Technical Learning Curriculum
The Analysis Function represents around 17,000 analysts in a diverse range of roles and teams across government. One of our major strategic objectives is to ensure that we have skilled analysts in the right place at the right time to realise our ambitions. Fundamental to this is providing a robust learning offer that develops core analytical skills and promotes high quality career pathways for government analysts.
We also recognise the importance of all non-analytical civil servants growing their capability and confidence in analysis. We would encourage non-analysts to use the Technical Learning Curriculum as well as supporting resources such as the Analytical Learning Pathway for non-analysts.
The “70:20:10” Learning Model
The Analysis Function is committed to promoting a learning model where:
- 70% of learning is experiential — this means it happens through daily tasks, challenges and practice
- 20% of learning is social — this means it happens with and through other people, like colleagues
- 10% of learning is formal — this means it happens through structured training courses and programs
This is known as a 70:20:10 learning model.
The Analysis Function Career Framework sets out resources and support to help you with:
- experiential learning, which should take up 70% of your time
- social learning, which should take up 20% of your time
The Framework also gives details about a range of cross-cutting skills themes.
The Technical Learning Curriculum is an extension of the Career Framework and represents the formal technical learning, which should take up 10% of your time.
Who the curriculum is for
The Technical Learning Curriculum is designed to be used by:
- government analysts who are planning their career and development options
- leaders within government analysis that are interested in building capability within analytical teams
- non-analyst civil servants who want to develop analytical knowledge and skills
- people who are considering a career move to government analysis now or in the future
- any other people or organisations that are interested in government analysis
How to use the Technical Learning Curriculum
The Technical Learning Curriculum can be used with the following Analysis Function products:
- Analysis Function Career Framework — this includes role profiles, case studies and defined core skills across the Function
- Analysis Function Learning Pathways — the pathways provide more detailed and specialist theme-based learning on core analytical subjects
- Analysis Function Resourcing Hub — this gives details about routes into analysis and best practice when recruiting analysts
- Analysis Function Guidance Hub — this provides advice, guidance and resources across a range of analytical subjects
The Technical Learning Curriculum provides signposts to a significant number of technical learning modules that you may wish to register for. These learning modules can either be completed on their own, or in combination with other types of learning.
The curriculum is intended to complement any learning and development resources and modules that are available to you within your team, department, and profession. It can help you to build a comprehensive Personal Development Plan made up of high-quality learning from multiple sources.
We are always interested in including additional learning within the curriculum. If you have any suggestions for learning to add to the curriculum, please email us at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.
How the Technical Learning Curriculum is consistent with the government Learning Frameworks and the work of the Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU)
The Government Campus and Prospectus Online provide all civil servants with access to learning and resources around five main work strands. These are:
- Strand 1: Foundations of Public Administration
- Strand 2: Working in government
- Strand 3: Leading and managing
- Strand 4: Specialist skills
- Strand 5: Domain knowledge
We would recommend that learners consult with all strands of Prospectus Online within the Government Campus to develop a holistic approach to their learning and development.
The Curriculum
We have created a comprehensive range of recommended learning and resources. The Data Analytics section describes a range of cross-cutting skills and modules that are useful for most analysts in government and across specialisms and disciplines. This includes links to useful software and programming learning.
We have worked closely with colleagues across the analytical professions to provide a summary of specialist learning that is recommended for their areas.
The modules listed in most cases are available to most civil servants through platforms such as Campus Online and other channels. It is important to be aware that these resources are not exhaustive, and you may wish to research further learning in other areas of government and beyond.
Much of the learning in the Technical Learning Curriculum is free to access and based on online e-learning. But some learning opportunities involve in-person or group face to face sessions, which you may have to pay to complete. We would recommend that you explore any requirement for funding with your line manager before beginning any courses that involve paying a fee.
Data analytics
Data analytics covers a wide range of technical knowledge across all professions and roles. This list of learning will cover a range of technical skills used across the analysis function.
