FE Data Quality

The information authority's work to improve and support data quality in FE is ongoing, and is supported by the work of the Data Quality Board and a formal Data Quality Plan. The requirement to formulate this plan was outlined in the Secretariat's Report to the information authority board at its June 2010 meeting (see Appendix A, point 8). Following a period of stakeholder consultation on the content and priorities for the Data Quality Plan, the Plan was approved by the Data Quality Board in March 2011.

The work of the information authority and the Data Service in the area of data quality is directed by the Data Quality Board. The Data Quality Board Terms of Reference were approved by the information authority board at its meeting in March 2011 and can be viewed below: 

Word file Data Quality Board - Terms of Reference (733Kb) 


The items of particular relevance to providers that will be the focus of data quality work over the next few months are as follows:

  • Implementation of revised data quality standards as outlined in Appendix P to the ILR.
  • A targeted Data Quality Outreach Programme, to assist providers in managing improvements in ILR data quality.
  • The enhancement and extended use of Credibility Reporting as a tool for both providers and the Data Service in identifying and addressing data quality issues.
  • A review of the existing Data Quality Framework.
  • The promotion of the information authority's online community, feconnect, to share and promote good practice in data quality.
  • Ongoing work to review data quality issues arising from the mandatory completion of Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) in the ILR from submissions LR02 and ER04 in the 2010/11 data collections. More details about the new ILR requirements for 2010/11 relating to the completion of ULNs is now available.

This page will be updated with the latest developments in improving ILR data quality on a regular basis.