Hi all

There are consultations aplenty going on just now. In addition to the ILR changes already out for consultation, we have just published online surveys for a further eight ILR changes that we would like your views on. We are very keen to get the sector’s views on the ILR change requests and have been really pleased with the response so far. You can feed into the consultation by following the links to the surveys below. Alternatively you can discuss the changes in the public domain by starting a new thread in the 2011/12 ILR discussion area on feconnect.

Change request 4: Collection of National Insurance numbers  

Change request 5: Mandated Jobcentre Plus Action Plan

Change request 14: Extended use of programme aim level

Change request 16: Review Codes in Main Delivery Method field

Change request 23: Review reasons for fee remission

Change request 32: Move to single ILR return

Change request 33: Move ILR to xml format

Change request 35: Review Employment Status definitions and fields

I’m sure feconnect users will also make useful contributions to consultations that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is running. They are consulting on both the future direction of skills policy and simplifying FE and skills funding system and methodology.

We’ve had quite a few phone calls and emails in recent weeks to ask when appendix H of the 2010/11 ILR will be published and also why the information authority has not published a form for providers to collect ILR data for Learner Responsive returns (particularly Foundation Learning provision). Appendix H should be published later today but we will not be publishing an LR ILR form. The reason is that it is up to providers to capture the data needed to make an LR ILR return in the most appropriate way to support their own business processes. Not all ILR fields need to be captured on paper as providers are likely to store much of this data in their MIS systems. There is further information about capturing ILR data on pages 9 and 10 of the LR Provider Support Manual.

Finally, I just wanted to mention that the 2009/10 Learner Responsive Qualification Success Rate methodology was published last month. It has been published far earlier than last year, mainly thanks to the Data Harmonisation Group whose work is overseen by the information authority board.  

Paul

Hi all

There is quite a lot going on at the moment. We’re running consultations on the redevelopment of the LAD and the timeliness of Employer Responsive data. Thanks to those of you who have contributed so far. Please do keep your views and suggestions coming.

We’re also preparing for a Connexions meeting on 28 May. The plan is to bring together the various stakeholders to look at the information needs of Connexions services and the best way of getting the data they need to them. What we’d like to achieve is a standardised dataset for Connexions, with an agreed collection timetable and possibly a central system for collecting and disseminating information. Attending the meeting will be representatives from Connexions services, learning providers, the DCSF, the Young People’s Learning Agency and the Data Service. There are a few places left so if you are interested in attending, please email me (Paul.Kelman@theia.org.uk) for further details.

Version 2 of the 2010/11 ILR specification was published last week. We’ve had quite a few requests to tone down the highlighting used for amended text. I’m afraid that as the specification is produced in Word, afraid we’re limited by its highlighting palette. However, colleagues are working on an online version of the ILR specification, which we hope the FE system will find useful. The long term aims is to make it possible for people to only download the parts of the ILR specification that they need.

The output from the March Employer Responsive group meeting are now available on our website. The outputs include an excel sheet to map local authorities to LSC areas. Providers wanted that to assist them with any information requests they receive from local authorities.

Finally, if you are involved in delivering ESF provision, please take a few minutes to complete our short online survey on reducing the ESF data burden. We’re keen to find out whether the steps taken to remove redundant ESF data fields from the ILR is actually making any difference and, if so, how much time is being saved. We’re also keen to know whether there are ad hoc ESF data requests and hear suggestions for ways that the data requirements for ESF provision could be made even more streamlined.

Paul

Hi all

As promised, we have launched some further consultations here on feconnect as part of the 2010/11 ILR change process. The four change requests that were published today are:
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Hi all

It has been a busy couple of weeks for us here at the information authority – we have been working through the 60 change requests for the 2010/11 ILR that we received, and making decisions on which ones we will be rejecting, and which ones we need input from the FE system on before we write up recommendations for the board meeting at the end of September.
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The closing date for requesting changes to the 2010/11 ILR is Friday 26 June. The changes will initially be considered by the information authority’s secretariat using the assessment criteria agreed by the board. Those that meet the criteria will be taken forward for consultation over the summer.
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Hi all,

Apologies for this digest coming out after the Bank Holiday, and not on Friday. We hope you all had a refreshing extra day off!

As was the case last week, we haven’t received any additional requests for change to the 2010/11 ILR this week. Stakeholders have one month to submit change requests, but we are recommending that you speak to us as soon as possible so that we can thoroughly work through any requests, and work out the best possible proposals for the information authority board to consider.
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Hi,

This is the first in our weekly ‘digest’ blogs that the Community and Stakeholder Team will be doing throughout the 2010/11 ILR change process to help you keep up-to-date with requests as they come in and comments that are made.
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The information authority board has asked us to consult on bringing forward the F05 final collection date. We would be grateful if college staff would complete our survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=R781nDR_2bcgGe2lTnySvdBg_3d_3d
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We’re hitting the road again!

In November we will be running four consultative workshops across the country.

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