The Data Service recently launched its new elearning course on ILR Data Quality. In three weeks we have had over 600 providers sign up to the course, with over 500 having studied the course, spending over 480 hours in learning time on it. A great result, and clearly a useful tool, supported by the feedback that users have provided, with  99% of respondents stating they felt this learning activity was applicable to their role, and 99% of respondents rated it excellent-acceptable.

If you haven’t already signed up to this course,  dont just take our word for it, see what users have had to say:

• An excellent introduction and overview
• Well structured and direct to the point
• Very informative and easy to follow
• This is great learning tool for all individuals handling ILRs and reports, my only suggestion is that it may be easier for some individuals (particularly new or inexperienced staff) to complete this in stages to help understanding
• Well paced, good use of graphics and sound and actual screens (LIS, OLDC, etc.)
• Really good way to learn as if you miss something you can just go back
• I found this very useful and would love to access further training in this format
• I found this very useful and easy to understand and now feel confident I am doing everything I should be with regard to Data Quality

Sign up today for the ILR Data Quality e-learning course!

LIScompanion software

We also recently published the LIScompanion, a piece of software for providers to use that  allows more detailed reporting on the recently-published Skills Funding Agency 2011/12 Shadow Funding Calculation.

This software has been  developed by Mark Emerson from Chelmsford College, with some input from John Bolt (KPMG), to share with the sector and works in conjunction with LIS V19.03 to allow providers to further customise reports  on the 2011/12 Shadow Funding Calculation.

In two weeks we have seen over 8,000 downloads of the software and the guidance notes that accompany this.

So if you haven’t had already downloaded this and had a play, go try it today: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Services/DataCollection/software/lis/lis_19_03.htm

ILR Data Quality e-learning course

This week, on your behalf, I ventured onto the Training and Support area of the Data Service website in order to review the ILR Data Quality e-learning module.

After signing up for e-learning I immediately found myself in the (intriguingly named) ‘Intuition Rubicon’ where I clicked on the ‘Data Quality Module’ and launched the tutorial. Before the tutorial starts a couple of seconds are spent on an automatic system check, luckily my laptop met the demands for Flash and Acrobat Reader as well as the sound and resolution requirements. (You can switch off the audio feed for the module if you like, as all of the content is also written on each screen throughout the course).

Once it started I found that the course is made up of four main topics: The Importance of ILR Data Quality; Data Quality Dimensions; and Provider or Agency Data Quality Tools and Reports; together with an introduction and summary as well as a resource area with printable copies of some of the key information in the course and a directory of useful websites.

Topic 1: The Importance of Data Quality clarifies the importance of ILR data quality for the sector and providers, explaining, among other things, that the late reporting of starters, leavers or achievements can result in lower qualification success rates (QSRs) and lead to reduced funding and a lower Ofsted grade for providers. It also gives a brief introduction to each of the public sector stakeholders in this area – the Skills Funding Agency, the Young Peoples Funding Agency (now the Education Funding Agency), the Data Service and the information authority[AF1]  – and takes you through the key steps of the ILR data journey.

Topic 2: Data Quality Dimensions introduces ‘the Data Wheel’ along with the acronym CACTI which encompasses the five key data quality dimensions: completeness, accuracy, credibility, timeliness and integrity. Each dimension is explained and where appropriate has links out to additional information online, such as the standards of completeness outlined in ILR Appendix P (Data Quality Standards and Field Ownership) on our website.

Topics 3 and 4: Data Quality Tools and Reports are divided into information for providers (topic 3) and agencies (topic 4). The providers’ topic introduces the delivery platforms: the Learner Information Suite (LIS), Online Data Collection (OLDC) and the Provider Gateway – again with useful links out to additional information online – as well as the following tools and reports:

• ILR Rules Validation
• ULN Verification Reports
• Provider Data Self-Assessment Toolkit
• ILR Data Completeness and Credibility Reports
• ILR Data Quality Dashboard
• ILR Data Timeliness report

There is useful detailed information on each of these tools and reports with an explanation for each of them about their  purpose and location as well as how to navigate and use them.

At the end of the course there’s an opportunity to feedback via a short survey in case you have spotted a horrible mistake, have suggestions for additional resources or just want to say well done! My only niggle  was that it’s not clear that you can pause the programme by clicking on the Play button (unless you glance through the glossary). But all in all, as a newbie to the world of the ILR, I found it to be a useful introduction to the ILR and how to make the most of the associated tools and reports. If you have also taken the course and have an opinion I’d be interested to hear what you think…

Weekly news round-up

Deadline for notification of changes to Learner Reference Numbers – 8 June
Providers who need to notify the Data Service of any LRN changes in their 2011/12 returns can download the LRN Change form and guidance on how to complete it, from the Data Service website.

