<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[ConnectED]]></title><description><![CDATA[Connected refresh]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:38:11 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://alex83996.wixsite.com/website/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[From understanding the data environment to shaping the future.]]></title><description><![CDATA[This engagement shifted the conversation from fixing individual data issues to creating clear leadership, ownership and direction for data.]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/example-project-01</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6accb06cd5633a76fab641c6</guid><category><![CDATA[Case Studies]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:03:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_f0c2b25179f046d2b33e1c2a0cb2d7b1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_635,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Better data conversations start here.]]></title><description><![CDATA[This blog accompanies the Connected Data Podcast S14 Episode 7. Links to that podcast are in the blog.]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/better-data-conversations-start-here</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ad78e273cd6caea526dd492</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:29:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_7e4ae8518d604ab793c28808af0a5683~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_980,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What are Data Maturity Assessments (DMA) and why should you use them?]]></title><description><![CDATA[A short guide to why DMAs are a tool you should be considering, and some best practice tips on how to deploy and use them.]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/what-are-data-maturity-assessments-dma-and-why-should-you-use-them</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc153</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:59:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_0cbaff8432a640a5a8aa97692b88fa36~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_826,h_566,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Data Governance failures are a wet sock problem!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Data Governance-we are blaming the wrong things for failure!]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/data-governance-failures-are-a-wet-sock-problem</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc160</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:30:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_065766391d5a4d13b330f1ece1cf3bde~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_333,h_300,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How not to create a Data Strategy: A cautionary tale of Tech-first thinking. ]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the less fun parts of this job is reviewing failed data strategies mostly representing thinly disguised investment cases for big technology purchases. You know the ones — glossy decks filled with supplier logos, architecture diagrams that look like train maps, and a budget spreadsheet that reads like a supermarket sweep at a todays cloud provider of choice flagship store. These strategies don’t fail because the technology is bad. They fail because they start with technology. And that,...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/how-not-to-create-a-data-strategy-a-cautionary-tale-of-tech-first-thinking</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc156</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Strategy]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:14:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_66a2dedbdcfc46fe812f08c55b248270~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ConnectED at Data Decoded]]></title><description><![CDATA[Data Decoded is an event taking place in Manchester in October 2025.]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/connected-at-data-decoded</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc161</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:04:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_28b4a6661d194e05acf88fa517eef7e1~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Data Steward problem- Role ambiguity and priority]]></title><description><![CDATA[I think we can agree, in an increasingly data dependant landscape, universities do recognise the importance of improving the quality, availability and use of their data. Less certain is that the solution is a robust and sustainable data governance framework. There are many reasons for this, and some of those are the subject of a future post. Today though, I want to talk about the problem of onboarding and engaging one of the fundamental roles of when implementing data governance. At the heart...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/the-data-steward-problem-role-ambiguity-and-priority</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57d25d4313191dcc14a</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:24:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_84d3741dce444b2b9d1cb28a694b6675~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_966,h_724,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The why, what and how of making the ADG webinar series]]></title><description><![CDATA[ADG Webinar series - why did we do it and what did we learn]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/the-why-what-and-how-of-making-the-adg-webinar-series</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc164</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><category><![CDATA[Data Strategy]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 09:27:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_df985c804ce04f75a63b6c736eae30cf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[State of the Higher Education Sector in 2024 &#38; our response to these challenges..]]></title><description><![CDATA[The higher education sector has been navigating a period of immense disruption over the past five years, driven by multiple external and internal pressures. We see this both through the work we’re engaged in with universities and our long experience of working in the sector.     This has shifted the focus of what we offer to best support these challenging times for the sector.  There are already lots of articles on ‘ how we got here’  so instead we’re discussing what this means for university...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/state-of-the-higher-education-sector-in-2024-our-response-to-these-challenges</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc155</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:32:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_eb210bf3d4a640f1b34578fb8a73ba14~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_931,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The challenges of data management: ‘Swivel Chair Integration’]]></title><description><![CDATA[Learn how to overcome one of the challenges of data management in higher education: swivel chair integration. Improve accuracy &#38; efficiency.]