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Managing Information Across Partners (MIAP)

News & Information

INFO: Powerpoint presentation on MIAP from Bobbie McClelland

221107 - Tracey Matkin has recently taken up the role as the new school sector change manager working within the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Her immediate focus will be to work closely with the MIAP and QCA Minerva teams to support MIAP; promote the use of Unique Learner Numbers and facilitate positive change across the school sector.

201207 - PDF MIAP Update Dec 2007

INFO: The Information Authority is the national body that regulates the collection of FE sector data. It is responsible for defining the Individualised Learner Record, a collection of data about learners and their learning.

Introduction

The Managing Information Across Partners (MIAP) Group was set up in 2002 to address the problems of information collection and sharing across the post-14 education sector. It now brings together 42 post-14 learning and skills sector organisations with the clear aim of turning the philosophy “collect once, use many times, used by all” into reality.

MIAP arose from the post-16 reforms following the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and the legacy of disparate policies and systems, particularly in the FE sector. Based on the recognition that effective data management would help realise the benefits of reform, a study by David Mason Associates confirmed the need for stronger links with schools, higher education and the devolved administrations, leading to a UK-wide approach.

A DfES-led Programme Board, including representatives from the LSC, QCA, DWP, HESA, the Information Commissioner’s office and the devolved administrations, undertook a programme of work to investigate feasibility and user requirements, securing wideranging support from stakeholders. Ministerial support for the MIAP concept and incremental approach was obtained in June 2004 and reaffirmed in July 2005. In the autumn of 2005, the Programme Board, whilst retaining the strategic direction, delegated programme delivery to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

The aim is to have a fully functioning MIAP infrastructure and service in place by 2010. Progress to date has included the launch of the UK Register of Learning Providers in August 2005 and the completion of two tranches of Common Data Definitions (CDD) with initial rollout planned from Summer 2006. In January 2007, LSC contracted with LogicaCMG to deliver a service for the first 5 years of MIAP operation. This document defines the Functional Requirements of the first

(Release 1a) and second release (Release 1b) of the MIAP system to be implemented in September 2007 and October 2007, respectively, to underpin the MIAP service contracted to LogicaCMG. It builds upon the formative work undertaken by LSC and described in the MIAP Operational Model.

MIAP Functional Specification Release 1a includes basic functionality to allow Learner Registration Bodies (LRB) (typically Learning Providers) to register Learners. It provides the ability to load data bins, such that aims and achievement data from sources such as the Individual Learner Record (ILR) Database and the National Pupil Database (NPD) can be attached to Learner Register Records to create composite Learner Records. It also provides a query capability to allow LSC and DfES analysts to run trial queries across Learner Records. Release 1b includes the integration of LRB Systems to MIAP. Essentially, this allows Learner registration (in batch and individually) via the LRB System, as well as the functionality to find and update Learners in MIAP.

Managing Information Across Partners (MIAP) streamlines the collection, handling and sharing of information on learning and achievement for education and training organisations. It enables services to be made available to individuals, employers and communities.

MIAP's Learner Registration Service (LRS) is capable of issuing a Unique Learner Number (ULN) to every person aged 14 and over in education and training, and will allow them to build a lifelong record of their participation and achievements. The LRS was launched in September 2007 with 60 'early adopter' organisations across England. Wider roll out of the service commenced early in 2008.

MIAP is strategically led by DIUS, and delivered by the Learning & Skills Council. The senior responsible owner for MIAP is Bobbie McLelland. The programme of improvement to data collection and sharing will be introduced over several years and will result in information being collected once, used many times and used by all organisations that are entitled to it.

In practical terms MIAP is an internet based and technology enabled (Minerva) set of citizen centric services, supported by common data definitions. MINERVA the IT system supporting 14-19 Diplomas is being delivered by the Qualification & Curriculum Authority (QCA) (MINERVA business change manager is Simeon Ganne) through the National Assessment Agency; (a subsidiary of the QCA).

MIAP has 3 core parts:

a UK Register of Learning Providers, where individuals and organisations can access information about individual learning providers (their contact details; their courses; and their performance) through a single route UKRLP
from September 2007, MIAP will begin to assign Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) to all individuals over the age of 14 undertaking publicly funded learning in schools and FE (and potentially HE). It will do this through the Learner Registration Service (LRS). The ULNs will be created by loading School Census data from the National Pupil Database, this process will not require any action from schools. Schools delivering the new qualifications, such as Diplomas, will need to know the ULNs of their pupils in time for initial registration from July 2008. Four options have been identified for notifying schools of the ULNs allocated:

- Use of the Key to Success website

- Use of MIAP Release 1a functions (individual search for ULNs via the MIAP portal or batch submission of requests via the MIAP portal)

- Use of MIAP Release 1b functions (system to system interfaces)

- Use of the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF). SIF will be a longer term option because of the likely adoption rates. A SIF proof of concept for MIAP is to take place, and will be funded by BECTA.

