521 Using Data and Information for Decision Making

Unit Overview

521 Using Data and Information for Decision Making is a unit within the CMI Level 5 module that aims at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of decisions made within the workplace. In the modern world, evidence-based practice has become a critical practice that helps to support practices that are aligned with decisions making. Leaders must understand the approaches that they should use to ensure they are able to collect adequate information to support the decision-making process. This involves being able to identify relevant information available to them, analysing the information, and making effective and suitable decisions to guide their organisations.

Leaders must also understand different decision-making frameworks. These are frameworks are implemented within the workplace to support the use of the data and information collected to inform the choices that the leaders make.t eh decision-making frameworks revolve around ensuring that the leaders are able to examine all existing alternatives against the data and information that has been analysed to create a rationale and justify their choices. 521 Using Data and Information for Decision Making is a critical unit in contributing towards making the most effective choices within the organisational setting.

The unit helps the leaders to understand reliable forms of data and information that they can use in their daily activities. Leaders are also provided with training on approaches that they can use to ensure that they optimise their performance based on effective decision-making. This unit also introduces the leaders to different methods of analysing data and interpreting it to ensure that it is relevant to their organisational needs. They are guided to appreciate the role that data should play in informing their choices. The unit is taught in 26 hours of guided learning and contributes 6 credit values towards the completion of the module.

Suitability of the Unit

Decision-making is a critical practice for all individuals within the workplace. It is made on the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of the organisation. Leaders and other stakeholders must, therefore, understand the underlying principles that guide the process of collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to effectively support the decision that they make in the organisations. This element is more critical for leaders who must ensure that their decisions are effective and relevant in the context of the general organisation or their specific areas of responsibility. 521 Using Data and Information for Decision Making is therefore suitable to the leaders within the workplace as well as the other stakeholders performing different roles within the workplace.

The unit is mainly designed to improve the performance capability and decision-making practices of middle managers in organisations. The middle managers are responsible for making tactical-level decisions in their departments or lines. The use of information and data is important in this context as it ensures that these operational decisions are effective for meeting the set goals and objectives. The unit is also suitable for senior managers who make decisions at the strategic level and junior leaders who make decisions at the operational level. Employees and external consultants can also improve their decision-making capability by pursuing the content of this unit.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the unit, the learners should be able to:

• Assess the use of data and information in the decision-making process

• Identify the different types of data and information that are reliable in the process of decision making

• Identify the impact of organisation and legal requirements in influencing the use of data and information in decision making

Discuss the role that stakeholder needs play in the collection, analysis and interpretation of 

• data and information in making effective decisions

• Identify the criteria that are used to effectively select data and information relevant to the process of decision-making within the workplace

• Evaluate the tools and techniques for analysing and interpreting data and information that supports decision-making

• Evaluate the method of presenting data and information used for decision making

Key Learning Areas

The unit is critical in ensuring that the leaders can access support in their use of data to support decision-making. The learners are therefore guided to understand different principles that can be used to identify, collect and analyse useful information that can be relied upon within the organisation setting. Some of the main areas of learning within the unit include:

Data and Information in Decisions Making

this area of learning focuses on ensuring that the learners understand the scope and significance of using data and information in decision-making. The learners are guided to understand legal policies such as the data protection act in the UK that dictates the use and access to information within different platforms. The learner is also guided to understand the organisational requirements and ensure that the use of the data is aligned to ensure that they are able to contribute to the goals and objectives of the organisation by impacting the process of making decisions using the data.

Interpreting Data and Information to Support Decision Making

This area of learning guides the learners to understand relevant data that they can implement in the process of making decisions within the workplace. The learners are guided to develop desirable approaches that help to identify and use different tools to collect the data that is relevant in supporting decision-making. Additionally, leaders are guided to understand the principles that are applicable in interpreting data and using them to present their case in justifying decisions that they have made within the workplace. The leaders must understand the methods of presenting the data in interpreted forms through tabulation or using charts to ensure that it is easy to comprehend the meaning and arguments presented within the data sets.

Evaluation

On completing the unit, the learners are put through the evaluation process. This process involves a written assessment which is critical in monitoring and evaluating the ability of the leaders to achieve the desired levels of learning. Other forms of evaluation applicable include simulated exercises and supervised practices.