Principles of analytics

Version 2021. 1 February 2021
Level 3
FoundationCertificatein
People Practice
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TASK ONE: Presenter notes
1.1. Review evidence-based practice and how it is applied within an organisation
One of the more widely-accepted definitions of evidence-based practice is provided by Dr. David
Sackettdefines it as “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in
making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical
expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research.”(Sackett et
al., 1996)
The four sources of evidence for evidence-based practice
There are four sources of evidence for EBP:
 Research evidence - preferably peer reviewed research / scientific literature
 Work-based research (trial and error testing)
 Feedback from the organisation and customers / clients / stakeholders
 Practitioner experience and expertise
The basic 5 stages or steps of evidence-based practice
Over the past 20 years of so, the research into the foundational principals of EBP has developed
into a coherent framework of steps or stages for EBP (Straus et al., 2018) They are as follows:
1. First of all, EBP requires an assessment of the given situation and formulation of the
basic question or questions (hypotheses) that need to be answered in order to address the
problem.
2. Secondly, the evidence should be acquired
through a systematic search of online
resources, books and, in many cases,
specialist journals/databases in the field.
3. An assessment and appraisal of the
materials/evidence needs to take place to

consider the applicability and validity of the given evidence about what type of action or
intervention to pursue and to inform a final decision.
4. The next stage involves integrating the new knowledge into the organisation and applying
it in practice.
5. Finally, an evaluation of performance takes place through mechanisms, such as feedback
from relevant stakeholders.
1.2. Explain the reasons why it is important to use data to help assist organisational
improvements and why this data need to be timely, ethical and accurate
Skilled data analysts are the key to effective business decision making. The right software and
infrastructure will help to identify trends in the market. Businesses can utilize data analytics to
better understand their client base. This information can of course be targeted at more effective
marketing strategies.
Data analytics is the key to driving productivity, efficiency and revenue growth. The results from
analyzing data sets is going to tell an organisation where they can optimize, which processes can
be optimized or automated, which processes they can get better efficiencies out of and which
processes are unproductive and thus can have resources dedicated away. In this way cost
effectiveness is increased as areas that are hording a company’s finances unnecessarily can be
identified and decisions can be made around technologies that can be put in place to reduce
operational and production costs. (Kiron, 2017).
Low-quality data adversely impacts many areas of business performance. In particular, it can
translate into incomplete customer or prospect data, wasted marketing and communications
efforts, increased spending and, overall, worse decision-making. Therefore, improving data
quality should be a top priority for all businesses.

1.3. Explain two different types of data measurements and information that can be used
by people professionals, and how they are each used to collect and collate information
to support effective decision making.
Level of measurement or scale of measure is a classification that describes the nature of
information within the numbers assigned to variables. Psychologist Stanley Smith Stevens
developed the best known classification with four levels or scales of measurement: nominal,
ordinal, interval, and ratio.
Nominal Scale:A nominal scale of measurement deals with variables that are non-numeric or
where the numbers have no value. The lowest measurement level you can use, from a statistical
point of view, is a nominal scale. A nominal scale, as the name implies, is simply some placing
of data into categories, without any order or structure. A physical example of a nominal scale is
the terms we use for colours. The underlying spectrum is ordered but the names are nominal. In
research activities a YES/NO scale is nominal. It has no order and there is no distance between
YES and NO. (Velleman, & Wilkinson, 2011).
Interval Scale:Interval scales are numeric scales in which we know not only the order, but also
the exact differences between the values. The classic example of an interval scale is Celsius
temperature because the difference between each value is the same. For example, the difference
between 60 and 50 degrees is a measurable 10 degrees, as is the difference between 80 and 70
degrees. Time is another good example of an interval scale in which the increments are known,
consistent, and measurable. (Velleman, & Wilkinson, 2011).
1.5. Explain how organisational policies, procedures and other forms of evidence can be
used to support appropriate choices and decisions.
Organisational policies and procedures provide guidelines for decision making processes and the
way that work in an organisation should be carried out. The result of having clear, well-written
policies and procedures are increased transparency, accountability, uniformity and stability.