2012 FE Data Conference
February 17, 2012 in The information authority Blog by Greta
With any luck you spotted our announcement earlier this week, that we are holding our second data conference in March this year and have already popped it in your diary! For those of you who missed it, the theme for this year’s conference is ‘Simplification and what it means for MI managers in the FE and skills sector’
If you are planning on coming along to the conference, besides viewing exhibitors’ displays, attending key note speeches and taking part in the Q&A session, you’ll also be able to join up to three workshops, running through the day. We’ll be hosting one of the workshops and the others will be provided by the Data Service, the Learning Records Service (LRS), the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) and the Skills Funding Agency.
Our workshop will focus around a brainstorming session, where we’ll be inviting you to identify a ‘wish list’ to help make your data life easier. This could include proposing changes for the 2013/14 ILR specification, or sharing your thoughts on the data collection systems, the funding system, or validation rules. You name it we’ll discuss it and see how we can work with you to reduce bureaucracy. During the workshop we’ll also be sharing guidance and tips for dealing with the top five issues raised in recent months here on feconnect.
The 2012 FE Data Conference will be held on Wednesday, 28 March 2012, at the Welcome Centre in Coventry. Conference places are open to providers who receive funding from the YPLA and/or the Skills Funding Agency, but are limited to two places per provider.
Visit the conference website for more info and follow #2012FEDC on Twitter for the latest updates. We look forward to seeing you there!
This week’s news round up:
Own Software Writers Group meetings
The next meetings of our advisory groups for staff who work with in-house MI systems are on Thursday 23 February. Visit the information authority website to view the agendas for the Own Software Writers’ Change Management Group meeting (at 10.30am) and the Own Software Writers Group (at 12.30pm).
Mid-year funding estimates
The YPLA advice on ILR funding returns has been updated to include some new information on mid-year funding estimates and reconciliation for contract providers. They have also published an addendum to ILR funding returns containing further technical advice on returns for 2011/12, which must be read before completing the mid-year estimate workbook. Providers subject to reconciliation must send mid-year estimates by 29 February 2012.
Visit the YPLA website to see all of the funding guidance documents for 2011/12
Using data more effectively
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) is working on guidelines to help work-based learning providers use data more effectively to improve quality and learner achievement. They intend to produce a guide and workshop for providers and partnerships by 31 March 2012.
If you’d like to help develop the guidelines please email Karen Bell
Developing data standards for school performance data
The Information Standards Board (ISB) is looking for MI professionals to help with the development of data standards for school performance data by:
- Participating in an online discussion and file sharing forum
- Reviewing the latest versions of data standards and models
- Attending interviews or workshops on how your organisation collects and consumes data
If you would like to get involved, please email Meryl Bryse
All the best
Greta
Hi Greta
Several colleagues are questioning the cost of the conference (and with it, their attendance), I seem to recall the one previously (two years ago?) was free and whilst I realise These Are More Difficult Times, £168 a pop isn’t cheap by any definition, especially as the announcement has come quite late in the “season” and most people will already be booked up for at least one other conference around the same time…
Hi Steve, thanks for letting us know that questions are being raised about the cost of the conference.
I do understand that these are financially challenging times for many organisations, which, like us, are expected to achieve efficiency savings wherever possible. We have tried hard to keep the ticket price down and only charge what is necessary to help us cover the conference running costs. In fact, we’ve managed to find an excellent, reasonably-priced venue that has enabled us to reduce the rate – at our previous conference in 2009 we charged £160 for the first delegate, in contrast to £140 this year.
I also appreciate that we announced the conference as you say “late in the season” however, we wanted to be sure that the date would permit participating organisations to impart significant messages in their keynote speeches and workshops and make the event really good value for delegates. I apologise if this means that anyone is unable to attend, but we will make as much of the information from the conference available online afterwards as possible. We shall be sharing presentations from the keynote speeches and workshops and uploading videos of the Update speeches by John Perks, Rich Williams and Una Bennett, as well as tweeting on the event throughout the day.
I do hope that you will be able to attend and look forward to your contributions on the day. All the best, Greta