Provider support manual:

Data Management Principles

Contents

Data management principles for ILR completion

You must adhere to the following five Data Management Principles when completing the ILR.

Principle 1: The ILR must accurately describe the provision delivered to each learner

The data you record on the ILR must accurately reflect the journey for the learner and what has happened. Inaccurate information must never be entered even where it is perceived that this would result in a more equitable claim for funding or accurate record of performance.

If no learning is delivered for a learner, then no learning should be recorded on the ILR.
For example, if a learner withdraws without attending the first class, then this learner is not included on the ILR.

You must not record this on the ILR with a Completion status of ‘withdrawn’.

Principle 2: The ILR must accurately and comprehensively reflect what is recorded in the learner file or learning agreement

The learner file (or learning agreement) records the goals that the learner and provider have agreed. It is against these goals that provider performance, in terms of achievement rate, is measured.

It is recognised that the learning aim may be agreed during the initial period of learning for a long qualification. However, a learning aim must not be changed once set. It is reasonable to expect that the goal should be agreed as soon as possible.

Consequently, providers must agree and record the learning aim within the funding qualifying period as defined in the relevant ESFA funding documentation.

Where a provider and learner agree to a change of aim after delivery of the aim has commenced and the funding qualifying period has passed, then this change must be recorded as a transfer in the ILR.

Principle 3: For any particular return, a provider must meet the timeliness specification

Where there is a collection reference date on the ILR data collection timetable (Appendix A) , you must accurately describe in the ILR all provision delivered up to and including the collection reference date. The provider may include data for provision delivered after the collection reference date.

For ILR returns that do not have a reference date, you must return new starters, leavers and changes in a timely manner.

Where data describes provision to be delivered in the future, that is beyond the reference date or beyond that required to meet the timeliness standard, no one should assume this data is complete or accurate.

Principle 4: Basic pieces of information about a learner and their learning must remain constant once entered in the ILR except where the information has been entered in error.

The following fields in particular should not be changed without keeping a record of the reason for the change:

• Planned learning hours

• Planned employability, enrichment and pastoral hours

• Postcode prior to enrolment

• Learning aim reference

• Funding model

• Learning start date

• Planned hours

The Learning planned end date field must not be changed once set and this is stated specifically in the ILR specification.

Where inaccurate data is sent, Principle 1 takes precedence. It is more important to correct inaccurate data than to not change fields.

Principle 5

Providers should aim to implement data management best practice when processing learner data within their systems to deliver timely and accurate data in their ILR.