Preparing for the Jubilee weekend? Don’t forget your R11 ILR return
The R11 ILR return is due in on 8 June. The R11 requires all providers (including colleges) to send data for all learners. As there is a double bank holiday on 04 and 05 June we recommend that you submit your ILR return before the bank holiday weekend where possible, to allow files to process and give you time to correct any errors, if applicable.

All the best
Greta

Mark Emerson

Hi blog readers, I’m Mark Emerson, Head of Information Systems and Development at Chelmsford College, and I have been invited by the information authority to be their guest blogger this week.

As you may know, I recently released LIScompanion and the folks at the information authority have asked me to write a bit about myself and this new software that allows more detailed reporting on the Skills Funding Agency 2011/12 Shadow Funding Calculation included in the release of the Learner Information Suite (LIS) v19.03.

I’ve been interested in technology since my schooldays and took ICT and business at Chelmsford College before going on to study my degree and masters, part time at Anglia Ruskin University. It’s hard to believe but I will have been (back) at the college for 10 years this summer. I was initially employed to develop a staff and student intranet to help disseminate information around the organisation. The systems grew and my role quickly expanded into the integration of various systems we had around the college such as student records, timetabling etc. Since then my responsibilities have increased still further and for a good number of years have encompassed funding, curriculum and performance planning and other MI responsibilities, as well as the system development aspects.

I initially got involved with the information authority through their provider groups and have since chaired a change management group on their behalf for Own Software Writers in the move to the single XML ILR. Through these connections I have met a number of their staff and those of the Data Service, who have made LIScompanion available to the sector on their website.

Working in MI within further education I find that an area that often irritates me is the duplicated effort that goes on within the sector. Part of this is the additional reporting that we providers have to do in order to make the information that is output from LIS useful to our wider business. It’s obvious that a number of these additional reports must be very similar across providers; the Shadow Funding reports are certainly an area that has the potential for this. Hopefully, by increasing the level of data these reports produce my software may serve to limit duplication, at least to a small degree.

LIScompanion extends the Shadow Funding report that is available from LIS v19.03 in a number of ways. Most notably the software predicts achievement cash and also displays how the funding will be earned by period.

It could prove useful to you by simply confirming modelling that has already taken place; you may find that it provides a new way of looking at Shadow Funding; or it could be that some of you don’t have the time or capacity to do this modelling yourselves.

I developed LIScompanion in my spare time, after work and also at weekends. The vast majority of the work was completed within a couple of days of the release of LIS v19.03, however the time since then has been taken up testing it with a couple of other providers and also incorporating the rebased funding aspect of the software that was presented by John Bolt at the recent FE Data Conference.

Apart from techy questions the one thing I’ve been asked a lot lately is why I’m making LIScompanion available for no charge. The software did attract some interest from the commercial sector, but I guess the reason it’s free is mainly down to my earlier comments regarding the duplication of effort in the sector and the thinking that it may help in some small way.

So far the response to LIScompanion has been very positive from all parties and at the moment I would envisage another version to coincide with future releases of LIS, although that depends on whether the feedback suggests this will be useful. 

Well, as they say, “that’s all folks”. I hope that one or two of you have found my ramblings interesting and that with any luck a few more of you will find LIScompanion reduces your duplication stress – as it does mine.

Best regards
Mark

Weekly news round-up

Ask Rich
There are 4 days left for you to ask Rich Williams, Head of the Data Service, your questions about ILR, OLDC, LARA, LIS or anything else. Rich in the Hot Seat

Future releases of the LRS Organisation Portal
We continue to plan further releases for the 2012/13 financial year, which will include releases 8, 9 and possibly version 10.

How to guides
We’re producing presentations for using the LRS Organisation Portal using Adobe Captivate. A couple of examples are:

• Awarding Organisations: release 7 screen changes
• Learner Registration Bodies: release 7 screen changes

Awarding Organisation trial update
The Awarding Organisation (AO) trial (the loading of qualification data into the Personal Learning Record (PLR) by AOs) closed at the end of March 2012. Management consultants, KPMG independently evaluated the trial and are now preparing a report. The evaluation report’s key findings will be published in June 2012.

Unique Learner Number (ULN) update
We’re continuing to promote the use of the ULN in schools in England and Wales.

