TRAC

TRAC

What is TRAC and why do we have to do it?

Since 1999, all UK higher education institutions have been required to participate in an exercise known as the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC). TRAC requires the University of Worcester to make an annual return to HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England), indicating how it uses the public money that is allocated to it. We are required to indicate how much we have spent on each of the following activities:

  • Teaching (funded from public funds)
  • Teaching (funded from non public funds)
  • Research (funded from public funds)
  • Research (funded from non public funds)
  • Other Activities

  • In order to make this return, we need to estimate the proportion of academic staff salaries that are distributed among each of these activities. To do this, each year we conduct a survey of a sample of staff to tell us how much time they spend on each of the activities. The TRAC exercise is a national requirement, which applies to all universities.

    When does the TRAC survey take place at the University of Worcester?

    A structured approach to the TRAC data collection has been in place at the University since September 2002. With effect from the 2005-2006 data collection, a revised programme has been adopted that is in line with TRAC/fEC requirements. The TRAC/fEC Implementation Steering Group approved this revised programme in November 2005. The revised rolling programme is outlined below per academic year:

  • 2005-2006 - July, August, September and October
  • 2006-2007 - November, December, January and February
  • 2007-2008 - March, April, May and June
  • How long is the survey period?

    The survey runs for 4 months, consisting of between 16 and 17 consecutive weeks during any one academic year.

    Is my Head of Department/Institute involved in the selection process?

    In all TRAC surveys, a 33% ( (FTE) sample is chosen from across all academic departments. Each 33 % sample is approved by Heads of Department prior to staff being informed.

    Can I withdraw from a TRAC survey once I have received my selection letter?

    If you wish to withdraw from the annual TRAC survey, then you must seek approval from your Head of Department. Your Head of Department will then contact the Data Management Unit, confirming your withdrawal and at the same time informing the Data Management Unit of your replacement.

    How can I learn more about TRAC prior to my involvement in the survey?

    Prior to the commencement of each survey, Guidance Notes are issued to staff that provide background information on TRAC and staff requirements during the survey. In addition, staff are invited to attend a Staff Briefing at which they will learn how to submit returns. The briefing is normally held one week prior to the commencement of each survey.

    How often do I need to make a return?

    Staff should make a return for each week of the survey period. Should staff fail to submit a return, they will be routinely contacted. Heads of Department are kept informed of submission rates.

    Where do I record my hours worked in any one week?

    You will record your hours on the Weekly Time Allocation Schedule Calculator (WTASC), which is accessed through the staff intranet.

    Will I receive a reminder to submit my weekly WTASC?

    Yes, all staff included in the survey will receive weekly reminders. Periodically a trawl of non-submissions is completed and further reminders are then also sent out. Heads of Department also receive regular summaries of departmental staff returns.

    Do I record the actual number of hours I have worked in one week?

    Yes, record the actual hours you work, as this could be above the norm of 37 hours per week.

    Is there anything that will help me keep a record of my hours on a daily basis?

    A Weekly TRAC Record Sheet is available for staff to use.

    How do I gain access to the Web based WTASC facility?

    The WTASC is accessible through the staff website. Once logged on, a link called TRAC will be visible. Click on this icon, which will open up the WTASC. The Data Management Unit sets up the TRAC icon to appear on individual staff web pages.

    What do I do if I cannot see the TRAC icon on my Staff Web-page?

    If you cannot see the TRAC Icon listed within 'Your Online Services' section of the staff web page, then please contact the Data Management Unit.

    What sections of the WTASC do I complete?

    When completing the WTASC you need to complete the following:

  • Employment status
  • New Appointment (if applicable)
  • Week ranges (drop down menu)
  • Hours worked against the appropriate headings
  • Additional comments box (if applicable)

  • Further detailed explanation can be found in the General Guidance Notes for Staff available on the TRAC tab.

    How do I allocate my various duties/activities into the headings required on the TRAC web return?

    Two sets of Guidance notes are available to staff to help them complete their weekly returns. Both are available on the WTASC and also on the TRAC page of this website.

  • General Guidance Notes for Staff provides staff with some background information on the various sections of the WTASC and general principles to follow when completing the form.
  • Work/Activity Related Guidance Notes for each appropriate TRAC related heading (e.g. A1 – Teaching).

  • Within each section, work related examples have been included. Staff must use these to apportion workload. Important, please note: Please make sure activities are allocated as indicated in the links provided on the WTASC, even if you think a particular activity would be better placed somewhere else – these are nationally agreed definitions and we must stick to them to ensure the data is comparable and meaningful.

    What do I do if I am absent from the University (e.g. on holiday or on sick leave) during the TRAC survey?

    Annual Holidays and Private Work

    When considering the division of the total time spent on all activities you should exclude any time taken for holidays (statutory or other) and time on private work carried out in personal time (e.g. teaching/consultancy done in evenings/weekends/holiday periods).

    Noting absences on the WTASC

    If you are absent from the University (i.e. annual leave, sick leave) for part or all of a census week, we would ask you to still continue to complete a WTASC for the period in question. If you did not work at all in the week to which the WTASC relates, please use the ‘Additional Dialogue/Comment Box’ to indicate in general the nature of your absence from work (e.g. sickness, leave etc.: not in more detail).

    Completing this will be very helpful in reducing the need for further contact where no returns have been received. If you worked for part of the week to which the WTASC relates, enter details as normal for the hours worked only, and use the ‘Additional Dialogue/Comment Box’ to indicate the period to which leave applied.

    Will the data I submit be confidential?

    The Data Management Unit, the Finance Department and your Head of Department see your completed WTASC, for verification purposes only. For all subsequent uses of data, names are not relevant and anonymity is assured.

    What happens to the data once it has been submitted?

    The percentages and hours are extracted from the WTASC and entered into a database. This database holds cumulative data received from staff year by year and is used to calculate the averaged percentages/hours for each type of appointment (PL, SL etc.) in each Department. These averages are used in the subsequent costing work required by the Transparency Review. The Data Management Unit will create a summary of all your returns, scale them up to equate to your annual workload, and give the resulting figures to Finance for conversion to a financial cost and incorporation in the University’s return.

    When and to whom does the University submit the annual return?

    The annual return is submitted to the Higher Education Funding Council for England in January each year. An example of the proforma return can be seen by clicking here.

    Are we involved in any benchmarking activities?

    Yes regular benchmarking activities take place. These are serviced through J M Consulting and KPMG. In addition, more ad-hoc benchmarking activities take place via the Midlands Costing and Pricing Self Help Group