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HESA Staff record 2012/13

Back to C12025

Timescales - stages of data submission


Version 1.0 Produced 2013-04-30

This document is designed to guide institutions through the stages of data submission for the Staff record.

At a glance

August 2012 to March 2013 Institutions' local preparation Submission_timeline.png
Early March 2013 Validate data locally using validation kit
May to July 2013 Pre-collection validation system
July 2013 Preparation guide released
August 2013 Data collection opens
30 September 2013 Return date
15 October 2013 Commit date
15 October to 12 November 2013 Data quality checking period
12 November 2013 Last submission
13 November 2013
Sign-off

The above graph details the expected curve of sector activity during the data submission period.

Detailed requirements

August 2012 to March 2013: INSTITUTIONS' LOCAL PREPARATION


Institutions should read the C12025 coding manual and associated documentation for details of the requirements for the return.

During these months institutions will need to load and maintain local staff record systems including: starters/leavers, promotions and grade information.

If you have any queries with the requirements for C12025 please contact Institutional Liaison.

Early March 2013: VALIDATE DATA LOCALLY USING VALIDATION KIT


The C12025 validation kit is made available to download from: Validation kits. The first version of the kit is a rolled on version using C11025 business rules and is released early to assist institutions in preparing their data whilst the new rules are finalised at HESA. The second release of the validation kit containing the 2012-13 validation rules will be made available in late April 2013.

The kit enables institutions to test their data locally against the INSERT-stage validation ahead of the main collection opening in the summer. 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 list and detail.

A guide to using the validation kit can be found in Help with validation kits. Alternatively please contact Institutional Liaison.

May to July 2013: PRE-COLLECTION VALIDATION SYSTEM


The Staff Pre-Collection Validation System (Cyy025) provides an opportunity for institutions to expose their data to a wide range of validation checks before the data collection system opens.

The PCVS system provides the following functionality:

red_v.gif amber_v.gif white_v.gif INSERT-stage validation These reports detail any validation errors or warnings triggered by the submission.
Exception.gif Exception report A simplified COMMIT transaction running exception stage validation checks.
Note that the full range of COMMIT checks and reports will not be implemented until the main data collection system opens in August.
freq_count.gif Frequency counts
This report counts the data submitted for all records listed by field and valid entry.

HESA does not monitor or store data submitted by institutions to the PCVS system.

Access and PIN codes for this system will be distributed to Staff record contacts when the system opens.

July 2013: STAFF PREPARATION GUIDE


In advance of the main collection opening HESA releases a preparation guide. This provides further guidance of the requirements for the collection year, with particular reference to any areas HESA's statutory customers wish institutions to pay particular attention to during coding and submission.

Notification of the publication of this guide will be sent to Staff record contacts, and is also circulated on sector mailgroups such as the Admin-HESA JISC mailgroup. If you would like to join Admin-HESA, please contact Institutional Liaison.

August 2013: DATA COLLECTION OPENS


The C12025 collection database opens on the submit site around 6 weeks ahead of the return date providing institutions with the opportunity to further test files against the full range of validation and exception checks ahead of the return date deadline.

For a user guide for the submission of Staff record data please visit the Staff collection user guide.

Access and PIN codes for this system will be distributed to Staff record contacts when the system opens.

HESA monitors all transactions on the system to ensure institutions are progressing reasonably and not encountering difficulties. However if you require assistance with the submission process, please contact Institutional Liaison.

30 September 2013: RETURN DATE


Institutions are required to send complete data that has passed INSERT-stage validation to HESA by 30 September 2013.

A single validation failure will result in no data being imported into the system.

The Insert transaction diagram illustrates the process required to meet the return date.

INSERT-stage business validation rules are listed within the Field list and detail.

Data which fails validation will not be considered to have been returned to the Agency.

15 October 2013: COMMIT DATE


Insitutions are required to send complete data that has passed COMMIT-stage validation to HESA by 15 October 2013.

COMMIT-stage validation rules can be viewed at (coming soon).

The Commit transaction diagram illustrates the process required to meet the commit date.

Data which fails validation will not be considered to have been returned to the Agency.

The TEST_COMMIT facility is available for the majority of the data collection period.

This facility allows institutions to process a transaction, which, if successful will generate commit stage reports for scrutiny. These reports are for institutions' purposes only and will not be checked by HESA. Details of these reports are provided below.

Institutions are strongly encouraged to make use of the TEST_COMMIT facility as part of their data preparations. TEST_COMMIT serves as a useful interim facility in the data collection process. The facility enables institutions to view the commit reports and assess submitted data for anomalies before processing a full COMMIT to be scrutinised by HESA.

15 October to 12 November 2013: DATA QUALITY CHECKING PERIOD


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:

white_cd.gif Check documentation This Excel workbook contains a series of tables presenting much of the submitted data to enable institutions to check that their submission presents their institution as expected. Included within these tables is a cross-comparions of the use of cost centres between the Staff record, Student record and Finance Statistics Return. Institutions are encouraged to liaise with colleagues responsible for these other returns to ensure commonality in use of cost centres.
CD_Compare.png Check documentation compare facility
This icon is available against every recommit made by the institution. This icon highlights changes between the two most recently processed TEST_COMMIT/COMMIT transactions. Cells highlighted in colour denote a change, by hovering the mouse over this cell the plus/minus difference between the two figures can be viewed.
freq_count.gif Frequency counts
This report counts the data submitted for all records listed by field and valid entry.
Exception.gif Exception report
This report details any COMMIT-stage validation errors/warnings triggered by the submission.
MUSTER.gif Staff Muster list 2013/14 The staff muster list is a list of ACT 1-3 staff for whom a record is expected in the 2013/14 return. The list consists of records that have been returned as 'live' in 2012/13.
DDFS.gif Data Supply This icon provides institutions with the derived field populations used by HESA to populate the items displayed within the check documentation. These derived fields can be used by institutions to re-create these items.

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.

12 November 2013: LAST SUBMISSION


In order to meet obligations for hand-over of data to its customers, HESA needs to receive all data files by 12 November 2013.

13 November 2013: SIGN-OFF


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.

signoff.gif
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, as it will be necessary to restrict access to the site after the submission deadline.

Onward use of C12025 Staff record data


Following the close of the data collection all data submitted will be passed to HESA's Statutory Customers and also to the HESA Information Services team.

Data is also used by HESA in the following ways:
Staff in Higher Education Institutions publication
Performance Indicators in Higher Education
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General data enquiries

Need help?

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.