Posted: October 12th, 2016

he head of HR in your company within that industry/org type has asked you to help her develop a strategy for effectively integrating analytics (and the people who do analytics) into organizational decision-making

Overview
This assignment takes place in the context of the industry and organization type that you were assigned at the beginning of the class ().
The head of HR in your company within that industry/org type has asked you to help her develop a strategy for effectively integrating analytics (and the people who do analytics) into organizational decision-making. She would like a full review of existing strategies, their pros and cons, and your final recommendations in the form of an 8-10 page memo. This assignment will give you an opportunity to critically assess the literature and classroom activities.
Steps
You should take the following steps to complete this assignment:
Step 1: Review the material.
Revisit the readings from modules 4-6, and the discussions we have had in class and online. Pay particular attention to the “soft skills” that are needed by analytics professionals to be effective in organizations, and consider which ones are the most important in this particular company.
Step 2: Analysis
Use your knowledge of the organization, and the role of analytics in it, to develop a strategy that has the following key components:
• The drivers of decision making in your organization
• Strategies for analytics professionals to engage in effective decisions
• Strategies for analytics professionals to demonstrate their competence and expertise
Step 3: Write Your Memo
First, clearly state the challenges in effectively integrating analytics into an organization. Why does HR need a strategy? Then, lay out the key components of your strategy, and discuss why you have selected these components. Why these elements and not others? Finally, identify concrete next steps and action plans that would turn this strategy into a reality.

Assessment
In assessing this assignment, I am looking for evidence of the following:
• You were able to leverage the intersection of data, information, and knowledge to influence decision making with an organization
• You were able to design strategies for communicating analytical findings to a wide variety of stakeholders
• You were able to synthesize and apply the reading material, present concepts clearly in a written format, and make a coherent, well-supported recommendation