It is likely that all four solutions will be offered and school MIS suppliers will be supported.

from September 2008, MIAP will enable individuals to access information held on them in the form of a Learner Record, which can be shared with frontline organisations. Initially these records will bring together information about participation and achievement from their learning in schools and FE (colleges, work based learning, and adult and community learning), using the unique learner number as a key. The intention is to extend the information sharing to capture other sources.

Statements about MIAP

UCAS are currently evaluating the ULN as part of the MIAP tests and trials and will almost certainly adopt. The ULN enables UCAS to check a learner’s qualifications on the National Pupil Database through MIAP. There will be a big benefit for UCAS if Awarding Bodies are already using the ULN.
It is not the intention for the UPN and ULN be merged as this would impact on current established processes. There is a longer term programme of work to look at identity management across the whole of the education sector.
The data change requirements for school MIS suppliers will probably be funded centrally.
Tracking NEETS - a Connexions database will hold the ULN which will enrich the information held and allow better tracking of school leavers. For example, in the Manchester tests and trials an automatic feed notifies Connexions when a learner leaves education and does not start anywhere else.
Tool to manage progression or help learners? - There are clear benefits for learners, but as the recent consultation on a progression measure demonstrated, there is an expectation that there will be a progression measure adopted by schools, and the ULN will assist with this.
If the participation age is raised, could the service become compulsory? It is possible that MIAP becomes a driver for raised participation further down the track, just as in the early stages MIAP will support Diplomas and Qualifications and Credit Framework. There are other levers for adoption, such as Skills Accounts, which will also need the ULN, and the services have been created with all these customers in mind.
The message needs to be clear that all pupils will have the ULN, but that sharing of participation and achievement data will only be enabled if the learner has not opted out.
Will the ULN replace the UPN at some stage? This is an area that Chief Information Officer’s Group are looking at, but for now the UPN will still be used for the school census, and will link to the ULN. Organisations incorporating the ULN into their systems will decide for themselves if and when their current learner identifiers become obsolete.
From the schools perspective it is critical how the matching of numbers is managed ie it needs to be done automatically with no burden on schools. A ULN will sit alongside other numbers within different organisations but there will be the potential to streamline. The ULN will need to be used for learners taking Diplomas and QCF initially, but will be available for any post-14 learner.
Q. When transferring from one organisation to another there will be a need to know if the ULN is mandatory or not. Answer It will be important to make that clear. The LSC, for example, are already in discussion with the information authority about making the ULN a compulsory field for the ILR.
MIAP has looked to create a single number for the whole of the education sector, and we are now actively marketing the benefits that come with adopting the ULN. For example, Diplomas and QCF can use the ULN without having to develop a number specific for their purposes. Under data governance arrangements discussed with the Information Commissioner’s Office, MIAP is introducing a ULN for everyone over the age of 14 interacting with education services.
The pupil does not need to know their ULN. The college would access the Learner Registration Service (LRS) using basic details supplied by the pupil to identify the ULN.
One of the listed benefits is ‘electronic access to exam certificates’, wouldn’t this be open to abuse?

Answer: Like internet banking, measures will be put in place for verification purposes. Access will be role based, so for example, a learner would not be able to access another learner’s record, an awarding body would not have access to another awarding body’s information and so on. Learners will only be able to amend certain types of information, for example their address.

Management of MIAP

The MIAP Programme Board, chaired by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, oversees the programme of work. The board receives strong support from the Learning and Skills Council, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the Department of Work and Pensions and a range of key partners, including the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales.

These partners confirmed the feasibility of the MIAP proposals and agreed that responsibility for the technical design and delivery of future work should pass to the LSC and its partners. DIUS will retain the strategic oversight of this work.

The MIAP Group, on which all 42 partner organisations are represented, meets regularly to consider progress and plans. It provides a forum for direct contact with the MIAP Programme Board and a means of influencing strategic direction and delivery.

The Learning and Skills Council, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and Department for Innovation and Skills has appointed MIAP sector change managers to oversee the smooth implementation of the service across education and training sectors.