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HESES, RAS and CFEE re-creation action plans

This guide provides specific detail about working with HESES, RAS and CFEE re-creation action plans.

For general information about action plans, see our guide to action plans. 


Table of contents

How to download the action plan template

The action plan templates are available from the HEFCE extranet.

Once logged in, navigate to the 'HEFCE resources' page, then click on the link for the current exercise. Action plan locations are listed in the year-specific overview pages which are accessible from the FAMD homepage.

How to complete the action plan

We require the following information in the HESES, RAS and CFEE re-creation action plan templates.

(Example action plan templates are available in the year-specific overview pages which are accessible from the FAMD homepage.)

Column 1

This column should contain a sequential number starting at 1 which is used to reference each area of difference identified on the action plan. This is provided automatically in the action plan template.

Column 2

This column should contain a list of all areas of difference between the re-creation and the funding return. Areas should be broken down to a level that is meaningful for the comparison (for example 'Column 1, part-time HEFCE-funded undergraduates').

The troubleshooting guides in the Appendix document (see the year specific link under funding and monitoring data exercise) for the HESES, RAS and CFEE re-creations will allow institutions to identify specific areas of difference between the re-creation and the funding return. We expect institutions to exercise their own judgement to decide when small differences between the two data sources do not warrant inclusion within the action plan. However, institutions need to be aware that small differences may accumulate. If their combined total becomes large, this will reduce our confidence in the institution’s ability to identify areas of discrepancy between the two data sources.

Column 3

This column should contain the cause of the difference between the re-creation and the funding return. The cause can be attributed to either:

CauseEnter the following value in column 3
Errors in HESA data HESA
Errors/estimation discrepancies in HESES/RAS/CFEE 'HESES', 'RAS' or 'CFEE' as appropriate
Problems of fit with the re-creation algorithms (see the Appendix document for further details which can be found under funding and monitoring data exercise and the year-specific derived statistics link) HEFCE

The funding data reconciliation sections of the annex document (see the year specific link under funding and monitoring data exercise) give further descriptions of the causes of these broad types of difference for the HESES, RAS and CFEE re-creations.

Column 4

This column should contain a detailed description of the cause of the difference. The description should be sufficient to allow us to understand how this discrepancy occurred.

Where Column 3 is returned as 'HESA', 'HESES', 'RAS' or 'CFEE' we require a brief explanation for the cause of the error.

For example:

'The script in our student record system for generating MODE on the HESA return incorrectly assigned all students that became dormant during the academic year as code 64 "Dormant – previously part-time".'

Where Column 3 is returned as 'HEFCE', we require a brief explanation of why the algorithms do not fit for the activity.

Column 5

If the cause of difference identified in Column 3 is 'HESA', select either 'CHANGE', 'ADD' or 'DELETE' to highlight the type of amendments that are being made to the HESA record.

Column 6

Where Column 5 is returned as 'CHANGE' and Column 3 is 'HESA', a full list of the fields that the institution expects to correct must be identified and included. If Column 5 is 'ADD' or 'DELETE' then the words 'All fields' should be entered.

Column 7

If the cause of difference identified in Column 3 is 'HESA', the number of records that are being amended should be included.

Column 8

If the cause of difference identified in Column 3 is 'HESA', the date by which amended data will be submitted to HESA must be returned in Column 8.

Column 9

If the cause of difference identified in Column 3 is 'HEFCE' then a full list of the derived fields that require overrides must be identified by the institution and listed (for example 'HESMODE'). For further information on which primary derived fields are affected by problems of fit with re-creation algorithms see the related problems of fit sections of the Appendices (see the year specific link under funding and monitoring data exercise to access the document). For all other causes of difference given in Column 3, this column should remain blank.

Column 10

If the cause of difference identified in Column 3 is 'HEFCE' then the number of records to be overwritten should be included.

Column 11

If the cause of difference identified in Column 3 is 'HEFCE', the date by which override files will be submitted to HEFCE must be returned in Column 11. For all other causes of difference given in Column 3, Column 11 should remain blank.

Column 12

We require an estimate of the effect of differences in terms of their contribution to the total discrepancy. This contribution should be measured in terms of student numbers, FTEs and, where appropriate, funds due back, funds to be held back and/or an estimate of the effect on contract range holdback.

For the HESES re-creation, estimates of funds due back and funds to be held back can be made by multiplying the FTEs for the area of discrepancy by the rate per FTE (this rate is given in the HBK worksheet of the HESES re-creation workbook).

For the HESES re-creation, estimates of the effect on contract range holdback, in its simplest form, could be approximated as:

FTE x ((base price x price group weighting) – regulated fee for the course).

For the RAS re-creation the contribution should be recorded on the plan in terms of the student FTE affected as well as the contribution this makes to the difference in the research supervision fund between the re-creation and the original RAS. For the CFEE re-creation the contribution should be recorded on the plan in terms of the student FTE affected as well as the associated funding which is calculated as 'rate per FTE' x FTEs.

Where the approximate sum of the contributions to the discrepancy do not account for the whole discrepancy, our confidence in the institution's ability to identify areas of discrepancy between the two data sources will be reduced.

Column 13

If Column 3 is 'HESA', 'HESES', 'RAS' or 'CFEE', this section should describe the changes to systems or processes that will be implemented to eliminate the likelihood of similar errors recurring.

For example:

'We will hold training sessions for staff in each research department that are involved in entering data into the student record system. The sessions will focus on the coverage of RAS and its general definitions. In particular, we will place special emphasis on the importance of entering withdrawal information on the student record system as soon as it is known that a student has withdrawn.'

Column 14

If Column 3 is 'HESA', 'HESES', 'RAS'or 'CFEE' we require a date by which any future improvements will be implemented.

How to submit the action plan

Action plans should be submitted through the HEFCE extranet.

Once logged in, navigate to the 'HEFCE resources' page, then click on the link for the current exercise, and then navigate to the same page where you downloaded the template. Next click on 'Upload', browse to the location where the action plan is saved and click 'Upload'.

Further details can be found in the year-specific overview pages which are accessible from the FAMD homepage.

Page last updated 24 July 2012

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