| Before submitting proposals to the Star Chamber Secretariat
You must consider whether the proposed data collection exercise is absolutely necessary.
Information should be collected only if it is absolutely essential for the purpose of policy development, implementation or evaluation. Neither should it be collected when sufficient information is already held by the Department, or can be obtained from another source. You should not propose to collect data that are useful but not essential. Seek advice from the Data Services Group
During the formative stages of any proposal to collect data, the Data Services Group (DSG) can advise on a range of matters, including on what information is already held by, or available to DCSF.
DSG can also advise on issues such as suitable collection mechanisms and sample sizes. Julie Hickey (ext 44182) is the initial DSG contact point for school and/or LA data collections. Graham Knox (ext 62470) will advise on children's services data collections. Roger Edwards (ext 62234) can give advice if you plan for the Department's Data Services Centre to carry out the collection itself.
Clarify how schools, LAs and children's services will benefit from the data collection exercise
For example, do you intend to share the results with them, if so, how can they use the results to help raise standards? If there is no benefit to LAs, schools and children's services you will need to provide robust justification for the exercise on policy grounds. Check the DCSF LA and schools data collection timetables
Julie Hickey (DSG), ext 44182, can also advise you whether any other similar school data collection exercises are planned, or due to take place. Andy Clarke (ext 62258) should be contacted about children's services data collections. Any possible overlap or link should be considered, including whether you can use existing data or an existing exercise to inform your policy, rather than instigating a separate data collection exercise.
Please also see the Data collections calendar
Existing exercises
You should annually:
Review the data that are being collected; and
consider whether you can reduce the burdens of the exercise, for example by cutting the amount of information required, reducing the sample size, making the form more user friendly, making it electronic, or linking it to another existing exercise.
Where the collection exercise is led by Data Services Group e.g. the annual schools census, they will take the lead in consulting relevant policy colleagues. Where Data Services Group do not lead the collection exercise they should still be involved to ensure that the Government's survey control requirements are complied with. | 
