ESF Information Memo 19/22 - database legacy issues

Dear Project Promoter

Legacy team

As discussed at the June Keeping in Touch meetings, a Call 2 Legacy Team has been established to help you ensure that the data and documentation on ESIF will not only meet the EU Auditing of Programme requirement but also reduce any future audit queries from the EC or Audit Authority.

While records for Yr1, 2 and 4 of Call 2 have been verified by us (the Managing Authority and the Audit Authority) the data will now be subject to EC audits. As the staff available, for projects and us, reduces this exercise to upload as much as possible and to limit errors will counteract EC requests for hardcopy evidence.

We are now in the position to issue support papers to prompt areas that may have been missed.

The data used to inform this exercise was taken on 13 October 2022. So, particularly for LTRI entries and uploads, it may seem well out of date. Please use any templates or requests issued to you as a check and update and return if requested to.

The majority of checks that will issue to you will relate to evidence documents that have not been uploaded, however they may also highlight admin errors that have been identified and require correction.

If there is an admin error that requires amendment, but the record has been locked, the two options are:

• locked because the record has been verified – email to esfperformancemonitoring@economy-ni.gov.uk to request that the record is unlocked
• locked because the participant is with another project – fully complete an ESIF-R1 form at: ESF Information Memo 21/20 - Transfer of edit function of ESIF database and send to esfperformancemonitoring@economy-ni.gov.uk to action.

Guide and items to check

For the evidence documentation, there is a guide and a list of common errors or things to check:

1 Participant Training Plans (PTP)

Ensure all sections of the PTP completed as per ESF memo 15/22.

Educational Attainment must state highest grade attained (“level 4” not acceptable – must state “KS4”, “NVQ4” “ISCED 4” etc.)

Ethnic Minority section must be completed (“N/A”, scored through, and left blank are not acceptable)

Only one section should be ticked against the Labour Market Status of the PTP. Participants who declare paid hours of work on entry must not be recorded as economically inactive.

Ensure details recorded on PTP match the details recorded on ESIF Database.

PTPs uploaded without participant’s wet signature must be accompanied by email/text clearly showing to be coming from the participant and confirming the details held on the PTP to be true and accurate:

• ESF memo 18/21

2 Immediate Result Indicator (IRI) Declaration

Ensure all sections of the IRI self-declaration form completed and uploaded to the ESIF data base.

Outcomes uploaded to the data base must match outcomes selected on the data base

If completed by project, both sections of the declaration are to be signed and dated by the project including stating the method of contact with the participant.

If signed by participant, (but not a wet signature), it must be accompanied by email/text clearly showing to be coming from the participant and confirming the details held on the IRI to be true and accurate (ESF Memo 18/21).

Selection of Engaged in Job Searching or Gained a Qualification will not release the IRI upload facility. For these outcomes, No Positive Outcome must also be selected, this will release the upload facility.

3 Long Term Result Indicator (LTRI) Declaration

LTRI - ESF Memo 10/19 relates.

Ensure all records have a LTRI recorded on the data base and relevant document uploaded.

Always try to contact the participant - “could not contact” outcome requires documentation as per ESF Information Memo 11/19.

4 Disability Declaration

Disability declaration (ESF Memo 29/18 Disability Projects only)

Ensure disability status is ticked on data base and fully completed document is uploaded:

• ESF Information Memo 29/18 - Declaration of Disability

Note: access to upload PTPs, IRI declarations/evidence or LTRI declarations/evidence is accessible for all records by the LTRI button on the main page, rather than the edit button. The team does not have the facility to upload documents to the live site.

Document retention

In accordance with Article 140(1) of Regulation (EU) number 1303/2013, all projects funded under ESF 2014-20 Programme must retain records until December 2030. Prior to destruction of any documents, confirmation should be sought from the Managing Authority – ESF Information Memo 22/21 refers.

Performance related documentation (IRI, PTP, LTRI,) can only be destroyed once it has been correctly uploaded to the ESIF data base, otherwise it needs to be retained until 2030– ESF Information memo 18/21 refers.

Also relevant is ESF Information Memo 16/22 - document retention period 2007-2014 ESF Programme

ESF guidance notes

This section contains links to the ESF Guidance notes which also contains a manual to support you with the performance management module of ESIF.

Guidance documents relating to participant data and the operation of the performance monitoring module of ESIF:

• Call 3 Promoter Guidance on Participant Eligibility, Data Collection and Validation
• PDB Guidance note 5 - ESF Promoter ESIF Guidance for Uploading and Amending Participant Records on the ESIF Database

Projects will be contacted individually by a member of the team if gaps have been identified. If you have any queries now or when you are contacted, please contact us at esfperformancemonitoring@economy-ni.gov.uk stating Call 2 Legacy in the subject line.

Kind regards,

Sarah Sheppard
Performance Manager