guide for the submission of C08018 DLHE record data please visit DLHE collection (Cyy018).
Access and PIN codes for this system will be distributed to DLHE record contacts when the system opens.
| KEY DEADLINE |
Institutions are required to send complete data that has passed INSERT-stage validation to HESA by 31 March 2010.
INSERT-stage validation rules are listed within the field details of the C08018 record description.
A single validation failure will result in no data being imported into the system.
A diagram view of the validation stages for the DLHE return can be viewed at: DLHE submission
Institutions are advised to send complete data that has passed COMMIT-stage validation to HESA by 9 April 2010.
This schedule allows the maximum amount of available time for data quality checking.
COMMIT-stage validation rules can be viewed at COMMIT-stage validation.
A diagram view of the validation stages for the DLHE return can be viewed at: DLHE submission
Data which fails validation will not be considered to have been returned to the Agency.
A successful COMMIT will generate several reports containing managment information that institutions will need to review to assess data quality. These reports for review are:
 |
Check documentation | This Excel workbook contains a series of tables representing the submitted data to enable institutions to check that their submission represents their institution as expected. |
 |
Exception report |
This report details any COMMIT-stage validation errors/warnings triggered by the submission. |
 |
Frequency counts |
This report counts the data submitted for all records listed by field and valid entry. |
 |
POPDLHE match report |
This report matches the submitted data aginst those records held in the POPDLHE file produced during the C08051 Student Record collection. |
 |
Teaching Quality Information (TQI) |
This report details Teaching Quality Information to be passed to Unistats for display on their website http://www.unistats.com/. |
 |
Computer Assisted Structured Coding Tool (CASCOT) Comparison Report |
This report provides comparison of the SOC(DLHE) codes generated by CASCOT and those assigned by the institution for records where a job title has been returned in field 10 JOBTITLE. |
Institutions are
required to review the reports and to resubmit data in order to resolve
data quality issues. Institutions can contact Institutional Liaison
throughout this period to request their data is decommitted in order to
make
adjustments to the submission. The data quality checking period is an
iterative process during which institutions may need to submit, commit,
review and decommit their data several times to ensure the final
submission is credible.
During this period Data Analysts at HESA will also examine data committed by all institutions. If any anomalies are found queries will be raised with your institution, via Institutional Liaison to the DLHE record contact. Nevertheless institutions are in a better position to recognise more detailed anomalies within their data, using local knowledge of the intricacies of their own institution. As a consequence institutions are required to either resubmit their data to amend these anomalies, or provide an explanation via email to liaison@hesa.ac.uk as to why these apparent anomalies are genuine.
Upon satisfactory completion of this process data will be set to credible.
In order to meet obligations for hand-over of data to its customers, HESA needs to receive all data files by 7 May 2010.
As part of the data quality assurance procedures, HESA requires the return to be signed-off by the head of your institution, or by a person with suitable authority. This verification offers both the institutions and HESA assurances regarding onward use of the data. Sign-off completes the data collection process.
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On the system your institution's data will be set to credible and a new icon will be made available from where the sign-off slip can be downloaded and completed. Once completed, the slip should be posted back to HESA at the address in the bar below. Please note that the transaction number on the sign-off slip must correspond to that of the data being signed-off. |
Note: Institutions should download and keep copies of all relevant reports that they are likely to need during the year, as it will be necessary as access to the site will be restricted after the collection has closed.
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Onward use of C08018 DLHE record data |
Following the close of the data collection all data submitted will be passed to HESA's Statutory Customers.
Data is also used by HESA in the following ways:
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Statistical First Release
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education publication
DLHE Longitudinal Survey
Performance Indicators in Higher Education
heidi
General data enquiries
