Arguing with numbers

Communication and engagement ‘Arguing with numbers’

Decisions are best made when we use data to inform them. We need to be able to present data effectively. Which means we need to be good at preparing reports and good at speaking at meetings so that we can introduce and explain the data to everyone there.

These skills – the ability to present numbers on paper and in person – are in short supply. There’s more to presenting data than just presenting.

‘Arguing with Numbers’  is a one-day course that teaches these skills.

Topping and tailing single data exhibits

The first session of the course teaches the basic four-stage toolkit of how to introduce and describe an individual table or chart in a written document or in a spoken presentation.

Adding a second data exhibit for narrative shape

The second session builds on the teaching of the first session by showing how to add a second data exhibit to the first. At this stage we are still operating within the confines of a short, one-side-of-A4 document for written narratives, or a two-minute slot in a meeting for spoken narratives. We show how even a short report or presentation can be given narrative shape if a few simple rules are applied to the way it is ordered and structured.

Shape and structure for longer documents and presentations

When your data-rich report is a longer one (several pages), or when your data presentation is going to run to longer than just two minutes, you need to apply different techniques for shaping and structuring your content. In this session we show how to build an argument from scratch, showing what needs to be included in each section, and how to incorporate data exhibits into the argument.

A practical example

In the final session of the course we take the ‘theory’ from Session 3 and apply it to a practical exercise, building a presentation for a typical meeting in a health and care setting.

Arguing with Numbers is a one-day training course aimed at anyone in health and care organisations, managers, clinicians, analysts—who needs to present data. It deals with written words and numbers. And it deals with spoken words and numbers. It shows how to integrate data into short, simple arguments and it shows you how to integrate data into longer, more complex arguments. It covers situations when things are black-and-white and it deals with situations when you are using data to try and differentiate between the fifty shades of grey in between. It addresses how to anticipate challenging questions. And it does all of this in an inclusive way through real health and care /  NHS data examples.

Audience and pre-requisites
Audience: Anyone who works as an analyst in health and care in the Midlands
No pre-requisites

Duration and start date
One full day (9.30 am -4.00 pm)

Dates available:

• 10/10/23

Location
Online

Registration now closed.