Our new Data for leaders training course: the results are in

Ben Proctor, Innovation Director

This year we launched our first open training course on data for nonprofit leaders.

We know that leaders are key to an organisation improving its data maturity. We also know that data skills are a weak point across our sector – and particularly at leadership level. This has been borne out time and again in our State of the Sector research, in which we measure and track nonprofit data maturity, including looking at the factors that seem to influence it most.

Delivering data skills training was already a core part of our services. However, in the past we’ve typically delivered these courses in-house, where we tailor the training to the specific needs of the organisation.

In this case, we wanted to increase our impact on data maturity in the sector, by reaching a number of organisations at one time. But with an open course we were conscious that we could have people from a very wide range of organisations at different stages of data maturity and bringing very different strengths and areas for improvement.

With this in mind, we designed the course so that this diversity would be a strength. We structured each session to ensure that there would be plenty of opportunity for group work and peer-learning, alongside our training and guidance.

We were also conscious that CEOs and leaders have busy schedules, and setting aside time for training is not always easy. So, we divided the course into five, two-hour sessions. In the first session we explore data maturity as a whole and in subsequent sessions we explore the seven themes of data maturity, ending with culture and change.

This year we timed one session a week. This gives participants the opportunity to apply that week's learning in the office and reflect on their new skills, before jumping into a new area. Delivering the sessions online also helps people fit this into busy diaries.

The first cohort of our Data for nonprofit leaders programme concluded at the end of May and we’ve now gathered feedback from all our participants.

So how did we do?

Well, we’re pleased to say that so far all participants have rated the course as good overall and agreed that "the content and resources were of high quality", "the trainers/facilitators were skilled in presentation and delivery" and "it was fun and engaging".

Participants in our first Data for Nonprofit Leaders cohort

The feedback on the course has been really positive:

One participant told us “It was a very useful all-round course, with good, useful models and knowledgeable delivery. Not technical, so very consumable, and in bite-sized chunks, so relatively easy to fit into a busy schedule.”

Another said "It's a good course for people who are quite new to data, providing a good overview of all aspects. And the facilitation was really good - interesting content, kept to time, right level of conversation"

Another said it provided "Very helpful context and practical steps for thinking and acting on data"

And another said “The course was well structured and the sessions had a good mix of theory/interaction”

Interested?

Our next Data for nonprofit leaders course begins 20 September 2023, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming a new cohort.

There are still a few slots available, with earlybird pricing expiring at the end of July, so get in quick if you want to book.