This is a one year compliance project to analyse requirements to support the conversion of JACS subject codes to HECoS codes in a range of applications.  SAC066 has been allocated 30 days on the expectation of delivering the recoding of the UCAS Collection Tool, the recoding of the UNISTATS return and analysis and preparation for all deliverables beyond July 2018.   The deliverables beyond July 2018 will be taken forward in a separate project. 

JACS Subject codes are held at programme and course level in EUCLID.  Meaningful JACS3 codes are to be replaced by 6 digit meaningless HECoS codes as part of the HESA Data Futures Project.  Background to this project and a mapping of JACS to HECoS codes can be found at https://www.hesa.ac.uk/innovation/hecos .  It should be noted that whilst some JACS codes have a 1:1 mapping with HECoS codes this is not the case for all JACS codes.  Some element of human decision making is therefore required to decide the correct HECoS code to apply at programme and course level.  These decisions will be made by Governance and Strategic Planning (GaSP) in consultation with Schools and Colleges as necessary.

The new HECoS codes need to be entered into the UCAS Collection System in early 2018.  GaSP are already working on the recoding to pass this to SRA and Admissions Offices.  Scholarships and Student Funding will need to be manually input HECoS codes into the SLC HEI Database to support student loan applications (TBC - Autumn 2018).  The first time the new HECoS codes will be needed in EUCLID is to drive the UNISTATS return (ie July 2018), the ATAS application process (January 2019) and the new 2019/20 HESA Return (ie November 2019).  Recoding in EUCLID therefore needs to be complete to meet these target dates.

Tribal are currently working on the development of a JACS to HECoS conversion tool which we can potentially use to update the JACS codes in the relevant SITS tables.

The total work package for SAC066 and the 2018/9 project (to be raised in the next planning round) is therefore:

1. Understand where JACS codes are currently held in EUCLID and the purpose of each
2. Investigate if/how the Tribal JACS to HECoS conversion tool can be used by UoE
3. Devise and document a solution for the conversion of JACS to HECoS codes including the work  that will need to be undertaken by GaSP
4. Check that the solution works for the old and new HESA Student Returns, SFC Early Stats, SFC Final Figures and Teaching Load and specify any changes required to the software supporting each of these processes
5. Project manage the process with GaSP to achieve conversion in EUCLID by Summer 2019
6. Liaise with GaSP, SRA and Admissions Offices to ensure the update of HECoS codes in the UCAS Collection Tool
7. Liaise with Student Administration to ensure the SAAS/SLC Course Database (HEI Database) is updated with HECoS codes (timescale to be confirmed by SAAS/SLC – 2019/20 therefore entered into HEI database Autumn 2018?)
8. Ensure ATAS applications from January 2019 support the use of HECoS codes.
9. Ensure the UNISTATS return returns HECoS codes from 2018/9 (timescales to be confirmed by HESA)

This project does not include the conversion of JACS to HECoS codes to support the production of the HESA Staff Return.  It is believed this return will also use HECoS codes from 2019/20.  This work will be undertaken by a separate HR project.