Finance record 2017/18 - Data collection schedule
Version 1.2 Produced 2019-01-07
At a glance
| From September 2018 | Providers' local preparation |
| September 2018 | Preparation guide released |
| 15 October 2018 | Data collection system opens |
| 03 December 2018 | Send HESA copy of published accounts (HEPs in Scotland and Wales only) |
| 03 December 2018 | Return date |
| 03 December 2018 to 21 December 2018 | Data quality checking period |
| 02 January 2019 | Data quality checking period recommences |
| 09 January 2019 | Last submission |
| 15 January 2019 | Sign-off deadline |
Detailed requirements
From September 2018: Providers' local preparation
HEPs should read the Coding manual and associated documentation for details of the requirements for the return.
If you have any queries with the requirements for C17031 please contact Liaison.
September 2018: Preparation guide released
In advance of the main collection HESA releases a preparation guide. This guide provides further guidance of the requirements for the collection year, with particular reference to any areas HESA's statutory customers wish HEPs to pay particular attention to during coding and submission. The preparation guide will be made available from the Support guides.
Notification of the publication of this circular will be sent to the Finance record contacts at your HEP, and circulated on sector mailgroups such as the HESA-FINANCE JISC mailgroup. If you would like to join this group please contact Institutional Liaison.
15 October 2018: Data collection opens
The collection database opens on the HESA data collection system a few weeks ahead of the return date providing HEPs with opportunity to test files ahead of the return date deadline.
The Finance record is required to be submitted in the format of an Excel workbook. The templates for these records should be downloaded from the HESA data collection system. Please note that data must be returned to HESA on the templates provided.
HESA monitors all transactions on the system to ensure HEPs are progressing reasonably and not encountering difficulties. If you require assistance with the submission process, please contact Institutional Liaison.
03 December 2018: Send HESA copy of published accounts
HEPs in Wales and Scotland are requested to send a copy of their published accounts to Institutional Liaison at HESA as soon as they become available, and no later than 03 December 2018. (The published accounts for HEPs in England and Northern Ireland will be forwarded to HESA by OfS by this date).
03 December 2018: Return date
HEPs are required to send complete data that has passed exception stage validation to HESA by 03 December 2018.
To meet this deadline HEPs are required to submit their C17031 Finance template, which passes exception stage validation to HESA. Please note: that for English providers that the data is supplied to OfS to allow for their assurance exercise to be undertaken.
HEPs will also need to commit their file on the system.
A single validation failure will result in no data being imported into the system. Data which fails validation will not be considered to have been returned to HESA.
03 December 2018 to 21 December 2018 (recommencing 02 January 2019): Data quality checking period
This is an iterative process during which providers may need to submit, commit, review and decommit their data several times to ensure the final submission is credible. The suite of web reports should be reviewed by the provider to ensure that the data submitted is a credible representation of your organisation.
During this period Data Analysts at HESA will also examine data committed by all HEPs. If any anomalies are found queries will be raised through Minerva. Nevertheless HEPs are in a better position to recognise more detailed anomalies within their data, using local knowledge of the intricacies of their own HEP. As a consequence HEPs 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.
09 January 2019: Last submission
In order to meet obligations for hand-over of data to its customers, HESA needs to receive all data files by 09 January 2019.
15 January 2019: 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 the HEP. This verification offers both the HEPs and HESA assurances regarding onward use of the data. Sign-off completes the data collection process.
| On the system your data will be set to credible and a new button will be made available from where the sign-off form can be downloaded and completed. Once completed, the form should be scanned and emailed back to Institutional Liaison. Please note that the transaction number on the sign-off form must correspond to that of the data being signed-off. |
Note: HEPs 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.
Onward use of C17031 Finance record data
Following closure of the data collection all data submitted will be passed to HESA's Statutory customers.
Need help?
Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.