ILR Data Quality

The information authority's work to improve and support data quality in ILR data collections is ongoing, and will soon be supported by 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). Stakeholder consultation on the content and priorities for the Data Quality Plan has begun, and the Plan will be presented to the information authority board for approval in December 2010.

The items of particular relevance to providers that are likely to be included in the Data Quality Plan and, therefore, likely to be the focus of data quality work over the next few months are as follows:

• A review of Appendix P of the 2010/11 ILR Specification, relating to data quality standards
• 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. For more information about the information authority's work in this area, please contact our Data Quality and Improvement Manager, Richard Cookson.