HESA funding and monitoring data 2010-11: web facility

Frequently asked questions

Last updated 7 December 2011

How do I access the web facility?
Is the organisation key case-sensitive?
How long does it take to process the file(s)?
Is it possible to use Firefox or other browsers to access the web facility?
An internet error message has appeared on my screen. What do I do now?
What do I need to do if an error occurs while processing?
How do I view the output files?
I cannot open the individualised file as a .csv file.
How will the data I use to create the outputs be used by the HEFCE?
Why do the totals for TRAC and the HESES re-creation differ?

1. How do I access the web facility?

Data files can be accessed from the HEFCE extranet. Before you are able to access the HEFCE extranet, you will need to have registered. Instructions on how to access the HEFCE extranet are provided in the guide on how to access outputs. You will require an 'organisation key' and a 'group key', details of which were provided in the 'HESA funding and monitoring data 2010-11: web facility' release letter sent on 11 August 2011 to heads of institutions, HESES and RAS contacts.

2. Is the organisation key case-sensitive?

No. The facility is not case-sensitive, including any passwords that are entered.

3. How long does it take to process the file(s)?

Our systems only allow one submission to be processed at a time; therefore if more than one institution submits data, the submissions will be placed in a queue. The total time taken to complete the re-creation, including waiting time, will depend on the number of institutions in the queue.

4. Is it possible to use Firefox or other browsers to access the web facility?

Yes, however, the choice of browser may affect the prompts you see when downloading the output.

5. An internet error message has appeared on my screen. What do I do now?

Refresh the page. This should resolve the problem. However, if after a few attempts the problem persists, contact Matthew Brind (e-mail hesa_heses_stats@hefce.ac.uk).

6. What do I need to do if an error occurs while processing?

Ensure that the files you used for the re-creation are the correct ones, they have passed HESA validation and are also in the correct format. The correct format is described in the How to use the HEFCE web facility guide. Ensure all data retains its leading zeros by opening the file in a text editor such as Notepad. If all the files are correct and you still have an error message, contact Matthew Brind (e-mail hesa_heses_stats@hefce.ac.uk).

7. How do I view the output files?

Once the files have been processed, you can access the outputs by selecting 'Results'. See also the guides How to access outputs and working with individualised files.

8. I cannot open the individualised file as a .csv file.

See the guide to working with individualised files.

9. How will the data I use to create the outputs be used by the HEFCE?

The web facility is a tool for institutions to use. Therefore, HEFCE staff will not access any data submitted to, or derived by, the web facility except in the limited circumstances described in 'HESA funding and monitoring data 2010-11: web facility' (HEFCE Circular letter 21/2011). Only those fields listed in our technical documentation will be retained on our system. We will remove individualised files and any outputs from the 2010-11 web facility when we launch the 'HESA funding and monitoring data 2011-12' web facility in 2012. All other submitted data files will be deleted immediately after the outputs have been generated. More about our commitments to handling personal data.

10. Why do the totals for TRAC and the HESES re-creation differ?

This issue was caused by an error in one of our algorithms which incorrectly used 2010-11 HESA values for students with STUBID = 1 instead of 2009-10 HESA values. This error has now been corrected and only affected students with STUBID = 1.