July 2006/23 (web only)
Core funding/operations
Assurance and funding

This report is for information and guidance

2005-06 statistics derived from HESA data

Guide to HEFCE web facility

This document is a guide to HEFCE's web facility which generates several types of analysis from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student data. Use of the web facility will help higher education institutions to return accurate data to HESA, and to identify errors and forecasting discrepancies in HEFCE funding returns.

Table of contents and executive summary (read on-line)

Contents

• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Annexes
  • Annex A - Summary of changes since publication of '2004-05 statistics derived from HESA data: Guide to HEFCE web facility' (HEFCE 2005/32)
  • Annex B - Using the HEFCE web facility
  • Annex C - Comparison of HESES05 and the HESES05 re-creation
  • Annex D - Comparison of the HESES05 re-creation and the HESES05 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects
  • Annex E - Comparison of RAS05 and the RAS05 re-creation
  • Annex F - Derived statistics likely to inform the 2007-08 widening participation allocations
  • Annex G - Information for leads and members of HEFCE-recognised funding consortia
  • Annex H - Research degree qualification rates (RDQRs)
  • Annex I - HEFCE statistics used for publication and to inform policy
  • Annex J - HESES06 non completion toolkit
• List of abbreviations
• Technical appendices
  • Appendix 1 - HESES05 re-creation algorithms
  • Appendix 2 - Troubleshooting the differences between HESES05 and the HESES05 re-creation
  • Appendix 3 - Problems of fit with the HESES05 re-creation algorithms
  • Appendix 4 - HESES05 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects algorithms
  • Appendix 5 - Troubleshooting the differences between the HESES05 re-creation and the HESES05 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects
  • Appendix 6 - Problems of fit with the HESES05 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects algorithms
  • Appendix 7 - RAS05 re-creation algorithms
  • Appendix 8 - Troubleshooting the differences between RAS05 and the RAS05 re-creation
  • Appendix 9 - Problems of fit with the RAS05 re-creation algorithms
  • Appendix 10 - Algorithms likely to inform the 2007-08 widening participation algorithms
  • Appendix 11 - 2005-06 Research Degree Qualification Rate (RDQR) algorithms
  • Appendix 12 - Guidance for completing and submitting RDQR action plans
  • Appendix 13 - Example RDQR action plan
  • Appendix 14 - Submitting amendments to 2004-05 HESA data for the purpose of correcting RDQRs
  • Appendix 15 - Submitting corrections to derived fields for the purpose of amending RDQRs
  • Appendix 16 - HEFCE statistics used for publications and to inform policy algorithms
  • Appendix 17 - HESES06 non-completion toolkit algorithms
  • Appendix 18 - Index of derived fields

Executive summary

Purpose

1. This document is a guide to HEFCE's web facility which institutions can use to check their 2005-06 Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student data. It generates the following derived statistics:

1. Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 2005-06 (HESES05) re-creation.
2. HESES05 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects.
3. Research Activity Survey 2005 (RAS05) re-creation.
4. Derived statistics that are likely to be used to inform the 2007-08 widening participation allocations.
5. Research degree qualification rates (RDQRs).
6. Derived statistics that will be used in HEFCE publication.
7. Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 2006-07 (HESES06) non completion toolkit.

Key points

2. The use of the web facility is strongly encouraged as it will assist institutions to:

1. Return accurate data to HESA.
2. Reduce the likelihood of selection for the derived statistics exercise for 2005-06 (being selected involves considerable additional work and potential funding adjustments).
3. Identify discrepancies between forecasts made in HESES05 and the outturn position for 2005-06.
4. Identify errors in HEFCE funding returns.
5. Make informed estimations of non-completion rates for HESES06.
6. Ensure RDQRs and regional statistics derived from the data returned to HESA are suitable for publication.

3. This document (including the technical appendices which need to be downloaded separately) provides:

1. Guidance for using the web facility.
2. Algorithms used in the production of the derived statistics.
3. Guidance on troubleshooting the differences between the HEFCE funding returns and the re-creations.
4. Details of problems of fit with algorithms.
5. Guidance for using the HESES06 non completion toolkit.

Outputs for publication

4. This will be the last opportunity for institutions to verify the accuracy of the data underlying the RDQRs before they are asked to sign off the rates as accurate and as being suitable for publication. Also, as in previous years, this facility will be the only opportunity to ensure that the regional statistics are suitable for publication.

Action required

5. Use of this web facility is optional, but we strongly encourage institutions to use it as part of their data quality processes. A review of the web facility has confirmed that it will be an essential element of the majority of higher education institutions' 2005-06 HESA data quality processes. This review also revealed that institutions that do not use the facility are more likely to be selected in the monitoring exercise described in paragraph 6.

Relationship with 'Statistics derived from HESA data'

6. Annually we launch the 'Statistics derived from HESA data for monitoring and allocation of funding' exercise in which we monitor institutions' HESES and Research Activity Survey (RAS) returns using HESA student data. Our funding allocations are informed by the data provided by institutions. If we find, either through reconciliations with HESA data, or any data audit, that data do not reflect the outturn position for the year, and that this has resulted in institutions receiving incorrect funding allocations, we will adjust their funding accordingly (subject to the appeals process and the availability of our funds). Any funding adjustments arising from the reconciliation of a re-creation of HESES05 from HESA 2005-06 student data (the HESES05 re-creation) with HESES05 or from the comparison of cost centre assignments with the sector norms for subjects, are likely to affect the funding previously announced for 2005-06 and all subsequent years. In recent years the vast majority of institutions selected for the monitoring exercise have had their funding adjusted because we have identified that their data returned to HEFCE did not reflect the outturn position for the year, and that this had resulted in them receiving incorrect funding allocations.

7. Any funding adjustments arising from the reconciliation of RAS05 with the re-creation of RAS05 from HESA 2005-06 student data (the RAS05 re-creation) are likely to affect the funding previously announced for 2006-07.

8. While the web facility is provided to complement the monitoring exercise it does not replace it.