Kia Ora.

With the recent changes for 2008 SDR, SMSS would like to highlight issues that we have encountered during the April 2008 SDR submission for Qualification file extract.

In 2008 the SDR introduced 2 new fields for extraction in the QUAL file.  These are the Year Graduated and Year Requirements Met. The SDR Manual 2008, page 101, mentions that the Yr_Grad field will be used for a limited period until providers change their procedures for reporting Yr_Req_Met.

Issues

1. Currently the QUAL extract is extracting both Yr_Grad and Yr_Req_Met, if these 2 fields have been populated in Artena, to the QUAL file. This returns from MOE errors 570, 568 and 569.  Recent communication with MOE reveals that their validation will only accept one field to be extracted on the QUAL file either the Yr Grad OR Yr_Req_Met.  It does not accept both unless separate extraction files are submitted with each file having extracted either the Yr_Grad or Yr_Req_Met.  

SMSS have been in touch with MOE to clarify the issues around QUAL file validation and please refer to the summary below:

·         An agreement was reached on definitions for the fields

·         YR_REQ_MET is the very definitive time when the student met the qualification requirements

·         YR_GRAD is the time when a student requests to graduate and that this is only a temporary field and could be withdrawn as early as the 2009 returns depending on results

·          Acknowledgement that the original assumption that organisations would fall into either the YR_REQ_MET or YR_GRAD camp but not both was not valid based on knowledge now to hand

·          A statement was made that MoE/TEC are eventually interested only in collecting a true YR_REQ_MET and would like to achieve this ASAP

·          Agreement that by August it was getting a little late to change the requirements for the 2008 changes as much of the work was already in progress at Datacom

·          An acknowledgement that introducing an error message to prevent mixing both fields in the one file would cause some problems for a few providers and some inaccuracies of data

·          The cost of altering the system code to correctly trap all the ensuing problems if it were to be allowed was not cost effective for the short period YR_GRAD was expected to be available and might also jeopardise the delivery of the 2008 changes

·          Eventually a joint MoE/TEC decision was made to leave it as designed and accept a few data inaccuracies

·          A work around was suggested and agreed for providers who wanted a foot in both camps that they should submit 2 separate Qualification Completion files, one for each option and where that wasn’t possible then data inaccuracies would occur as the provider selected just one option and ‘fudged’ the data

2. Sites should be aware that they will need to start populating the Year Requirements Met from April onwards for the next SDR.

3. The QUAL file is to be extracted three times a year and sites have no options to choose which period that they are submitting this file for i.e. April/August/December.

4.The QUAL extract now needs to be extracted three times a year instead of once a year in June. The existing process prompts for the MOE Extract Date to be populated once the extract has run successfully and this populates the MOE Extract date to be 1/6/xxxx (where xxxx=the current year). This date is no longer in line with the three periods that the Qual data is extracted and is recording the extract date as 1 June.

5.Streamlining the process of how sites would start populating Year Requirement Met would require Artena to be able to auto populate the Year Requirement Met when certain conditions are met. This will be explained in the next section.

6. MOE Reset Programme Extract Date function only resets the dates back to 1/6/xxxx and now the submission for QUAL is three times a year instead of one.

Changes Required

1. The QUAL extraction file should only extract the Year Requirements Met.

2. The extraction format for the QUAL extract should mirror the Course Complete extraction in terms of GUI which gives the option of choosing the extraction period (30 April/31 August/31 December).

3. When using the Reset MOE Programme Extract Date function the user needs to be able to reset the dates by SDR submission period. To do this, bring up a pop up box with options to reset date by April/August/December SDR period and the user will choose one of these options.

4. Sites have requested that the Year Requirementsyep Met be auto populated when the academic record status is 'Complete' and 'success flag is ticked'.  The Yr_Req_Met will match the OTE finish date and will be able to be edited for each student.

5. Reset the 1/6/2008 MOE extract date which was set when running the April SDR to 30/04/2008.

**Site specific**

Please be advised that for any Qualification completions that you process after you have run your April SDR, LEAVE THE MOE EXTRACT DATE BLANK.  When you have run the August SDR QUAL extract successfully you can set then extract date to 30/08/2008 by confirming that the extract have ran successfully.

If you have any queries regards to this, please forward your emails to lian.paea@smss.org.nz or you can contact the undersigned.

Thank you.

Poobalan Muniandy

Product Support Manager

SMSS Ltd