What is the challenge your project is going to address and how does it connect to the theme?

It is estimated that 10,000 analysts are employed within the NHS undertaking roles spanning data analyst to data scientist.  These individuals have a vital role to play in ensuring that the best decisions are made to improve patient care.  These decisions can include day to day decisions on how to plan elective recovery to strategic transformational programmes.

Currently, there is no consistent approach for professional development of analysts.  Historically, development opportunities have been limited, costly, and have varied significantly.  The recent creation of a national competency framework for analytics (commissioned by NHSX and delivered by AphA) provides a structured approach for the development of the analyst community.

This project has strong support from the analyst community and provides an opportunity to standardise development opportunities for analysts in health and social care.  It will enable the delivery of best practice analytic approaches at scale delivered via a robust digital e-learning platform.

What does your project aim to achieve?

This project aims to establish a framework for delivery of at scale training for analysts in health and social care (with the potential for utilisation by analysts across health and care systems).  This will be achieved by developing a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) which will be free for all analysts to access – regardless of their employer or geographic location.

The project will result in the development of a minimum of 20 modules and the establishment of a methodology for the creation of further content.  The MOOC will be hosted on the NHSEI e-learning platform.  Content will be CPD accredited and will span a wide range of topics structured into categories of fundamentals, intermediate and advanced – supporting ICS intelligence function development.

Upskilling analysts and providing them with tools to analyse data effectively will enable them to provide evidence-based insight. Identifying and addressing system challenges and health inequalities.

How will the project be delivered?

A Making Data Count analyst network has been in place for 18 months which has met virtually monthly.  The network has grown from a handful of people to a membership of 550. The proposal to develop a MOOC was presented to the network in December 2021.  This received strong support from members who participated in a slido poll to identify which topics should be developed as a priority.

A steering board (including network members) will oversee this project.  The content for a number of modules will be developed to by network members, whilst it will be necessary to commission other modules from elsewhere.

An evaluation plan will be developed to ensure that quantitative and qualitative information is obtained to shape the project and understand it’s impact.  Estimating that 2,000 analysts participate in the MOOC over the duration of this project, this would equate to a cost of £20 per head.

How is your project going to share learning?

Outputs from the project will be shared as work progresses and will consist of a variety of formats including youtube videos, engaging infographics reports and podcasts.  These will be notified to key networks and organisations including Q members, AphA, the Making Data Count analyst network, NHSX and updates provided via Twitter.