Kind regards,
Cheryl

just a reminder that the new provider developed software, the LIScompanion, is available to download from the Data Service website. This software will allow more detailed reporting on the recently-published Skills Funding Agency 2011/12 Shadow Funding Calculation.

Developed by a provider for providers – This has been kindly developed by Mark Emerson from Chelmsford College, with some input from John Bolt (KPMG), to share with the sector and works in conjunction with LIS V19.03 to allow providers to further customise reports on the 2011/12 Shadow Funding Calculation.

This software is available with guidance notes:

http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Services/DataCollection/software/lis/lis_19_03.htm

Please post any feedback or queries on this software on the following forum, and where possible Mark will respond to these:

http://forums.theia.org.uk/groups/individualised-learner-records-data-issues/forum/topic/release-of-liscompanion-software/

Please note: this product is not supported or endorsed by the Data Service; we are simply publishing it on behalf of the sector for use by the sector. If any other provider has similar software and would like to share this with the sector, please get in touch (servicedesk@thedataservice.org.uk) and we will aim to publish on your behalf if you would find this helpful.

Go download and play!

Fazia

]]> http://forums.theia.org.uk/blog/the-data-service/liscompanion/feed/ 0 http://forums.theia.org.uk/blog/the-information-authority-blog/rich-williams-in-the-hot-seat/ http://forums.theia.org.uk/blog/the-information-authority-blog/rich-williams-in-the-hot-seat/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 12:14:07 +0000 Greta http://forums.theia.org.uk/?p=1044

Rich Williams, Head of the Data Service

From tomorrow, members of feconnect have an exclusive opportunity to raise any queries directly with Rich Williams, Head of the Data Service.

The Hot Seat forum will open for questions on Wednesday 2 May and run for one week until midnight on Thursday 8 May.

Rich will answer as many questions as he can on a daily basis and will aim to answer all of your questions by the end of the following week (Wednesday 16 May).

You must be a member of the Data Issues Group to post a question for Rich.

April – June 2012: data collection requests
If you use ILR data – and need any data that is not included in the core data set – you have to submit a Request for Collection by 5:00pm on 22 June.

Each item of data requested must meet the assessment criteria and you must provide a robust business case that clarifies the objectives of the collection and the benefits it will bring to the Further Education and Skills Sector. Requests judged not to have met the criteria will be declined.

July 2012: stakeholders review group
Representatives from organisations who have submitted Requests for Collection are asked to present the rationale for their request to a review group of stakeholders from the sector. This enables stakeholder groups to hear about the proposed changes and raise any potential issues or conflicts that may arise from implementing the data collection requests.

August 2012: consultation
Requests for Collection, that meet the assessment criteria, progress to the consultation phase. The purpose of consultation is to enable stakeholders (including providers) to help develop the best solutions and identify any areas of concern. Consultation takes place using a variety of methods: 

• Meetings of our advisory groups 
• Online consultation via online surveys and feconnect
• Meetings with colleagues from the Data Service and other key organisations to assess the potential impact on data collection and processing systems.

September 2012: board meets
We prepare a paper that makes recommendations to our board about each Request for Collection. Our board determines which collection requests are approved at its autumn meeting.

November 2012: publication
2013/14 ILR Specification is published.

Weekly news round-up

Ask Rich
From Wednesday 2 May, for one week only – Rich Williams, Head of the Data Service, takes the Hot Seat to answers your questions in the Data Issues forum.

LIScompanion published
This provider software, published by the Data Service on behalf of the FE sector, has been developed by Mark Emerson from Chelmsford College, with some input from John Bolt. It works in conjunction with LIS v19.03, to allow providers to further customise reports on the 2011/12 shadow funding calculation. LIScompanion is available to download from the Data Service website, along with guidance notes.

Release of ILR data quality e-learning module
The Data Service has launched ILR Data Quality, a new e-learning course, to help and support providers and other users in navigating and using data quality reports.

2012/13 data collection
LIS v19.04 is coming in early June. For info on other 2012/13 proposed release dates and planned changes for the Learning Aims Reference Application (LARA), Learner Information Suite (LIS) and the Online Data Collection system (OLDC) visit the Data Service website

All the best
Greta

“Open data is the next industrial revolution,” according to Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, in a Computer Weekly interview last month. “Around 200 years ago, entrepreneurs were taking raw materials and turning them into products in ways people had never thought of before, now we are seeing the use of raw material in the form of open data to create products and services people haven’t thought of.”

