This 2 -day online training course provides an end-to-end guide to why, what and how a data strategy should be created and implemented in an organisation. It is based on the book, Data Strategy: from definition to execution, published by BCS and takes a practical and interactive approach to guide participants through the process and uses case studies to inform and enhance understanding. By the end of the course, participants should be aware of what is involved in devising a strategy and taking it through to implementation

Data underpins everything we do in organisations today. Whether being able to transact with customers or suppliers, pay employees, demonstrate legal compliance or enable processes to work to deliver products or services, data is critical to the smooth running of every organisation, whether private or public sector, large or small, regardless of where we operate in the world. This course is designed to provide practical experience in just two days to bring to life the rationale and challenges in trying to define and implement a data strategy in any organisation. 

This course is aimed at anyone who is either undertaking the definition or execution of a data strategy, is reviewing a data strategy or is simply curious to learn more about the process of defining and implementing a data strategy. As it underpins all data-related activity, it is relevant to anyone in a data role, as well as those who are in positions related to data exploitation, including data scientists, data analysts and business intelligence professionals. 

The approach follows the same structure as the book, Data Strategy: from definition to execution. Each chapter is brought to life through case studies and the interaction of those attending the course in applying specific learning points to develop understanding and build confidence step-by-step.

The approach follows the same structure as the book, Data Strategy: from definition to execution. Each chapter is brought to life through case studies and the interaction of those attending the course in applying specific learning points to develop understanding and build confidence step-by-step.

Data – what are your challenges?

• Background to the data landscape today
• Why does data matter?
• How does a data strategy help?

Why a data strategy?

• What is a data strategy, and why is it relevant to me?
• Strategy alignment
• Be CLEAR!
• Positioning the data strategy

Data strategy scope

• Setting goals
• Contextualising the data strategy
• Organisational readiness and maturity
• Scope and rationale
• Control or exploitation, or both?

Composing the data strategy

• Accessibility
• Deliver with PRIDE!
• Acid test

The route map

• Keeping it grounded
• Timescales
• Setting waymarkers
• Planning for success
• Presenting the route map

Content, structure and alignment

• Approach to defining the content
• Determining the content
• Structuring the content
• Strategy alignment
• Keeping it relevant

Communications, culture and change

• ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’
• Barriers to change
• Sponsorship
• Organisational maturity
• Transitioning communications to delivery

Executing the data strategy – the plan

• Transition to executing the data strategy
• Why do data strategy implementations fail?
• The planning cycle
• Dependencies – the iceberg
• Agility and flexibility
• Capability assessment
• Avoiding strategy paralysis

Executing the data strategy - delivery

• Assigning roles and responsibilities
• Plan for action, prepare for change
• Customer engagement
• Project teams, PMO and the data and analytics function
• The prioritisation challenge requirements
• Benefits definition and tracking
• Flexibility in execution
• Managing the impact of change
• Assessing the impact of change
• Capability reassessment and the role of learning and development
• Communicating change
• Dynamic data strategy

Assessing value in data strategy implementation

• Evaluation to generate measurement
• Benefits realisation
• Performance frameworks
• Earned value
• Maturity assessments
• Data as an asset

Data strategy: from definition to execution

• Culture
• Ready to sail?
• Revolution versus evolution
• Prioritisation, dependencies and capabilities
• Evaluation and measurement
• Sponsorship, executive buy-in and stakeholder management communications
• Aligning and embedding the strategies
• Balancing risk
• Plan for success
• The next wave
• Does one size data strategy fit all?
• Conclusions

This course is aimed at anyone who is either undertaking the definition or execution of a data strategy, is reviewing a data strategy or is simply curious to learn more about the process of defining and implementing a data strategy. As data strategy underpins all data-related activity, it is relevant to anyone in a data role, as well as those who are in positions related to data exploitation, including data scientists, data analysts and business intelligence professionals. It is also suited to those who are in strategy roles to gain a better understanding of how data strategy fits within wider corporate strategies, those in digital and IT-related roles who need to interact with data and have a coherent approach to how to structure data, programme managers who are delivering data-related activity within an organisation and legal and compliance professionals who need to demonstrate controls and clarity on direction.