Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland - Quality Assurance of Administrative Data (QAAD)

Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB), a Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) branch within the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), carried out a quality assessment of the data on the Merit SQL, Agresso SQL, OmniMILE Mileage, Hexagon SQL and CoreHR Oracle databases. These are the administrative data sources which are used to produce the ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report.

The assessment found that the level of risk of quality concerns in these sources is low and that the public interest is low which suggests that the appropriate level of assurance required for these statistics is A1 - Basic Assurance. Full details are reported below.

Introduction

The ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report is a new report first published in March 2023 by Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) within the Department for Infrastructure. This report is based on data provided by Translink and the current plan is to publish on an annual basis in Autumn / Winter; this will be reviewed in line with user requirements and available resources.

Quality assurance of administrative data (QAAD) report

In 2015, the UK Statistics Authority published a regulatory standard for the quality assurance of administrative data(external link opens in a new window / tab). The standard was developed in response to concerns about the quality of administrative data and in recognition of the increasing role that such data is playing in the production of official statistics. The standard encourages risk based judgements and supports a proportionate approach.

The standard is supported with an Administrative Data Quality Assurance Toolkit(external link opens in a new window / tab) which provides useful guidance to statistical producers about the practices they can adopt to assure the quality of the data they utilise.

In accordance with this toolkit, ASRB have carried out a quality assurance of administrative data (QAAD) assessment on data from the Merit SQL, Agresso SQL, OmniMILE Mileage, Hexagon SQL and CoreHR Oracle databases – the administrative data sources used to produce the ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report.

The diagram below shows the databases that are used in the production of the Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland report. The corresponding Figure and Table references from the report are also included.

Figure showing data sources in Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland

The Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland report also includes data on public transport vehicles by on-board facilities. These data are not included in the databases above but are provided directly by Translink to ASRB.

Use of data

ASRB use the data extracted from the Merit SQL, Agresso SQL, OmniMILE Mileage, Hexagon SQL and CoreHR Oracle databases to produce the ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report. This report was published for the first time in March 2023 and the current plan is to publish this report annually in Autumn / Winter.

In line with the ASRB User Engagement Strategy, the content of the publication is informed by an understanding of customers’ information needs. The data presented in the publication aims to meet the needs of both internal and external users.

A user engagement exercise carried out on Northern Ireland Transport Statistics identified an interest in the statistics formerly produced within Chapter 2 of the Transport Statistics bulletin. This survey, along with stakeholder engagement, informed the first publication of the ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report.

All users on the Transport Statistics distribution list were notified of the development of a new ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report and asked to opt-in to the new distribution list if interested in this topic. The first report was also circulated to these users who have indicated an interest in the statistics.

The report is highly relevant to DfI internal customers and the public transport statistics will be used for evidence-based decision making, monitoring and responding to queries. At an overall level there is likely to be limited media interest, with interest limited to a niche user base.

As the producers of the statistics, ASRB meet regularly with key suppliers and internal users of the statistics. Following the publication of the first report further user engagement was carried out and a summary is available of the DfI website . For general ad hoc/bespoke customers, ASRB engage when providing a query response by including a link to a short survey welcoming their feedback on the service provided. Results to this survey are collated and analysed on a quarterly basis.

Section 1 - QAAD assessment of Passenger Journey Reporting from the Merit SQL database

Data Supplier

Translink.

Supplier Information

NI Transport Holding Company (NITHC, known as Translink). The Department for Infrastructure sponsor the NITHC, which is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Department.

Data type

Summary data in tabular format and sample record level datasets.

Data content

Annual data on passenger journeys from 2019/20 to the latest financial year available. As well as overall passenger journeys, there are further breakdowns for Metro / Glider, Ulsterbus and Rail passenger journeys included in the ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report. In addition, Translink provide ASRB with a sample dataset of passenger journeys at record level. Users should note that passenger numbers include fare paying, concessions and school children. Free journeys given to health and social care workers during COVID-19 pandemic are excluded.

Data Supply and Communication

NITHC provides summary datasets to DfI as part of its reporting obligations under the Public Service Agreement. An Information Sharing Agreement governs the provision of data, support and use of NITHC data for the production of official statistics.

ASRB and Translink met to discuss the requests for data from Merit. These are supplied via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), usually in June, but dependant on Translink audit timescales.

Uses of data

Data from the Merit database are used to monitor Passenger Journeys for Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways journeys on Public Transport in Northern Ireland.