Data Strategy Board
To support moves towards open data, the Cabinet Office is in the process of establishing a Data Strategy Board (DSB), which will be lead by David Willetts, the minister for universities and science, together with the Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude. Commenting on the newly formed board in a BIS press release Mr Willetts said:

“The Data Strategy Board will play a vital role in expanding the opportunities for economic growth from the data and services provided by the Public Data Group (PDG) but potentially from other parts of the public sector.

“Already data is being interpreted in creative and innovative ways and I will be challenging the board to widen the net in finding new opportunities for the private sector and the public to take advantage of public sector information. I look forward to listening to their ideas and seeing how they are interpreted by the public.”

Open Data User Group
The Cabinet Office is also setting up an Open Data User Group (ODUG) to support the work of the DSB. The ODUG will advise the DSB on which public sector data should be prioritised for release as open data. A range of core reference datasets will be sourced primarily from the member organisations of the PDG – currently the Met Office, Ordnance Survey, Land Registry and Companies House – and made available for free online.

Part of the user group’s remit is to reach out to all the organisations and individuals with an interest in increasing the amount of open data released by the public sector. If you have any ideas on that topic you are invited to share them on the ODUG ideas sharing forum. Once the new chair and members are in place, these ideas will help influence how the group will take its work forward.

Open data sources
Several national governments have created web sites to distribute a portion of the data they collect. A list of over 200 local, regional and national open data catalogues is available on the open source datacatalogs.org project, which aims to be a comprehensive list of data catalogues from around the world.

• For more info and access to over 5,000 UK data sets go to the open data website 
• For regular UK open data updates, follow the ODUG on Twitter  

Weekly news round-up

R10 ILR return due in on 04 May 2012
The 2011/12 R10 ILR return is due in on 4 May. If you require any help with your R10 ILR file, please email the Service Desk at the Data Service quoting ’R10′ in the subject header or call 0870 2670001.

2012/13 LIS reports – your thoughts please!
The Data Service is running a short survey to gauge user feedback on the current reports in the Learner Information Suite (LIS). Closing date 4 May.

What are your views on the ULN validation facility?
How useful have you found this?  Please let the Data Service know what you think, so that they can address your concerns, should there be any.

The Data Service is running a survey to gauge user feedback on the current reports in the Learner Information Suite (LIS) and any possible field/filter requirements that will help to inform the development of reports in the LIS for 2012/13.

The survey will be open until 04 May, so please take a few minutes to complete this: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012_13LISreports.

Please also pass onto any colleagues you think may find this useful.

Thank you

Fazia

During the development of the ILR specification for 2012/13 we discussed the removal of fields with senior stakeholders in the Skills Funding Agency and Young People’s Learning Agency (now the Education Funding Agency). This confirmed that without radical changes to business processes the scope for removing fields from the 2013/14 ILR would be minimal.

As part of the funding agencies’ simplification agendas for 2013/14, there is a need to substantially review the data collected in the ILR and work towards a significant reduction in the data burden and bureaucracy associated with ILR data collection. It is hoped that the new approach will enable this to happen.

Instead of managing all change to the ILR against the specification for the most recent year, as in previous years, for 2013/14 the baseline specification will comprise a low number of core and system data items.

All data items in the 2012/13 ILR specification have been assigned to one of the following three groups:

Core data - persistent or legally required data items that typically are required by more than one stakeholder. The same data would need to be collected irrespective of current further education (FE) policy and so would remain constant even when funding policy changes.

System data - is data that is already held about learners in other data sources such as the Learning Records Service, the Employer Data Service or Department for Work and Pensions databases. Linking these databases together using unique keys such as the Unique Learner Number or the National Insurance Number would prevent data having to be collected more than once for use in each separate system.

Policy data - is data that is only gathered to support current FE policy and is either required for FE reporting, to calculate FE funding or to measure performance in FE.

At its meeting in March our board approved the approach in which core data is reviewed every four years, system data every two years and policy data each year. This means that for 2013/14 onwards data users will need to send a data request (including a business case) for policy data each year. This request will be judged against the ILR change criteria. In this way data items that no longer meet the criteria will automatically fail to be included in the ILR specification at the earliest opportunity. In particular, for 2013/14 the number of data items in the specification will be minimised.

Weekly news round-up

2012/13 Funding Rules
The Skills Funding Agency have published the ‘first edition’ of the 2012/13 Funding Rules for providers in receipt of Agency funding

New National Careers Service
A free careers and skills advice service, which replaces Next Step, launched this week – visit the National Careers Service website

All the best
Greta