Leadership Development for Data Analysts

with with Fraser Battye, The Strategy Unit

Even world-beating analysis makes no difference if it is not used. And every route that goes from ‘high-quality analysis’ to ‘improved outcomes for the populations we serve’ must – at some stage – involve decision makers. The analyst-decision maker relationship is therefore vital. The healthier the relationship, the higher the scope for impact.

But analysts and decision makers sometimes seem as though they are from different planets. They typically have very different professional and disciplinary backgrounds; they operate in different environment and respond to different incentives; there is usually a steep power gradient, which does not run in the analysts’ favour. And healthy working relationships don’t come about by magic.

This session draws on the Strategy Unit’s work to encourage fruitful analyst-decision maker relationships. Run by Fraser Battye, the session will provide a taster of some of the methods, tips and techniques that the Unit sees as helpful to analysts in working with decision makers. It will zero in on two elements of this: 1) Sources of power for analysts, and 2) Tips for presenting results.

The session will be participatory. It will not be a lecture, so please come prepared to contribute.