News and Updates
New Data Quality reporting tool
The Data Service is working with the information authority to improve data quality across the FE system. To help achieve this, the Data Service is developing a tool to that will generate data quality reports on a learning provider’s individualised learner record (ILR) data. The reports will show whether the data meets the standards specified in appendix P of the ILR and, if applicable, will highlight any areas where a provider’s data does not meet the required standard. The tool will also enable providers to monitor their data quality and compare themselves using national averages. regional averages, and 'provider type'. It will be possible for providers to drill-down into the reports so that they can identify the specific learner records with data quality issues that need to be resolved. Providers will be able to use the provider-specified fields L42a and L42b to further tailor the reports. Data quality dashboards will be exportable for sharing with the provider's Senior Leadership.
The Data Service recently ran a workshop for volunteers from the information authority’s advisory groups to get input on what they would like the tool to do. It was a very positive session, and a number of suggestions have been incorporated into the tool.
The aim is to deploy the tool in the summer of 2010. The tool will be made available to providers initially as an Excel spreadsheet, uploaded to the Provider Gateway. The longer term aspiration is to make the features and functionalities of the tool available through the Data Service's Online Data Collection portal.
