| 30 September 2008 |  |
| To | Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of universities in Northern Ireland |
| Telephone | 0117 931 7317 |
| Facsimile | 0117 931 7203 |
Circular letter number 28/2008
For further information contact Ian Parry, tel 0117 931 7091, e-mail i.parry@hefce.ac.uk
Dear Vice-Chancellor or Principal
Data quality and efficiency in higher education
1. The attached letter from Professor Nigel Thrift, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick, reports on the work of the Data Efficiency Project Steering Group and introduces a report: 'Making your data work for you - Data Quality and Efficiency in Higher Education'.
2. The report, commissioned and published by the steering group, is available on the HEFCE web-site. It highlights sources of data burdens and identifies areas of good practice that will enable higher education institutions (HEIs) to manage their data submissions more effectively. The letter outlines steps to consider and then implement the proposed actions set out in the report.
3. The Data Efficiency Project was set up to ensure that HEFCE, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) work together efficiently and with optimal regulatory impact, as part of their commitment to the Higher Education Regulatory Review Group (HERRG) Concordat. It also aimed to promote the generation of timely and high-quality institutional data in England that are reliable for funding and accountability purposes. The project was subsequently expanded to include HEIs from Wales and Scotland.
4. I urge you to read the attached letter and discuss the issues raised within your senior management team.
Yours sincerely
Professor David Eastwood
Chief Executive