Sector consulted on whether Jisc should be the next designated data body
The Office for Students (OfS) has today launched a consultation with the higher education sector to determine the suitability of Jisc as the next designated data body (DDB).
The Higher Education Statistics Agency, HESA, has been the DDB for higher education in England since 2018. Should HESA merge with Jisc – a move the two organisations have been exploring for some time - a new DDB will need to be appointed.
In February 2022, the OfS invited expressions of interest from organisations that could become the DDB – to which Jisc responded. As a result, the OfS consultation is running from 26 May until 27 June 2022.
A summary of responses to the consultation will be published by the OfS in summer 2022 before it makes a recommendation to the secretary of state for education as to whether Jisc is suitable to be the DDB.
If Jisc becomes the new DDB, it will pave the way for a merger with HESA later this year.
The proposed merger will provide significant benefits to UK higher education, combining the expertise of both organisations to create a resilient, joint capability for delivering the sector's data and digital needs.
Updated 13 June 2022
On 13 June, the Department for Education launched its consultation regarding the potential voluntary de-designation of HESA as the Designated Data Body under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. This consultation, which runs until 10 July, is a necessary step in the proposed merger process between HESA and Jisc.