HESA Collections
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education record 2011/12 | return to index |
Timescales - stages of the DLHE exercise
Version 1.2 Produced 2012-09-27
This document is designed to guide institutions through the stages of the DLHE exercise. These stages can also be viewed in the DLHE schedule (PDF) diagram.
Stage One: April Survey (Census date: 16 April 2012)
Stage Two: January Survey (Census date: 14 January 2013)
Stage Three: DLHE data submission (Return date 31 March 2013)
Stage One: April Survey
Arrangements for those who complete their courses between 1 August 2011 and 31 December 2011
This stage details the schedule for the completion of the 16 April 2012 census survey. Full details of the requirements of this schedule are available in the Guidance for institutions document.
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March 2012: DELIVERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES |
Questionnaires are delivered to institutions for the April survey. It is important that institutions check their consignment on delivery, as shortfalls cannot be rectified later.
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29 March 2012: CONTROL PANEL OPENS FOR S11018A DLHE APRIL ONLINE SURVEY |
Institutions must register to use the April census (Guidance notes coming soon). This system enables graduates to complete the DLHE questionnaire survey online. Institutions are encouraged to make use of this facility.
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16 April: CENSUS DATE |
Leavers surveyed in April are those that meet the DLHE population definition in Coverage of the record and have Instance.ENDDATE 2011-08-01 to 2011-12-31.
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16 April to 25 June 2012: CONTACT PERIOD |
Institutions are required to make contact with all graduates in the April POPDLHE between 16 April to 25 June 2012. The survey is undertaken by leavers answering a number of questions by way of a questionnaire, a telephone survey, a centrally-hosted online survey or a PDF version of the questionnaire. Institutions can use as many of these methods of contact as they wish to achieve the highest response possible. Further guidance can be found at Guidance for institutions.
Stage Two: January Survey
Arrangements for those who complete their courses between 1 January 2012 and 31 July 2012
This stage details the schedule for the completion of the 14 January 2013 census survey. Full details of the requirements of this schedule are available in the Guidance for institutions document.
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September 2012: DELIVERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES |
Questionnaires are delivered to institutions for the January survey. It is important that institution's checks their consignment on delivery, as shortfalls cannot be rectified later.
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September/October 2012: POPDLHE LIST |
C11018 POPDLHE list is produced when the 2011/12 Student record (C11051) collection passes the COMMIT-stage validation checks. The list includes those leavers who should have been surveyed in the April 2012 survey and those expected to be surveyed in the January 2013 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.
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24 October 2012: CONTROL PANEL OPENS FOR S11018J DLHE JANUARY ONLINE SURVEY |
Institutions must register to use the January census (Guidance notes coming soon). This system enables graduates to complete the DLHE questionnaire survey online. Institutions are encouraged to make use of this facility.
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12 November 2012 to 8 March 2013: CONTACT PERIOD |
Institutions are required to make contact with all graduates in the January DLHE population between 12 November 2012 to 08 March 2013. The survey is undertaken by leavers answering a number of questions by way of a questionnaire, a telephone survey, a centrally-hosted online survey or a PDF version of the questionnaire. Institutions can use as many of these methods of contact as they wish to achieve the highest response possible. Further guidance can be found at Guidance for institutions document.
Leavers surveyed in January are those that meet the DLHE population in Coverage of the record and have Instance.ENDDATE 2012-01-01 to 2012-07-31.
Stage Three: DLHE data submission
| November 2012 | Validate data locally using validation kit |
| March 2013 |
C11018 data collection opens |
| 31 March 2013 | Return date |
| 8 April 2013 | Commit date |
| 8 April to 6 May 2013 |
Data quality checking period |
| 6 May 2013 |
Last submission |
| 7 May 2013 |
Sign-off |
The C11018 validation kit is made available to download from: Validation kits 2011/12 (not yet available).
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 C11018 field descriptions.
A guide to using the validation kit can be found in Help with validation kits. Alternatively please can contact Institutional Liaison ([email protected]).
The C11018 collection database opens on the submit site at the beginning of March.
Access and PIN codes for this system will be distributed to DLHE record contacts when the system opens.
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Institutions are required to send complete data that has passed INSERT-stage validation to HESA by 31 March 2013.
INSERT-stage validation rules are listed within the field details of the C11018 field decriptions.
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 validation.
Data which fails validation will not be considered to have been returned to the Agency.
Institutions are advised to send complete data that has passed COMMIT-stage validation to HESA by 8 April 2013.
This schedule allows the maximum amount of available time for data quality checking.
COMMIT-stage validation rules can be viewed at (coming soon).
A diagram view of the validation stages for the DLHE return can be viewed at DLHE validation.
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.
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 through the Minerva DQ database. 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 through Minerva 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 6 May 2013.
As part of the data quality assurance procedures, HESA requires the return to be signed-off by the head or acting head of your institution. 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 form can be downloaded and completed. Once completed, the form should be posted back to HESA. Please note that the transaction number on the sign-off form 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. This will be necessary as access to the site will be restricted after the collection has closed.
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Onward use of C11018 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
Key Information Set
Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.