Data Source Information

Passenger journeys on the Merit SQL system are linked to the Translink’s ticketing system and there is a range of ticketing equipment used: -

Ticketing Equipment

Metro (Way6 ETM) - An Electronic Ticket Machine (ETM) is used to sell tickets on buses. A driver logs on to the ETM with a unique driver number that has been set up in the back office system (Cloudfare) with the driver’s home location attached to it. The drivers ticket sales are exported from the ETM and pass through the Cloudfare back-office system then onto Merit and Smartrack for import. This transfer of ticket sales from ETM through to Merit occurs within minutes providing real time reporting. A transaction file is created for every ticket sold and the files that import into Merit are in xmls format. The import service runs continuously.

Cloudfare is the proprietary back office management information system used to programme and maintain fares, monitor device events and facilitate cash reports.

Ulsterbus and Metro – An Electronic Ticket Machine (ETM) is used to sell tickets on buses. A driver module is inserted into each ETM and each driver module has a unique module serial number and driver number attached to it. Every bus driver uses their driver module to log in and the module then identifies the driver and the location. The driver module records all ticket sales in the period between logging in and logging out. At the end of each day the driver uses the driver module to pay into the depot reader. The ticketing data stored on the module turns into a downloadable file which is then sent to the ticket server, where all ticket information from all stations is stored. Only one person can access the ticket server at a time to ensure multiple actions are not being performed at the same time. Once the information is called on the ticket server the file is transformed into a DAT file.

Each DAT file is named using the date and the unique driver number attached to the driver module, and is then converted into an Excel file using an STX converter. The information then flows through DCaF (Data Collector and Forwarder) which strips out all smart track information which is moved onto a system for smart track data (Smart Import).

The final stage is the data goes through to Merit to import, this occurs continuously.

Ulsterbus/NIR – Another method of selling tickets is using a point of sale (POS), which is an office based ticket machine in each depot. The POS in each depot is programmed to communicate at a certain time each night and all information is imported to the ticketing department.

Once the information is called on the ticket server the file is transformed into a DAT file. Each DAT file is named using the date and the unique driver number attached to the driver module, and is then converted into an Excel file using an STX converter. The information then flows through DCaF which strips out all smart track information which is moved onto a system for smart track data (Smart Import).

The final stage is the data go through to Merit to import, this occurs continuously.

NIR (T1) – T1 is a handheld device used by railway staff and train conductors mostly on-board trains and at ticket barriers. A hand-held device (P50) is used to record sales of train tickets on board trains. At the end of each shift/day the train conductor signs off. A transaction file is created for every ticket sold/ card use recorded and the files that come off the T1s are already in xmls format. These files pass through Cloudfare and then onto Merit and Smartrack for import. Cloudfare is the proprietary back office management information system used to programme and maintain fares, monitor device events and facilitate cash reports The import service runs continuously.

NIR TPV (Ticket platform validator) - is ticketing equipment used to validate tickets but does not sell tickets. TPV’s will record the uses of smartcards such as iLink and aLink cards when people validate their smartcards on the equipment it verifies that the card is loaded with travel and has essentially been paid for and then records these journeys. The process of these validators is quite similar to how a POS would work in terms of the machine communication every evening. This information is recorded on the validator throughout the day and then at night it will communicate and all this data will come off the machine, which the ticketing department check every day via daily checks. TPV data goes through to Translink NIR Agents PC and then onto the ticketing server. Once the information is called on the ticket server the file is transformed into a DAT file, each DAT file is named using the date and the unique driver number attached to the driver module, the DAT file is converted into an Excel file using an STX converter. The information then flows through DCaF which strips out all smart track information which is moved onto a system for smart track data (Smart Import). The final stage is the data goes through to Merit to import, this occurs continuously.

Glider PV - Platform validator is ticketing equipment used to validate tickets but does not sell tickets. PVs will record the uses of smartcards such as SmartLink, iLink and aLink cards when people validate their smartcards on the equipment, it verifies that the card is loaded with travel and has essentially been paid for and then records these journeys.

It also records concessionary Smartcard journeys e.g. Senior, 60+, War, Blind and Half Fare SmartPasses. A transaction file is created for every card validation. These files pass through Cloudfare and then onto Merit and Smartrack for import. The files that import into Merit are in xmls format. The import service runs continuously.

