Training course

Overview

Strategic Data-Driven Decision Making is a professional training course designed to strengthen the ability of senior managers, leaders, analysts, and strategic professionals to use organisational data, analytical evidence, performance intelligence, and structured decision frameworks to support long-term organisational priorities. The course focuses on connecting data and evidence with strategy formulation, resource allocation, performance management, risk management, organisational transformation, and strategic execution. Participants learn how to frame complex strategic questions, identify decision-critical evidence, evaluate competing priorities, and convert analytical findings into clear strategic choices and measurable actions.

The course provides practical techniques and tools for strategic data analysis and decision support, including Microsoft Excel, pivot tables, KPI dashboards, performance scorecards, trend analysis, variance analysis, ratios, benchmarks, decision matrices, weighted criteria, scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, risk registers, and strategic decision briefs. Participants explore established management frameworks such as the Balanced Scorecard, Results-Based Management, SMART objectives, PDCA, risk-based decision making, root-cause analysis, Theory of Change, and evidence-to-action approaches. Practical activities demonstrate how these frameworks can be integrated into strategic planning, budgeting, portfolio management, organisational performance, programme management, customer strategy, workforce planning, and operational improvement.

Strategic decisions frequently involve incomplete information, uncertainty, competing objectives, and conflicting evidence. This course therefore develops advanced analytical judgement and evidence-quality assessment skills. Participants examine descriptive statistics, trends, ratios, correlation, regression, probability, confidence intervals, uncertainty, forecasting outputs, and analytical assumptions while distinguishing statistical significance from practical and strategic significance. The programme addresses bias, missing data, outliers, measurement error, confounding, selection effects, inconsistent definitions, model assumptions, misleading visualisations, and correlation-versus-causation challenges. Participants learn to triangulate quantitative evidence with qualitative intelligence, stakeholder knowledge, contextual information, and professional judgement.

Through strategic case studies, practical exercises, decision simulations, scenario-planning activities, group challenges, and an applied capstone, participants develop a complete strategic decision-making process from problem definition to implementation and review. The training emphasises strategic trade-offs, risk and uncertainty, resource constraints, alternative evaluation, decision robustness, evidence communication, governance, monitoring, and continuous learning. By the end of the five-day programme, participants will be better equipped to evaluate strategic options, challenge assumptions, identify material risks and opportunities, communicate evidence-based recommendations, align decisions with organisational objectives, and establish practical systems for monitoring the results of strategic decisions.

Course Duration

5 Days (40 Hours)

Target Participants

This course is suitable for:
• Senior managers, department heads, and organisational leaders
• Strategy, planning, transformation, and organisational development professionals
• Data, business intelligence, analytics, and management information professionals
• Senior researchers, research managers, and analytical professionals
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL/MEL) professionals
• Programme, portfolio, and project managers
• Performance management and organisational improvement professionals
• Finance, accounting, audit, risk, and management reporting professionals
• Marketing, customer intelligence, sales, and market research professionals
• Operations and service-delivery leaders
• Human resources, workforce analytics, and organisational effectiveness professionals
• Supply chain, procurement, logistics, and resource planning professionals
• Policy, planning, development, NGO, government, and public-sector professionals
• Consultants, advisers, and professional services practitioners
• Executives and managers responsible for strategic KPIs, dashboards, and performance reviews
• Professionals involved in strategic planning, budgeting, investment, and resource allocation
• Professionals responsible for research, reports, forecasts, models, and strategic evidence
• Leaders supervising analysts, researchers, consultants, or strategic planning teams
• Professionals responsible for organisational risk, performance, governance, and continuous improvement
• Academics and postgraduate researchers applying data to strategic and organisational decisions

Course Objectives

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:
• Explain the strategic role and value of data-driven decision making in organisational leadership and strategy
• Distinguish between data, information, evidence, insights, judgement, strategic decisions, and organisational actions
• Translate strategic priorities, organisational challenges, risks, and opportunities into structured decision questions
• Define strategic objectives, stakeholders, constraints, alternatives, decision criteria, assumptions, and expected outcomes
• Identify decision-critical data sources and assess accuracy, completeness, relevance, consistency, timeliness, and credibility
• Evaluate data provenance, definitions, metadata, assumptions, limitations, and contextual factors
• Analyse KPIs, targets, benchmarks, trends, ratios, variances, gaps, exceptions, and strategic performance indicators
• Use Excel, pivot tables, dashboards, scorecards, charts, and analytical summaries for strategic decision support
• Apply descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, probability, confidence intervals, uncertainty, and forecasting concepts
• Distinguish statistical significance from practical and strategic significance
• Distinguish correlation from causation and identify evidence requirements for stronger strategic conclusions
• Identify bias, missing data, outliers, measurement error, confounding, selection effects, and inconsistent definitions
• Critically evaluate analytical reports, forecasts, models, dashboards, research findings, and strategic evidence
• Apply decision matrices, weighted criteria, prioritisation, cost-benefit thinking, and multi-criteria decision analysis
• Apply risk assessment, scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, and decision robustness techniques
• Use root-cause analysis to investigate strategic and organisational performance problems
• Integrate quantitative evidence with qualitative intelligence, stakeholder perspectives, contextual information, and professional judgement
• Apply Balanced Scorecard, Results-Based Management, SMART, PDCA, Theory of Change, risk-based decision making, and evidence-to-action principles
• Assess strategic trade-offs, constraints, risks, uncertainty, opportunities, and potential unintended consequences
• Develop evidence-based strategic recommendations, decision briefs, dashboards, and action plans
• Communicate strategic evidence, alternatives, risks, assumptions, and decision rationale effectively to senior stakeholders
• Establish implementation, monitoring, accountability, feedback, and review mechanisms for strategic decisions
• Apply ethical, responsible, transparent, and governed approaches to organisational data and strategic evidence
• Complete an applied strategic data-driven decision-making capstone

