People sat on grass outside a university building

HESA Data Futures Project (2020 – 2023)

Alignment to PS vision and ambitions:

Background: Every Higher Education Institution in the UK is required to report on student-level data to regulators as a condition of our registration to operate as a university. The data is vast and varied and includes qualifications on entry through to modules taken and qualifications obtained, parental levels of higher education through to postgraduate research student’s supervisor units of assessment. For Manchester that means nearly six million lines of reporting on nearly 60,000 individual students.

The University was required to replace the current statutory annual Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student return with one returned multiple times in-year, ready for the start of the 2022/23 academic year. Failure to deliver to the HESA set deadlines could in theory incur a financial penalty and would constitute a technical breach of Office for Students (OfS) registration conditions.

The changes to process and systems to deliver HESA Data Futures enabled the University to break free from legacy risks: manual processes, key person dependency, and hugely cumbersome manual data processing. This should enable cleaner data and more stable data definitions to support the wider data & analytics work. This supports the Data and Analytics project’s objectives to improve institutional outcomes and increase operational resilience through the use of real-time, trusted and governed data-driven insights and predictions.

Vision

The primary objective of the project was to ensure compliance with the new HESA Data Futures reporting framework while maintaining data quality and accuracy. The purpose was to streamline the reporting process, align with the new in-year reporting model, and leverage technology to manage vast amounts of student data. The University's vision was to enhance data transparency and improve institutional performance, benefiting from a more agile and accurate data reporting system.

Objectives

Deliver an end-to-end technical solution by connecting the Alteryx ETL tool to Campus Solutions staging tables to enable data to be written back to Campus Solutions. Produce technical solution requirements and process documentation for analysis and reporting
Utilise external consultancy using the full alteryx suite to enable the team to streamline process and use workflows for efficiencies, building knowledge and capability
To streamline process and use workflows for efficiencies, building knowledge and capability
Complete a data gap analysis from ‘as is’ to ‘to be’ and work with SEP to implement the top 6 priority changes to improve data quality
Manage interfaces with SEP Campus Solutions and Alliance Manchester Business School Campus Solutions system to ensure interdependencies are prioritised and delivered
Take part in both the Alpha and Beta trials alongside other HE providers so that we can undertake testing in the new HESA portal and provide input and feedback to HESA
Submit an interim return to HESA by end of May 23 (50% of student population) and a further interim return (90% of student population) by August 23

The Project’s Planned Benefits

Benefit description	Expected value of benefit
Mandatory compliance with HESA data requirements such as Data Futures is a condition of registration with the Office for Students (OfS). The Benefit is linked to risk avoidance on Teaching Grant and potential fines, plus burdensome sector driven audit activity and regulatory scrutiny.	Cost avoidance and potential fines. Financial sustainability Contribute to generating revenue (10%) before strategic expenditure.
Design and develop tools to streamline how the University currently collects, stores and processes the student data. Removal of duplication in the data collection process.	Increased effectiveness of the data collection process Improved data quality and core data. Faster processing of information.
To embed new ways of working that are consistent across the University to ensure the Improvement in data quality “right first time” entry.	Consistent 'Right first time' data entry. Accurate quality data in CS. Improved data quality and core data.
To provide greater resilience and reduced reliance on key individuals	A consistent level of knowledge and expertise across the team. Faster processing of information.
Data Futures will be an opportunity to add value to the broader analytics agenda by renovating a critical area of core data. This is foundational to our MI agenda, which in itself is central to how we move forward differently and reshape our activities	Improved student analytics and more resilient core data.

Improvements Delivered

Top data quality improvements delivered:

Early Submission and Compliance: Manchester delivered the HESA Data Futures return ahead of the sector-wide deadline, overcoming significant challenges and delays.
Enhanced Data Management and Automation: The project successfully matched required Data Futures fields with those in Campus Solutions and implemented a hybrid solution using Alteryx and Campus Solutions to automate large portions of the reporting process, reducing manual interventions.
Data Gap Analysis and Quality Monitoring: A comprehensive data gap analysis identified inconsistencies, while new data quality monitoring processes were introduced, supported by monthly DQ reports from the Directorate for the Student Experience (DSE).
Training and Process Improvements: DSE incorporated data quality improvements into training and guidance materials, ensuring better data handling in schools and administrative teams.
Resilience and Collaboration: Despite disruptions from the cyber incident, the team maintained progress through enhanced collaboration and sharing best practices in-office.
Cost Efficiency and Continuous Improvement: The project was delivered under budget, and ongoing evaluations, including post-2021/22 vs. post-2023 data quality comparisons, ensured the system is primed for future improvements and adaptability to sector changes.

Feedback

Feedback captured from impacted colleagues is shown below:

Feedback from the Planning Team and IT staff highlighted the success of the hybrid solution developed in-house. The use of Alteryx allowed for better flexibility and quicker problem-solving. Collaborative teamwork, particularly during the challenges posed by the cyber incident, ensured that the project stayed on track. Feedback also praised the light-touch governance approach, allowing for agility and quick decision-making. The team’s dedication and innovative approach led to Manchester being one of the first institutions to complete its return, with the Planning Team expressing appreciation for the in-house solution that bypassed common sector-wide software limitations.