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Alternative provider student record 2018/19 - Data collection schedule

Back to C18054

Alternative provider student record 2018/19 - Data collection schedule

Version 1.2 Produced 2019-06-13

At a glance

Providers are reminded about the importance of meeting data collection deadlines. Statutory customers will consider the meeting of these deadlines as part of their analysis of provider risk.

Prior to August 2018 Issue of Fair Processing Notices to students
August 2018 to July 2019 Data capture and collation
February 2019 Data collection system opens
July 2019 Data collection preparation guide released
September 2019 Full data collection system available
28 September 2019 Providers are required to have submitted complete data and passed business stage validation
15 October 2019 Providers are advised to send completed data that has passed exception stage validation
15 October 2019 – 19 November 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.
19 November 2019 Last submission of data
In order to meet obligations for hand-over of data to its customers, HESA needs to receive all data files by 19 November 2019.
25 November 2019 Sign-off of data submissions
As part of the data quality assurance procedures, HESA requires the return to be signed-off by the head or acting head of your organisation. This verification offers both the provider and HESA assurances regarding onward use of the data. Sign-off completes the data collection process.

Detailed requirements

Prior to August 2018: Issue of Fair Processing Notices to students

Further information about out how Data Protection legislation affects the processing of AP student data by HESA can be found in the Data Protection Guidance document.

Providers are required to comply with the Data Protection Acts and ensure that all students reported to HESA are provided with the relevant Fair Processing Notice.

August 2018 to July 2019: Data capture and collation

Providers should read the C18054 AP student record coding manual for details of the requirements for the return.

During these months providers will need to load and maintain local student record systems including: registration, enrolments and qualifications.

If you have any queries with the requirements for C18054 please contact Institutional Liaison.

February 2019: Data collection system opens

The C18054 collection database is available on the data collection system (https://datacollection.hesa.ac.uk) giving providers the opportunity to test files against quality rules ahead of the return date deadline.

HESA incrementally releases functional components of the AP Data Collection system to providers. This means that even once the system is open, components such as business rules or data reports will be added to the system. Full functionality for the C18054 collection is available by September 2018.

A user guide for the submission of C18054 AP student record data will be available.

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

July 2019: Data collection preparation guide released

In advance of the collection deadlines 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 providers to pay particular attention to during coding and submission.

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

September 2019: Full data collection system available

The full functionality for the C18054 collection database opens on the data collection system (https://datacollection.hesa.ac.uk) approximately 4 weeks ahead of the first data submission deadline on 28 September 2019. This gives providers the opportunity to further test files against the full range of quality rules ahead of this deadline.

A user guide for the submission of C18054 AP student record will be available.

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

28 September 2019: Providers are required to have submitted complete data and passed business stage validation

Providers are required to send complete data that has passed business stage validation to HESA by 28 September 2019.

You can view your quality rules report in the Data Collection system. If you have a single validation failure, you will not be able to successfully commit your data. If you try to commit the data, you will see on the flow chart in the data collection system that you have not been successful, and “quality rules” will be flagged. A list of the quality rules and their meaning in plain English can be found in coding manual.

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

15 October 2019 Providers are advised to send completed data that has passed exception stage validation

Providers are advised to send and commit complete data that has passed exception stage validation to HESA by 14 October 2019. This schedule allows the maximum amount of available time for data quality checking.

You can view your quality rules report in the Data Collection system. If you have a single validation failure, you will not be able to successfully commit your data. If you try to commit the data, you will see on the flow chart in the data collection system that you have not been successful, and “quality rules” will be flagged on the chart.

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

15 October – 19 November 2019: Data quality checking period

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.

HESA may refer some queries to statutory customers for further guidance. Providers will be expected to act on the guidance of statutory customers.

The data quality checking process 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.

Upon satisfactory completion of this process data will be set to credible.

19 November 2019: Last submission of data

HESA must receive all data files by 20 November 2019 in order to meet obligations for the delivery of the data to its statutory customers.

25 November 2019: Sign-off of data submissions

Once a providers data is set to credible, the provider will receive a sign-off form from HESA. As part of the data quality assurance procedures, HESA requires the return to be signed-off by the accountable officer. This verification offers both the providers and HESA assurances regarding onward use of the data. Sign-off completes the data collection process.

Note: Providers 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.


Need help?

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