The analysis workflow describes the bigger picture of analysis and the different steps to undertake when analyzing a topic, and how each step builds upon the findings of the previous ones. Analysis needs to be planned and designed. The analysis workflow has four steps, each of which has several guiding questions and possible outputs.
Four steps of analysis workflow
- Design
- Acquire
- Analyse (explore, describe, explain, interpret, prescribe)
- Communicate
Design
The design phase is about selecting the best strategies for ensuring quality analysis. It is preparatory in essence and elaborates and refine the focus, approach, method, tools, and plan necessary to provide relevant and credible conclusions.
The secret to successful analysis is targeting the analytic product to specific customers and answering the questions they are or should be asking. Make sure you understand the broader perspective by considering the full analytic landscape before narrowing the focus to conceptualize a specific product. Explore and establish the range of analytical approaches or techniques that can be employed to produce the analysis and the benefits of including others in the process.
Preparedness Activities:
- COD Agreements
- Indicators
- Assessment registry
- HID
- Reference maps
Tips
- six -hat or point system
Acquire
You need to think about the information you seek and how you evaluate its relevance and trustworthiness. You also need to manage, store and protect this data in a way that will ease the analysis at a later stage and avoid any misuse or harmful consequences.
The main questions to consider in this phase: What information is already available and usable? What is missing and how to obtain it? How to collect accurate and unbiased information? How Should I Manage, Store and Protect my Data?
Preparedness Activities:
Tips
Analysis
Analysis spectrum, joint analysis
Preparedness activity
Tips
Communicate
The impact of your analysis is largely determined by the organization, clarity, and credibility of your argument. The more tailored your product is to your customer, the more impact it will have.
Do not postpone starting to write. Jot down your initial ideas already during the exploratory phase. This will help structure your thoughts and you can use your notes and unfinished sentences later on when you further develop your end product. Good writing is a function of good thinking but takes time. Analytical writing is developed word by word, sentence by sentence.
Preparedness activities
Tips
Outputs/Resources
Text should include Essential Reading, Additional Readings, Templates. Examples, Tutorials