Glider – (TVM) Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) is ticketing equipment that is another method of selling tickets. A transaction file is created for every ticket sold. These files pass through Cloudfare and then onto Merit and Smartrack for import. The files that import into Merit are in xmls format. The import service runs continuously.

Glider (T1) - T1 is a handheld device used by Glider CRPOs (Customer Revenue and Protection Officers) on board the Glider and at Glider halts. A T1 is used to check that Smartlink and concessionary SmartPasses have been validated at a PV, and if not, they can validate the card and record the journey. A transaction file is created for every ticket sold/card validation. These files pass through Cloudfare and then onto Merit and Smartrack for import. The files that import into Merit are in xmls format. The import service runs continuously.

mLink – mLink is a mobile application used for NIR, Ulsterbus and Metro tickets, including Glider Tickets. Passengers are able to buy tickets and activate them on their handset. All ticketing sales come through to Merit in the ticketing department via the application every day for the previous day sales. Core 3 (3rd party supplier) look after the mLink application and website. Translink have a specific area on the website where they are able to access reporting facilities and run a report daily to reconcile all revenue ticket transactions to Merit.

Barcode ticketing: This relates to a range of barcode tickets that can be purchased online by a customer via the eCommerce channel. This is whereby a customer received a printed barcode at home or on their mobile device and then can use this to redeem a ticket on their bus or train.

Quality Assurance Principles, Standards and Checks Applied by Data Supplier

All Ticketing Equipment is monitored regularly, for example: -

Legacy devices are monitored Monday – Friday.
TFTS (Translink Future Ticketing Systems) devices are monitored Monday – Sunday.

All equipment will migrate to TFTS devices (Legacy Back-office system (BOS) will become defunct) within the next two years and pass through Cloudfare and then onto Merit import. New equipment will include:

ETMs.
POSs.
Gate Validators.
Bus Validators.
Additional TVMs.
Additional PVs.

Further checks by Translink include: -

Any Legacy corrupt data are investigated and imported into Merit within 1-2 days.
TFTS corrupt data quarantined in Cloudfare before investigated by our supplier and imported into Merit.
TFTS devices and Cloudfare are easier to monitor due to the centralised system.

Auditing of Merit system includes: -

Merit system audits (every few years).
Merit Rebuild Audit – May 2020.
DfI Concessionary Audit (including Merit data flow checks) – every year.
Periodic reports sent to Head of Financial Governance.

Future Reporting

All data will pass through Merit and into a Data Warehouse.
Front end of Power BI for corporate reporting.

Quality Assurance undertaken by ASRB

ASRB staff initially met with representatives of Translink to get a demonstration of the Merit database in operation and to discuss the quality assurance procedures in place.

When data and tables are received from Translink, ASRB check their parameters, to ensure they are correct before the files are moved to the relevant folders on the ASRB secure server for further analysis and to prepare for publication.

ASRB receives and carries out quality assurance of sample data from the Merit database. Checks are carried out on each of the variables within the sample data and examined for any erroneous or missing data.

ASRB also apply an additional series of quality assurance checks to the summary data tables they receive from Translink and figures in tables are compared with data from previous years and totals in tables are checked.

Any anomalies or errors identified as a result of these checks are referred back to Translink, and, if appropriate, they can be corrected at source by the data supplier on their IT systems.

Strengths

The information is captured on the Merit SQL database, a database specifically designed to manage and record information on passenger journeys.
The data are for all passenger journeys on Translink’s Metro / Glider, Ulsterbus and Rail Services.
Translink has comprehensive guidance for staff on how to input details – to ensure that all staff record details accurately and on a consistent basis.
All Translink staff, who use the Merit SQL database, receive regular training on use of the database and how to access the database. A suite of management information reports are run routinely that enable Translink to ensure figures are accurate and robust.
As the information on the Merit SQL database is used for operational purposes, errors in data/reporting can be identified at the operational stage. Any emerging anomalies or discrepancies are then investigated and data corrected where required.
Regular data validation checks and quality assurance checks are run by Translink to identify and correct any missing values or inaccuracies in the data.
The system is considered to be fit for purpose by those who use and maintain it daily.
Both internal and external audits are carried out on an annual basis.
There is no hard cost to ASRB for obtaining the data.
There is minimal burden on the data suppliers as the data are already collected for operational purposes.
Efficient use of data already available.