Course Content

Day 1: Foundations of Strategic Data-Driven Decision Making

Module 1: Foundations of Strategic Data-Driven Decision Making

1.      The Strategic Role of Data-Driven Decision Making in Organisational Strategy

2.      Data, Information, Evidence, Insights, Judgement, Strategic Decisions, and Action

3.      Translating Strategic Priorities into Decision Questions and Evidence Requirements

4.      Defining Strategic Objectives, Stakeholders, Constraints, Alternatives, and Decision Criteria

5.      Identifying Strategic Data Sources, Management Information, Research, and Organisational Intelligence

6.      Data Quality, Provenance, Definitions, Metadata, Completeness, and Credibility

7.      Strategic KPIs, SMART Objectives, Targets, Benchmarks, and Performance Indicators

8.      Strategic Decision-Making Frameworks and Evidence-to-Action Principles

9.      Case Study: Diagnosing a Strategic Organisational Challenge Using Evidence

10.  Practical Exercise: Building a Strategic Data-Driven Decision Framework

Day 2: Strategic Data Analysis, Performance Intelligence, and Decision Support

Module 2: Strategic Data Analysis, Performance Intelligence, and Decision Support

1.      Microsoft Excel for Strategic Data Analysis and Decision Support

2.      Preparing and Structuring Data for Strategic Performance Analysis

3.      Pivot Tables, Advanced Summaries, Charts, and Strategic Management Information

4.      Analysing Trends, Growth Rates, Ratios, Variances, Benchmarks, and Strategic Gaps

5.      Strategic KPI Dashboards, Scorecards, and Performance Monitoring

6.      Multidimensional Analysis of Financial, Operational, Customer, Workforce, and Programme Data

7.      Selecting Effective Visualisations for Strategic Evidence and Executive Communication

8.      Decision Matrices, Weighted Criteria, Prioritisation, and Strategic Option Assessment

9.      Scenario Analysis, Sensitivity Analysis, and What-If Strategic Modelling

10.  Practical Exercise: Developing a Strategic Decision-Support Dashboard and Evidence Brief

Day 3: Statistical Evidence, Uncertainty, and Strategic Judgement

Module 3: Statistical Evidence, Uncertainty, and Strategic Judgement

1.      Descriptive Statistics and Quantitative Evidence for Strategic Decisions

2.      Interpreting Distributions, Averages, Rates, Ratios, Variation, and Performance Measures

3.      Correlation, Regression, and Relationships in Strategic and Organisational Data

4.      Statistical Significance, Confidence Intervals, Effect Sizes, and Uncertainty

5.      Statistical Significance Versus Practical and Strategic Significance

6.      Correlation Versus Causation in Strategic Decision Making

7.      Bias, Missing Data, Outliers, Measurement Error, Confounding, and Selection Effects

8.      Critical Review of Forecasts, Models, Research Reports, Dashboards, and Analytical Evidence

9.      Triangulating Quantitative Evidence, Qualitative Intelligence, and Strategic Judgement

10.  Case Study and Exercise: Evaluating Conflicting Evidence Before a Strategic Decision

Day 4: Advanced Strategic Decision Analysis, Risk, and Scenario Planning

Module 4: Advanced Strategic Decision Analysis, Risk, and Scenario Planning

1.      Advanced Strategic Decision Structuring and Multi-Criteria Analysis

2.      Root-Cause Analysis for Complex Organisational and Strategic Problems

3.      Strategic Risk Assessment and Risk-Based Decision Making

4.      Scenario Planning, Sensitivity Analysis, and Strategic Stress Testing

5.      Cost-Benefit Analysis, Resource Allocation, and Strategic Investment Prioritisation

6.      Managing Uncertainty, Conflicting Indicators, and Incomplete Strategic Evidence

7.      Cognitive Biases, Groupthink, Overconfidence, and Strategic Decision Risks

8.      Applying Balanced Scorecard, Results-Based Management, Theory of Change, and PDCA

9.      Case Study: Evaluating Strategic Alternatives Under Risk, Uncertainty, and Resource Constraints

10.  Practical Exercise: Developing and Stress-Testing a Strategic Decision and Risk Assessment

Day 5: Strategic Decision Intelligence, Governance, and Capstone

Module 5: Strategic Decision Intelligence, Governance, and Capstone

1.      Integrating Data, Evidence, Strategy, Risk, and Professional Judgement

2.      Developing Evidence-Based Strategic Recommendations and Decision Briefs

3.      Communicating Strategic Options, Evidence, Risks, Trade-Offs, and Decision Rationale

4.      Presenting Strategic Data and Analytical Evidence to Executives and Key Stakeholders

5.      Designing Strategic Implementation Plans, Accountabilities, Resources, and Timelines

6.      Establishing Strategic KPIs, Monitoring Systems, Feedback Loops, and Review Mechanisms

7.      Evaluating Strategic Decision Outcomes, Organisational Learning, and Continuous Improvement

8.      Ethical, Responsible, Transparent, and Governed Use of Strategic Data and Evidence

9.      Integrated Case Study: End-to-End Strategic Data-Driven Decision Simulation

10.  Capstone Exercise: Analyse Strategic Evidence, Evaluate Alternatives, Assess Risk, Make and Communicate a Strategic Decision