Data Management: Five steps to overcome five key data challenges

This blog post is a shortened version for a quick read. However, for more detail, download our reference document, Novatia Note, which will help you self-evaluate your Data Management.

Based on 17 years' experience of working with education establishments, we've seen first-hand Data Management and Reporting challenges faced by schools and MATs. We would like to share what steps you, as a MAT leader can take to overcome these challenges.

The Five key data management challenges:

Leaders within a MAT or Academy, strive to make timely and impactful decisions. Often there is a time lag from when the data is recorded to when it’s reported on. This time lag is often caused by differing data collection and storage thus making analysis time consuming. 

2. Different Management Information Systems in one Trust

A MAT with a number of different schools that all formed part of the MAT at different stages are likely to have their own Management Information Systems (MIS) and reporting methods. As such, a clear oversight of the whole Trust is very challenging.

3. Variable Data quality

Within a MAT, each individual school may have their own way of collecting and storing data, from spreadsheets to good old pen and paper. Having such a spectrum of collation and storage of data can lead to errors which may result in bad, incomplete or duplicated data.

4. Difficulty collating multiple Data Sources

Multiple Data Sources, in itself, is not the key problem. All the different sources provide insightful data. However, these need to be collated effectively into one place where the result of the collation can be interrogated.

5. Data Management can be costly

When there is lots of disparate data across a Trust, it can take a lot of time and human resource to pull it all together to inform decision making. This burden can take leaders focus away from what the school is actually there for – educating our children.

What is the ideal Data Management position for a MAT?

In a perfect world, schools within a Trust would be collecting, storing and analysing their data in exactly the same way. They would be using the same MIS or a way of pulling together all the data from multiple sources. MAT leaders desire a way to easily present data visually to different audiences. As such, making Data Management and Reporting easier by reducing time taken to manage the data and allowing them to compare “apples with apples” resulting in timely and effective decision making.  

To help overcome these five challenges, we recommend these five key steps which, when taken sequentially, can help to achieve this ideal.

Five key steps for easier Data Management

Step 1: Set a Data Vision

A data vision is where MAT leaders determine how they want to use the data i.e. the decisions that need to be made to improve the MAT performance.

Step 2: Data Audit

A data audit examines the data journey from capture, collection, storage, analysing to presentation of the data. It will identify the gap between where you are now and where you would like to be, in order to fulfil the data vision.

Read this blog which delves deeper into how to carry out a Data Audit.

Step 3: Develop an Actionable Plan to close the gap

You know what your data needs are and what your current situation is. It is now possible to develop an action plan, outlining the steps you need to take to close the gap.

Step 4: Decide which tools/resource you need to implement your plan

The Data Audit will have examined the current software and ICT tools already in use in each school. The audit will have identified if these can be used to close the gap or if other tools are required.

As ICT specialists in Education, we have seen many MATs and schools struggle with their Data Management, their ability to make informed decision and how it can have a detrimental impact on performance. As a result, we developed Questa, which is an Educational Intelligence solution for MATs and Schools. Questa draws from multiple data sources to provide a single view seamlessly layered from learner, to teacher, to group, to school, to Trust level. It has easily configured dashboards enabling Trusts and schools to monitor progress against Key Performance Indicators.

Step 5: Implementation

As a MAT leader who has followed this five-step process, you now know what you want to achieve, your data status quo, how to close the gap and what tools and systems you need to be able to compare the data across all your schools and reduce silos.

It is now time to take this knowledge and put it all in place to improve Data Management.

Many MATs and schools will outsource this to an independent ICT Project Manager who is solely focused on delivering the project and has a wealth of experience which can facilitate a smooth implementation phase.

Conclusion

It is all very well having a copious amount of data, but it is fundamental that the data can be interrogated, insights gained, and decisions made and implemented. For a MAT it is key to be able to compare and contrast school’s data across the Trust and that a single intelligence solution can aid understanding and data usage correctly so that education is enhanced.

If you would like to hear more about Questa, our data analytics tool developed specially for MATs and schools, please visit our website www.novatia.com/home-questa.

Alternatively, if you would like help with your data vision, audit and strategy, please email us on info@novatia.com or call the team 01962 832632

Watch the Webinar

Like to learn more? Jan Harrison has made a FREE webinar ''Data Management – are you using your data to its full potential." For further details and the recording click here.

Let us help you ...

Alternatively, if you would like further help and would like to speak directly to us, get in touch either by phone on 01962 832632 or by email on info@novatia.com.  We’d be happy to provide guidance.

Visit: www.novatia.com  Email: info@novatia.com  Call: 01962 832632