Limitations

As the data extracts are from a live system; they are a snapshot at a point in time.
There may be delays in updating the system which means statistics for the more recent time periods may vary, this is however managed, where possible, by allowing a time lag between the end of the reference period and the date of extraction.
The number of journeys taken using multi-journey tickets e.g. weekly, monthly and annual bus and rail tickets are not electronically recorded and are therefore estimated by Translink using journey factors.

As mentioned above, all equipment will migrate to TFTS devices (Legacy Back-office system (BOS) will become defunct) within the next two years and pass through Cloudfare and then onto Merit import.

Section 2 - QAAD assessment of Income Reporting Unit 4 from the Agresso SQL database

Data Supplier

Translink

Supplier Information

NI Transport Holding Company (NITHC, known as Translink). The Department sponsor the NITHC, which is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Department.

Data type

Summary data in tabular format.

Data content

Annual data on income information for Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways from 2019/20 to the latest financial year available.

Data Supply and Communication

ASRB and Translink met to discuss the requests for data from the Agresso SQL database. These are supplied via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), usually in June, but dependant on Translink audit timescales.

Use of data

Reporting on Income information for Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways.

Data Source Information

Merit ticketing data (revenue) are summarised by depot location and interfaced to the accounting system Unit4 each month.

Quality Assurance undertaken by data supplier

Checks are carried out by ticketing personnel to reconcile Merit ticketing data (revenue) before they are interfaced to the accounting system Unit4 each month.

Quality Assurance undertaken by ASRB

ASRB staff initially met with representatives of Translink to get information on the Agresso SQL database in operation and to discuss the quality assurance procedures in place.

When data and tables are received from Translink, ASRB check their parameters, to ensure they are correct before the files are then moved to the relevant folders on the ASRB secure server for further analysis and to prepare for publication.

Any anomalies or errors identified as a result of these checks are referred back to Translink, and, if appropriate, they can be corrected at source by the data supplier on their IT systems.

Strengths

The information is captured on the Merit SQL database, a database specifically designed to manage and record information on passenger journeys and revenue.
The data are for all passenger revenue on Translink’s Metro / Glider, Ulsterbus and Rail Services.
Translink has comprehensive guidance for staff on how to interface the data to Unit4.
All Translink staff, who use Unit4, receive regular training on use of the database and how to access the database.
As the information in the Unit4 SQL database is used for monthly management accounts, errors in data/reporting can be identified at draft stage. Any emerging anomalies or discrepancies are then investigated, and data corrected where required, prior to publication of monthly management accounts.
Regular data validation checks and quality assurance checks are run by Translink to identify and correct any missing values or inaccuracies in the data via monthly general ledger account reconciliations.
The system is considered to be fit for purpose by those who use and maintain it daily.
External audits are carried out on an annual basis.
There is no hard cost to ASRB for obtaining the data.
There is minimal burden on the data suppliers as the data are already collected for operational purposes.
Efficient use of data already available.

Limitations

The Unit4 SQL database is dependent on staff accurately inputting income data; as with most administrative systems there may be some potential for manual entry errors.
As the data extracts are from a live system; they are a snapshot at a point in time.
The Unit4 SQL database is dependent on interfaces from core systems (e.g. Merit).

Section 3 - QAAD assessment of Mileage Reporting from the Mileage database OmniMILE

Data Supplier

Translink.

Supplier Information

NI Transport Holding Company (NITHC, known as Translink). The Department sponsor the NITHC, which is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Department.

Data type

Summary data in tabular format.

Data content

Annual data on mileage for Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways from 2019/20 to the latest financial year available.

Data are produced for “operating miles”, which are the number of miles operated by buses and trains on public transport services.

And also for “rail passenger miles”, which are calculated by multiplying the number of passenger journeys on a particular flow by the number of corresponding track miles between stations.

Data Supply and Communication

ASRB and Translink met to discuss the requests for data from the OmniMILE Mileage database. These are supplied via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), usually in June, but dependant on Translink audit timescales.

Use of data

Reporting on mileage information for Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways.

Data Source Information

Data are sourced from the Omnibus scheduling suite of software. The OmniMILE system is due to be upgraded and replaced by a new Insights cloud based system in 2023/24. Total Fleet mileage is collated from odometer readings. Scheduled (planned) mileage is created by the Commercial Operations Scheduling team in Translink. Mileage adjustments (e.g. lost/additional) are supplied by Bus Operations. Total Fleet mileage is collated by Bus Operations and Finance Divisions.

