Out Now - IQA Tools and More

Our latest PICSWeb update is being released over the weekend, featuring several new features and improvements. Take a look below at some of the most exciting changes.

IQA Tools for PICS Portfolio

We have added a new IQA solution to PICS Portfolio, meaning that your internal verifiers can audit evidence files and other data from within the system.

This release includes two principal IQA tools: Samples, which allow you to create a group of evidence files to be assessed, and Plans, which allow you to create a plan of IQA checks for a learner.

If you are using Delivery Models, you can also add an IQA Component to a learner, which combines elements of a sample and a plan.

Once you have set up your samples, your IQA officers can quickly find the evidence to assess through the sample items list. This list will then update to show which files have been checked and when.

Saved Reports in Dashboards

If you are licensed for PICSWeb dashboards, you can now create dashboard widgets based on existing saved reports rather than having to design a new report for each widget.

This will improve the speed of both creating and loading your dashboards, as widgets can pull data from the most recently run version of the saved report rather than having to generate the data from scratch each time.

Another benefit of using saved reports for dashboards is that we can now support widgets based on your Qualification and Achievement Rate (QAR) reports. This means that you can quickly access intuitive QAR data, populated from the most recent time your chosen report was run.

More information on using saved reports in widgets is available in our Online Help.

Removal of Consortia

Following this release, Consortium configuration will no longer be available in PICSWeb. This is because Contract management is now able to take care of all the tasks previously accomplished using consortia.

If you used to use consortia, you should have a contract setup that matches your old consortia arrangement - we will have been in touch with you last month if this is the case.

If you have any concerns about the removal, don't hesitate to Get in Touch with us to discuss.

Funding Improvements

We have added the following to our funding management solutions:

• EAS data collection has been updated to match 2022/23 ESFA Specifications.

• Two new reports have been added to the Funding Calculator Funding Details report: Occupancy, which shows episodes in learning during the year being finalled, and Out of Funding, which shows any aims that have run out of funding.

• A new option has been added to the Projected Funding by Learning Delivery report to Show LSF on a Separate Row.

• Reflecting the change of the ESFA Apprenticeships Monthly Payments report from a .csv to an .xlsx file, the PICS Funding Reconciler will now accept files in the .xslx format.

LRS Integration Improvements

We have added some additional functionality to our integration with the LRS.

Firstly, it is now possible to register Applicants on the LRS from PICS, rather than only being able to download existing ULNs. This is done from the new LRS tab in the Applicant Summary.

When viewing the Personal Learning Record (PLR) for a learner or applicant, a button is now available to Print the PLR. This will export the PLR data in a printable format.

Finally, a new button has been added to the LRS Integration Summary which allows you to Test Web Service Connection. You will be informed if PICS either can or cannot successfully connect to the LRS web service.

Strict Sites Mode for Vacancies

If you have Strict Sites Mode switched on, any vacancy records will now only be visible to users who have permissions for a site that is associated with the Employer organisation linked to the vacancy.

More information on Strict Sites Mode is available in our Online Help.

New Reports

We have added a range of new Report Templates in this cycle, covering the following entities

• Learner Officers

• Learner Organisations

• Learner ILR Employment Statuses

• Learner Sessions

• Learner Review Signatures

• Applicant Officers

• Applicant Organisations

As always, to see the many other features and improvements that haven't made it to the blog, take a look at the What's New in PICSWeb page.