You can't have Data-driven Policy if your Leaders are Analytics Illiterate - PowerPoint Presentation

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You can't have Data-driven Policy if your Leaders are Analytics Illiterate

Frontiers of Data Science for GovernmentUniversity of CambridgeSeptember 15, 2016

Richard R. Lee, IMECS, (E: richard.lee@infomgmtexec.com), (T): InfoMgmtExec

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Abstract

: The notion of Data-driven Policy making and its associated Governance, is often challenged by the fact that the vast majority of Politicians, Civil Servants, Champions of Industry & Non-Profit Leaders are basically illiterate in the domains of data, analytics & decision science. Most of these leaders have come up through their careers making decisions based on gut instinct (experience), group think (consensus) or by using a modicum of summary data & visual analysis, but few have either a base in decision science or statistics, much less have bootstrapped themselves along their careers to become Data & Analytics Literate. 

Educators today are faced with the daunting task of preparing future generations of Leaders who must have deep competencies & acumen in all aspects of data, analysis & decision science. Many have chosen to focus on the dubious discipline of so-called Data Science. These endeavors are for the most part a cynical attempt by educators to latch onto the latest fad and to create degree programs based upon cobbling together a

Hodge

podge of disciplines which is sold to unsuspecting students as either an Undergraduate or Post Graduate degree opportunity. All fail at their mission and leave graduates, much less future leaders, with a degree that is sorely lacking in the core skills and competencies required to succeed with. In my presentation to the Conference I will trace the roots of how we got into such a mess, what needs to be done to prepare individuals to become Data-driven Leaders and how Educators must re-think their approach to creating/adjust curriculum and programs to put all students on a path to Data & Analytics competency and mastery no matter their chosen field of endeavor. I will focus specifically on the notion of Top-down Data Leadership that I coined several years ago and use to drive convergence on the key issues and competencies required by all Leaders, Managers & Employees to be use data, analytics & decision science pervasively across their Organizations. 

Richard R. Lee, IMECS, (E: richard.lee@infomgmtexec.com), (T): InfoMgmtExec

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Data & Analytics Literacy are Table Stakes for Government & Civil Service Leaders

Politicians & Mandarins Routinely Abuse Official Statistics & Government Data to advance their Agendas & Ideologies

Scottish Referendum 2104General Election of 2015BREXIT Referendum 2016

IP Bill

Etc. Etc. Etc.These same Leaders also fiercely advocate for Data-driven Policy, Evidence-based Decision Making, Open Data, Data Science for All, Digital Everywhere, etc.Richard R. Lee, IMECS, (E: richard.lee@infomgmtexec.com), (T): InfoMgmtExec3

Core Competencies for Data-driven Policy Makers

Proven LeadershipLiteracy in Data & Analytics

Commitment to Data-driven Decision Making e.g facts, evidence, etc.Belief in Early (much less life-long) Data & Analytics Education for all

Embraces the discipline of Decision Science

Richard R. Lee, IMECS, (E: richard.lee@infomgmtexec.com), (T): InfoMgmtExec4

Reference Information

“Data Driven Government; Oxymoron or Reality?”, InfoMgmtExec

Blog (http://bit.ly/2bVgGWG)“Evaluating the Big Data & Analytics Acumen of Business Leaders”, IBM Data Magazine: June 2014

“Brexit: Picking up the Pieces”, (pp50), Information Age: July/August 2016

“Dubious Data, Questionable Facts & Enlightened self-interests: BREXIT runs amuck with the Truth”, InfoMgmtExec Blog (http://bit.ly/2bVgZ3F) Richard R. Lee, IMECS, (E: richard.lee@infomgmtexec.com), (T): InfoMgmtExec5