Translink are currently in the first phase which is moving all schedules to the cloud and training on the new schedules setup. The second phase has begun in parallel which is to be able to produce similar reports of forecast/scheduled miles for the Public Services Agreement (PSA). Once Translink is content with this then both EP Morris Traffic System (replacement for OmniMILE) and OmniMILE will run parallel for a couple of periods until they have tested outputs. Translink estimate this to be complete by end of December 2023.

Quality Assurance undertaken by data supplier

Data sources and processes are regularly monitored and audited on an annual basis. All staff are adequately trained on Omnibus and there are extensive user manuals. Information is used to serve various requirements:-

Monthly mileage is circulated for operational purposes.
It is used to calculate the tyre charge on a rate per mile.
It is part of the PSA (Public Service Agreement) monthly reporting analysis for DfI.

Quality Assurance undertaken by ASRB

ASRB staff initially met with representatives of Translink to discuss the quality assurance procedures in place.

Any anomalies or errors identified as a result of these checks are referred back to Translink, and, if appropriate, they can be corrected at source by the data supplier on their IT systems.

Strengths

Existing systems have been in place for over 15 years and have been robustly tested and audited. The OmniMILE system supplier (EPM Omnibus) recommends migrating to their enhanced and modified Insights module within the next 12-24 months.
The information is captured on the OmniMILE database, a database specifically designed to manage and record information on mileage.
The data are for all mileage on Translink’s Metro / Glider, Ulsterbus and Rail Services
Translink has comprehensive guidance for staff on how to use OmniMILE.
All Translink staff, who use OmniMILE, receive regular training on use of the database and how to access the database.
Regular data validation checks and quality assurance checks are run by Translink to identify and correct any missing values or inaccuracies in the data.
The system is considered to be fit for purpose by those who use and maintain it daily.
There is no hard cost to ASRB for obtaining the data.
There is minimal burden on the data suppliers as the data are already collected for operational purposes.
Efficient use of data already available.

Limitations

As the data extracts are from a live system; they are a snapshot at a point in time.
The OmniMILE system is being upgraded and replaced and therefore consideration will need to be given to the impact on data in future.

Section 4 - QAAD assessment of Asset Reporting from the Hexagon SQL database

Data Supplier

Translink.

Supplier Information

NI Transport Holding Company (NITHC, known as Translink). The Department sponsor the NITHC, which is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Department.

Data type

Summary data in tabular format.

Data content

Annual data on assets from 2019/20 to the latest financial year available. As well as overall information on stock there are further breakdowns included in the ‘Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland’ report for Metro / Glider, Ulsterbus and Rail vehicles by age of vehicle, number of carriages (rail only), on board facilities, compliance with accessibility regulations, and fuel source.

Data Supply and Communication

ASRB and Translink met to discuss the requests for data from the Hexagon SQL database. These are supplied via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), usually in June, but dependant on Translink audit timescales.

Use of data

Data from the Hexagon SQL database are used to monitor assets for Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways in relation to Public Transport in Northern Ireland.

Data Source Information

Translink uses the Hexagon Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system to manage the maintenance of the Translink fleet. This system provides a fleet database and fleet maintenance management functionality. The system assists the Engineering Division to manage in excess of 4,000 planned maintenance activities per month.

As new buses are introduced to the fleet the project team passes the required information to the Fleet Control Co-Ordinator who creates the vehicle within Hexagon EAM. Key vehicle information such as chassis number etc is recorded at this time. The Hexagon EAM system is capable of having multiple asset attributes recorded and information is added as a need is identified.

Fleet numbers and average fleet age are extracted from Hexagon.

Details of fleet features WiFi, Audio Visuals etc are currently maintained offline based on relevant supplier contracts. It is proposed to incorporate these features on Hexagon in the future.

Quality Assurance undertaken by data supplier

Average fleet age is included in the statutory accounts which are subject to external audit.

There are no inbuilt system checks, manual checks or audit of vehicle on-board facilities. However, figures provided to ASRB reflect the figures that are contained within contracts for on board facilities. Translink do not currently use this information, however they are proposing to add these vehicle attributes to Hexagon to facilitate reporting going forward.

Quality Assurance undertaken by ASRB

ASRB staff initially met with representatives of Translink to get a demonstration of the Hexagon SQL database in operation and to discuss the quality assurance procedures in place.

Translink can only provide information from the Hexagon SQL database in real time and therefore cannot recreate the dataset at a point in history. However, historic data for the Public Transport Statistics were extracted by Translink at a previous point in time and provided to ASRB via summary tables.

