Finance record 2018/19 - Data collection schedule
Version 1.2 Produced 2019-11-29
At a glance
| From September 2019 | Providers' local preparation |
| September 2019 | Preparation guide released |
| 15 October 2019 | Data collection system opens |
| 03 December 2019 | Send HESA copy of published accounts (HEPs in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales only) |
| 03 December 2019 to 21 December 2019 | Data quality checking period |
| 10 December 2019 | Return date |
| 02 January 2020 | Data quality checking period recommences |
| 09 January 2020 | Last submission |
| 15 January 2020 | Sign-off deadline |
Detailed requirements
From September 2019: 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 C18031 please contact Liaison.
September 2019: 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 Liaison.
15 October 2019: 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 Liaison.
03 December 2019: Send HESA copy of published accounts
HEPs in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are requested to send a copy of their published accounts to Liaison at HESA as soon as they become available, and no later than 03 December 2019.
03 December 2019 to 21 December 2019 (recommencing 02 January 2020): 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.
By this stage, providers will have committed their data, which is then checked by Data Quality Analysts at HESA. If any anomalies are found, queries will be raised through the Minerva data quality database. Nevertheless providers are in a better position to recognise more detailed anomalies within their data, using local knowledge of the intricacies of their own organisation. As a consequence providers are required to either amend and resubmit their data to resolve them or provide an explanation as to why these apparent anomalies are genuine. In closing queries in Minerva and marking as genuine data, HESA are not accepting that the data is correct, HESA are acknowledging that the provider has given an explanation. It remains the provider’s responsibility to ensure that the data submitted conforms to the guidance and quality expectations set out on the HESA website.
Upon satisfactory completion of this process data will be set to credible.
10 December 2019: Return date
HEPs are required to send complete data that has passed exception stage validation to HESA by 10 December 2019.
To meet this deadline HEPs are required to submit their C18031 Finance template, which passes exception stage validation to HESA.
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.
09 January 2020: 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 2020.
15 January 2020: 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 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 C18031 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.