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/swivel-chair-challenges-of-data-management</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc15e</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:52:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c5e794_5b8fc2407d404424aebcdf1c5b784c21~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_940,h_705,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Does Good Data Governance Training Look Like?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Learn how to empower your higher education institution with effective data governance training. Ensure data quality and good decision making]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/data-governance-training</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc15a</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 28 Aug 2024 06:32:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c5e794_95da52723e50427bbeff321284812238~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_940,h_705,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Does My Institution Need a Higher Education Data Governance Strategy?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Learn why a robust data governance strategy is crucial for higher education institutions. Enhance data quality and support compliance.]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/data-governance-strategy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc163</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Strategy]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 2024 08:42:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c5e794_458ee66466554188b3a90ee04042ab2c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_940,h_705,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Consistency is the higher education data management solution]]></title><description><![CDATA[Consistent higher education data management is key. See how maximising data quality year-round can help you get the most value from HESA.]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/consistent-higher-education-data-management-solution</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57d25d4313191dcc146</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:18:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3504ef_373611fb7f4f4e15800d7572770f0059~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ellucian's acquisition of Tribal: What lies ahead for Higher Education technology?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Before we start, its important to be clear that this article is a collection of our thoughts and opinions and not based on inside information! Although what we think may turn into a valid prediction(!) what happens next is very much an unknown. Alex and I have been thinking through some of the potential scenarios though given the scope and scale of influence these giants have on how we collect, store, and manage Higher Education data. The cynic in us says Ellucian has spent £172m on a HE...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/ellucian-s-acquisition-of-tribal-what-lies-ahead-for-higher-education-technology</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc154</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:20:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a57a01_173bc0260cd64cbe84094e02b08004a0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_400,h_297,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Data Stories and why we shouldn't be telling them.]]></title><description><![CDATA[There’s an axiom that we, as the self certified data experts, must ‘sell’ some of the more ethereal concepts through the power of stories (Data Governance, I’m looking at you here). Especially when attempting to engage senior leaders. I’m coming to the conclusion it’s more of a myth. So many times I’ve been involved with tagging specific benefits against some improved ‘data capability’, In #highereducation  - you’ll see ‘as a student I’ll be able to’ or ‘as a researcher, these things will...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/data-stories-and-why-we-shouldn-t-be-telling-them</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57d25d4313191dcc14e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:06:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_6a10f1bf881a48048ece5ad839b015dd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_876,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[HE – the world where our regulators being helpful can result in the absolute opposite!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reducing the burden. A statement we’ve all become all too familiar with over the last decade. How much burden has been lifted though? In our experience not much - in fact - in some (most!) instances there’s more for us to do. So many subtleties around how institutions operate, the way our data is structured, the complexities of our hierarchies (and the list goes on) aren’t considered or understood. And so, the circle continues with the latest news on HESES. The OfS published HESES23 guidance...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/he-the-world-where-our-regulators-being-helpful-can-result-in-the-absolute-opposite</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc159</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 04 Oct 2023 15:29:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_e179a56ca13d487aaec95a390029a2cd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_355,h_206,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means]]></title><description><![CDATA[Not the snappiest title ever, but any reference to the Princess Bride  has to be cut a certain amount of slack! As must I, based on the previous blog post being published some eighteen months ago. In my defence, the last couple of years have been crazy busy which has also generated a whole load of content I’m keen to share. Starting with a oldie but a goodie, chosen only because I finally fixed  the Business Glossary template linked to in  this article  (on my TLP website). If you’ve not read...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/you-keep-using-that-word-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc15b</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Governance]]></category><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:57:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_10c8e02d232c4cdb929948b43b9ab31c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_940,h_969,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How many students do we have?]]></title><description><![CDATA[A question often asked and rarely answered the same way twice! There are many reasons for this, and most of those can be seen on that quick sketch we did at a recent workshop. Essentially there are two issues to address: 1)    What question are you trying to answer. If we define a student as, for example “a person engaged on a learning experience at our university’ (and yes this is not all encompassing, I’m looking at you PGR/T but just bear with me) , then already our question must be...]]></description><link>https://www.ed-connect.co.uk/post/how-many-students-do-we-have</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8ee57e25d4313191dcc152</guid><category><![CDATA[Data Management]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:49:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4af680_0c6defb27c2a424eb8ff3fea151b1956~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_800,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alex Leigh</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>