These are all checked to ensure they fit in with known parameters and are then moved to the relevant folders on the ASRB secure server for further analysis and to prepare for publication.

Any anomalies or errors identified as a result of these checks are referred back to Translink, and, if appropriate, they can be corrected at source by the data supplier on their IT systems.

Strengths

The information is captured on the Hexagon, a database specifically designed to manage and record information on fleet data.
Hexagon holds data for all of Translink’s Metro / Glider, Ulsterbus and Rail Services.
Translink has comprehensive guidance for staff on how to input details – to ensure that all staff record details accurately and on a consistent basis.
All Translink staff, who use the Hexagon database, receive regular training on use of the database and how to access the database. A suite of management information reports ran routinely enable Translink to ensure that the figures are accurate and robust.
As the information on the Hexagon database is used for operational purposes, errors in data/reporting can be identified at the operational stage. Any emerging anomalies or discrepancies are then investigated and data corrected where required.
Regular data validation checks and quality assurance checks are run by Translink to identify and correct any missing values or inaccuracies in the data.
The system is considered to be fit for purpose by those who use and maintain it daily.
Both internal and external audits are carried out on an annual basis.
There is no hard cost to ASRB for obtaining the data.
There is minimal burden on the data suppliers as the data are already collected for operational purposes.
Efficient use of data already available.

Limitations

The Hexagon database is dependent on staff accurately inputting fleet data; as with most administrative systems there may be some potential for manual entry errors.
As the data extracts are from a live system; they are a snapshot at a point in time.
There may be delays in updating the system which means statistics for the more recent time periods may vary, this is however managed, where possible, by allowing a time lag between the end of the reference period and the date of extraction.
Comprehensive data relies on the ongoing population of Hexagon with the onboard vehicle attributes.
The Hexagon database does not yet capture the additional functionality features in relation to on-board facilities. However, this will be built in going forward and during 2022/23 the Hexagon system was updated with additional fields added to capture additional functionality in relation to on-board facilities.

Section 5 - QAAD assessment of Staff Reporting from the CoreHR Oracle database

Data Supplier

Translink.

Supplier Info

NI Transport Holding Company (NITHC, known as Translink). The Department sponsor the NITHC, which is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Department.

Data type

Summary data in tabular format.

Data content

Annual data on staff in relation to Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways from 2019/20 to the latest financial year available.

Data Supply and Communication

ASRB and Translink met to discuss the requests for data from the CoreHR Oracle database. These are supplied via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), usually in June, but dependant on Translink audit timescales.

Use of data

Reporting on staff information for Glider, Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways.

Data Source Information

CoreHR is used for all Translink staff and there is a standard approach for new starts and leavers.

New starts are entered onto the database on date of commencement and subject to providing all legal and contractual documents. Basic personnel information for applicants is transferred from CoreHR recruitment module once applicants are successful.

Leavers are processed in the database upon receipt of a Staff Termination Advice Form sent to HR by the line manager.

Staff changes are made to employee records on the database upon receipt of relevant documentation such as appointment letter, staff change form sent to HR by the line manager, or email from a verifiable source in the company notifying of a change. Changes are subject to approval by a manager or supervisor in HR Services.

All changes within the database are manual with the exception of absence for relevant Bus employees which is a direct upload from the Driver Allocation System (DAS).

Quality Assurance undertaken by data supplier

All Translink staff are adequately trained on CoreHR and there are extensive user manuals.

Summary employee statistics are included in the statutory accounts which are subject to external audit each year. Monthly statistics are circulated for operational purposes. There is also a regular reconciliation of employee records between the HR system and the Payroll system and any identified anomalies are addressed.

The HR system is subject to external audit in relation to new start and leaver records.

Quality Assurance undertaken by ASRB

ASRB staff initially met with representatives of Translink to discuss the quality assurance procedures in place.

Any anomalies or errors identified as a result of these checks are referred back to Translink, and, if appropriate, they can be corrected at source by the data supplier on their IT systems.

Strengths

CoreHR holds a significant amount of employee data in one single/central source such as employment record, equality monitoring information, absence history, disciplinary and grievance records, medical history and records, operational training records, performance/appraisal records for relevant staff.
Managers have access to their employees records so do not need a separate system.
Employees have access to view and amend certain fields in their own record.
Range of reports can be provided internally and externally based on data the system holds, which is needed/beneficial for business decisions and legal requirements.
Data can be exported to other internal systems.
There is no hard cost to ASRB for obtaining the data.
Efficient use of data already available.

