Delivering Data Futures at Edinburgh – Project Structure Project Board Manages risks and resources Prioritises tasks for delivery Makes decisions re. policy changes / escalation as appropriate Working Group Oversees work of task and finish groups Recommends actions to the Project Board Task & Finish Group Systems Analysis Systems Development Ensuring that Edinburgh is able to meet Data Futures requirements presents challenges in terms of systems development and in terms of policy and adapting existing ways of working. The project has different streams that reflect this: Systems analysis and systems development will identify and implement the necessary changes to the Student Records System (SITS) and assess the impact on other systems Business process / policy changes will be addressed by Task and Finish Groups that are co-ordinated by the Working Group. In the first phase these are addressing known issues that do not require systems development As the project progresses these work streams will inform each other Investigate specific issues e.g. managing PhD Supervision records

Additional analysis / development Process reviews Additional analysis / development Initial analysis System development HESA 18/19 (old) HESA 19/20 (Data Futures) Ref. 1 Ref. 2 Ref. 3 Mandatory test In Year Data Futures Data Futures Delivery

In-year Returns: Continuous data supply and correction Current process Data returned for full Academic Year (Aug – Jul) Data quality checking period and sign off (Aug – Oct) In-year Returns: Continuous data supply and correction A S O N D J F M A M J J A S Reference period 1 Reference period 2 End of Reference period Sign off period Data sent to statutory customers Reference period 3 Data Futures creates a continuous database for the student record. Data are updated within each reference period to show where there have been changes e.g. adding new students, changes to programme of study or course choices. Records are timestamped so the date from which a change took place are included in the database. There is not a long data quality checking period and data will be shared with statutory customers at the end of each reference period. Once data has been signed off it is fixed. Changes to historic data will be treated in a similar way to ‘Fixed Database Return’ in the current system i.e. changes will need to be approved by the funding council and institutions will need to pay a fee (currently £7,000). This means that the Student Records System will need to be kept up to date in as close to real time as possible e.g. should a PhD student move to writing up at the end of November this will need to be captured and returned before the end of the reference period.