Information and Data

It is assumed that the driver behind reviewing processes for many institutions will be the replacement of information systems. Whether this is the case or not, you will not be able to successfully change your processes unless you fully understand your organisation's data requirements, the flow of data within each process and any constraints external to the process. The table below gives a quick checklist of things to consider when mapping current processes and creating desired future processes.

Information Check-List for Analysts	Risks
Understand the data Why is it collected? What is its use? How is it collected? From source (e.g. student) or third party (e.g. UCAS)? How is it verified? When is it collected, and how often? Where and how is the data input? Who by? Over what timescale? What volumes of data are involved? How long is the data retained? What security rules apply to the data? Are we aware of missing data i.e. data required but not currently collected?	If you do not understand the data, you may incorrectly map the current process or, worse still, create a desired future process which does not take mandatory requirements, immovable deadlines or relative effort into account. If data needs are not satisfied by central systems duplication may occur where users create a copy of the database in order to add their own cutomised fields as a response to the preceived weaknesses of the central systems - this often leads to the 'My Data' syndrome, where that user's data is kept up to date but not the central system.
Understand the constraints Statutory and policy obligations for collection, collection timescales and reporting Specialist requirements within a specific subject area e.g. professionally accredited subjects	These can be limiting factors for process design
Understand the information flows Once the data has been collected, where does the information flow? What does it feed? Understand how the data/information interacts with other processes and systems, and what their requirements are in terms of content, format and timescales Where data is passed from feeder systems, what are the constraints on those systems that make it easy or hard to supply data sooner or later?	Failure to analyse these could lead to inefficiencies or even collapse of associated business processes/systems

The need for a sound understanding of information and data issues is becoming abundantly clear to many institutions as they try to develop processes to support their VLE implementations. If there is a problem with data flow or quality within the process this is now very evident to the main client base i.e. the students. There are often very fundamental reasons why institutions experience problems. In higher education there are two very different drivers in course-based admissions/enrolment processes and the need for module level registrations in the VLE.

JISC infoNet has produced a couple of short guides for FE and HE looking at some common problems.

For FE: 'Can you Trust your Data: 15 Operational strategies for success in CIS.'

For HE: 'Conflicting Priorities: The challenges of balancing different data requirements.'