Limitations

The CoreHR database is dependent on staff accurately inputting HR data; as with most administrative systems there may be some potential for manual entry errors.
As the data extracts are from a live system; they are a snapshot at a point in time.
Obtaining and recording information on leavers from the business is not always timely so this delays termination of employee records.

Section 6 – overall QAAD assessment

Assessment of Level of Assurance Requirements

ASRB assess that the level of risk of quality concerns in these sources is low at present and that the public interest is low. This suggests that the appropriate level of assurance required for these statistics is A1 - Basic Assurance.

This means that ASRB have used the QA toolkit and have reviewed the administrative source and published a summary in this document.

ASRB came to this decision as the databases in relation the Merit SQL, Agresso SQL, OmniMILE Mileage, Hexagon SQL and CoreHR Oracle databases are considered robust, but at published levels are of limited public interest.

ASRB will continue to assess the level of assurance and update if necessary.

ASRB therefore plan to review the QAAD on an annual basis to ensure that the assessment of the level of assurance requirements is accurate and up-to-date.

The next review is scheduled for Autumn / Winter 2024.

Assessment of User Needs

The Merit SQL, Agresso SQL, OmniMILE Mileage, Hexagon SQL and CoreHR Oracle administrative sources in relation to the data included in the “Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland” are considered to be of high quality. The system processes, the supplier checks and additional validations carried out by ASRB ensure the robustness of the data. Although there are some limitations ASRB consider that these data are fit-for-purpose.

Document last updated: September 2023.

Next review due: Autumn / Winter 2024.

Annex A

UK Statistics Authority Quality Assurance of Administrative Data Toolkit

The assessment of the each of the following data and their sources has been carried out in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority Quality Assurance of Administrative Data Toolkit: -

Passenger Journey Reporting on Merit SQL database.
Income Reporting Unit 4 on Agresso SQL database.
Mileage Reporting on Mileage database OmniMILE.
Asset Reporting on Hexagon SQL database.
Staff Reporting on CoreHR Oracle database.

Each administrative data source investigated has been evaluated according to the toolkit’s risk and profile matrix (below), reflecting the level of risk to data quality and the public interest profile of the statistics.

Level of risk of quality concerns		Public interest profile
	Lower	Medium	Higher
Low	Statistics of lower quality and lower public interest [A1]	Statistics of low quality and medium public interest [A1/A2]	Statistics of low quality and higher public interest [A1/A2]
Medium	Statistics of medium quality and lower public interest [A1/A2]	Statistics of medium quality and medium public interest [A2]	Statistics of medium quality and higher public interest [A2/A3]
High	Statistics of higher quality and lower public interest [A1/A2/A3]	Statistics of higher quality and medium public interest [A3]	Statistics of higher quality and higher public interest [A3]

Source: Office for National Statistics

A risk/profile matrix for statistics on Passenger Journeys, Vehicle Stock, Staff, Income and Mileage is included below. The matrix reflects the level of risk of data quality concerns and the public interest profile of the statistics determined by a review undertaken by the ASRB Transport Statistics team using the information contained within the UK Statistics Authority’s Administrative Data Quality Assurance Toolkit.

Risk Profile matrix of ASRB Statistics when QAAD Toolkit applied

ASRB Statistic	Data Quality Concern	Public Interest	Risk Profile Rating
Passenger Journeys	Low	Low	A1
Vehicle Stock	Low	Low	A1
Staff	Low	Low	A1
Income	Low	Low	A1
Mileage	Low	Low	A1
Public Transport Statistics, Northern Ireland	Low	Low	A1

A1 = Basic assurance, A2 = Enhanced assurance, A3 = Comprehensive assurance

Further information regarding the allocation of matrix scores can be made available by contacting us using the details at the start of this document.

Glossary.

ALB - Arm’s Length Body.

ASRB - Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch.

BOS - Back-office system.

DAS - Driver Allocation System.

DfI - Department for Infrastructure.

ETM - Electronic Ticket Machine.

ISA - Information Sharing Agreement.

NITHC – Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (known as Translink).

NIR – Northern Ireland Railways.

PV - Platform validator.

QAAD - Quality assurance of administrative data.

SFTP - Secure File Transfer Protocol.

TFTS - Translink Future Ticketing Systems.

TPV - Ticket platform validator.