6. Centralised Access to Data Parents Need

Description of the case

Who submitted this as a case?

The case was submitted in connection with the application for MedFin funding. It has also come up as a case through the Professional and Prioritisation Committee for childhood development and education.

Brief description of the case

The case concerns giving parents and guardians access to data that is relevant for following the pupil’s development, such as national tests, national mapping assessments, final assessments and grades where applicable.

Conexus has a commercial solution for parts of this, called «Engage» and «Insight». Udir also has its own platforms (developed by Conexus).

What problem does the case address / What works poorly today?

There is currently no central «place» where parents and guardians can find all relevant information about their child’s academic development. This means that parents who want such an overview must search in many places and put the information together themselves.

In such a process there is always a risk that information is lost. It also raises the threshold for engaging in the child’s academic development. A combined, complete overview would probably make it easier for parents and guardians to keep track and get involved, including those with fewer resources.

Where do breakdowns in information flow or responsibility occur?

Relevant data is located in many different places – some in the line-of-business systems (childhood and education administrative systems), some in the municipality’s archive systems and some at Udir, to name a few. There is no combined overview that shows the development of the individual over time.

Conexus has a commercial solution for parts of this, called «Engage» and «Insight». Udir also has its own platforms (developed by Conexus).

Who are the primary actors affected

• Parents and guardians
• Pupils (Important to take into account the pupil’s right to participate as laid down in the Education Act)
• Schools/municipalities (primarily primary and lower secondary schools)
• System vendors
• UDir

What could a desired situation (dream journey) look like?

It is natural to envisage a portal where parents and guardians can log in and see relevant data for their child. The solution should also have a «pupil mode» that allows the child to see «their» information to the extent that they are to have access to it.

We therefore need something that can retrieve, compile and present relevant data. The solution can be realised as a stand-alone solution, or it can be integrated into existing solutions, for example in Min Kommune, where a lot of communication between the municipality and parents already takes place.

It is also possible to envisage establishing an interface/API from which compiled data can be retrieved, leaving it up to the market to present this in existing interfaces and/or develop new portals where the information can be presented.

Insight work

SAMT-BU is not aware of any insight work carried out specifically in connection with this case. It is assumed, however, that there is a great deal of knowledge about the needs of parents and guardians both in the municipalities and in the sector more broadly. Even though much of the insight gained often relates to pupils with special needs, it will also be relevant on a more general basis.

Which of the project’s objectives do we consider the case to address?

The case is a very good case for SAMT-BU because it is one of few cases that directly address the needs of end users. Because it concerns giving access to data that users are already entitled to access, it is also assumed that there are few legal obstacles. Since it involves gathering data from many sources and presenting it, the development of shared information models and interfaces will be absolutely central.

Of SAMT-BU’s objectives, it addresses:

• Shared information models and standardised interfaces that over time cover “all” areas and sectors.
• Reusable solutions and shared solutions
• Simpler user journeys for staff, parents and guardians, pupils and students throughout the learning pathway – from kindergarten to primary and lower secondary school, upper secondary and higher education.
• Collaboration and innovation across public and private actors in the ecosystem, and increased competition in the market.
• Long-term goals of lifelong learning, etc.
• Scaling and transfer of the project’s learning and outputs to other areas and sectors, following piloting in this project.

A little about implementation

A pilot addressing this case will initially have to focus on mapping which data sources are relevant, who the actors are and how data can be retrieved, if at all.

In parallel, one should look at what user insight exists and see whether it is sufficient to draw up a dream journey, and possibly quality-assure it through interviews with parents and guardians of children in primary and lower secondary school.