Since 1994, every Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK has been required to report on student-level data to regulators. The data collected is vast and varied, and includes, for example, the student’s highest qualification when they joined the institution, their parent’s occupation and their study pattern/location. Historically, there have been minor annual updates to the data specification and field definitions, but the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA, now part of Jisc) Data Futures programme, taking effect from this academic year (22/23), marks a significant change in the scale and frequency of the statutory reporting requirement.
These changes must be adhered to by UK higher education providers (including private sector), with some variations for providers outside England. This demands the re-defining of business processes, clear governance, robust student record management, and well-understood data structures.
HESA data is the central source for the collection and dissemination of statistics about UK higher education. It is used by the Office for Students (OfS) to understand individual providers’ performance, improve access and participation, ensure prospective students have reliable information, and to understand trends and risks at a sector level. The HESA data return is a regulatory requirement for HEIs, with late or poor-quality data potentially impacting funding and reputation.
The Data Futures programme presents a great opportunity for HEIs to proactively review data management processes to continue to enhance quality, consistency and accuracy. This will ultimately enable better data insights to support decision makers in driving a better student experience.
In brief: now!
HEIs need to adhere to the Data Futures specification return from the 22/23 academic year, with a final return due to be submitted to HESA in October 2023. Initially the return will be annual, to allow HEIs to adapt to the new model. Two data collection points will be introduced from the 24/25 academic year, with an aim to deliver close to real-time reporting and data sharing in subsequent years.
Data Futures may require significant changes in the end-to-end “record to report” process: from collecting new data (e.g. individual campus addresses, external PhD supervisors), through to mapping existing data to new HESA definitions, working with data owners to improve data quality, and adapting processes and controls to ensure an accurate return.
There are a number of key areas that HEIs should be thinking about to ensure a successful delivery of the Data Futures return. These include: processes/systems for collecting new data; resource capacity; technical skills for any system/logic changes; communications to data owners; data quality/validation and data governance.
Are you prepared for HESA Data Futures? To find out or for more support, please get in touch for a Deloitte HESA Readiness Assessment or a discussion with the any of the contacts listed below.
This is the first in a series of HESA Data Futures blogs from Deloitte – look out for more!