The Analysis Function has several guidance and learning modules available:
- Releasing statistics in spreadsheets
- Making spreadsheets accessible — a checklist of the basics
- Using symbols and shorthand in tables
- Data visualisation e-learning
- Dashboards
- Data visualisation in R or Python
- Introduction to editing and imputation
There are free modules available on Government Campus:
There are also modules available on Government Campus for a fee:
- Data and analysis
- Quality of evidence, uncertainty of risk
- Microsoft Excel Intermediate
- Presenting Data Effectively
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Learning Hub has a collection of modules available to develop your core analytical skills. Please note that access to the following learning is restricted to people with ONS Learning Hub access:
The Government Campus offer a collection of software, coding and analytical tools:
- Fundamentals of R
- Microsoft Excel Essentials
- Excel Forecasting and Data Analysis
- Introduction to SQL Programming
- Microsoft Power BI Desktop
- Microsoft Power BI — Modelling, Visualisation and Publishing
- Microsoft Power BI — Reporting
- Power BI Desktop for Technical Users
- Practical Data Science with Python
- Programming Foundations (Python)
- Fundamentals of Big Data
Other useful resources include:
- Data Visualisation Thinking e-learning from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) — this is a useful resource on how to approach creating data visualisations, but please note that the active content within this resource has been removed
- Exploring data: graphs and numerical summaries e-learning from the Open University — this course offers an introduction to summarising data and provides statistical definitions and activities to practise skills, but please note that some equations are images so are not accessible for people using a screen-reader
Economics and Social Research
The Government Economic and Social Research (GESR) professions currently recommend the following learning providers:
- EML Learning
- LSR Training
- Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice (CENMAP)
- The Society of Professional Economists (SPE)
Please note that these providers charge a fee for their learning. A discounted price is available for members of the GESR for paid learning from SPE and CENMAP.
Further learning is also provided directly by the GES and GSR, but please note that you will need a GES or GSR members login to access these resources. Both GES and GSR offer formal training opportunities and routes to become a member of the professions.
Find out how to become a member of the Government Social Research Profession.
Find out how to become a member of the Government Economic Service.
Geography
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Geospatial team offers a collection of geospatial learning that relates to Geography and Statistics. This course catalogue includes:
- The role of geography and statistics
- Geographic information system analytical techniques
- Introduction to the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS)
- Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Python
- Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in R
- How to make a good map
There are also third party geography learning resources available from Esri that provide a wide variety of technical learning on:
- Spatial Analysis
- Mapping
- Imagery
- 3D Visualisation and Analytics
Operational research
The Government Operational Research Service (GORS) provides many learning and development resources relating to Operational Research.
Please note that several resources are available for all on the GORS Learning and Development site.
The Operational Research Society provide learning which is available for a fee. The courses include:
- Operational research and the OR Process
- Optimisation and meta-heuristics
- Problem structuring methods
- Normal distribution, sampling and regression
- Operational research and strategy
- Data envelopment analysis
- Statistical methods in operational research: multivariate models
- Systems dynamics
- Statistical methods in operational research: forecasting
- Simulation
- Delivering operational research for practitioners or essential operational research skills for practitioners
Statistics
The Government Statistical Service (GSS) currently offers various formal routes and training into government statistics.
Resources from the Government Data Quality Hub and the Analysis Function include:
- Introduction to Data Quality
- Data collection fundamentals
- Support for statistical quality in government
Many of the modules within the Data Analytics section of the learning curriculum might also be useful for statisticians.
Data Science
The Data Science Campus currently offer a range of learning on all aspects of data science. Please note that access to much of this learning is restricted to people with access to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Learning Hub.
Formal programmes are also available in the following areas:
- Data Masterclass for senior leaders
- Data Science Accelerator
- Degree Data Science Apprenticeship
- Masters in Data Analytics for Government
The Government Campus offer additional learning, including the following courses:
- Practical Data Science with Python
- Practical Big Data Analysis
- Foundations of Big Data, AI and Machine Learning
- Practical Machine Learning
Analytical Learning Pathways
The Government Analysis Function Learning pathways highlight routes through learning. Each pathway will help you to see where your learning could take you by bringing together analytical modules from a range of providers.
There is also an Analytical Learning Pathway for non-analysts. This pathway concentrates on developing the essential analytical skills that are in high demand across government and are often required in many roles.
We recommend that learners engage in the following awareness-level learning to start with:
Additional Resources
Analytical Standards
There are a range of guidance documents and standards that complement the technical learning. These include:
- The Functional Standard for Analysis
- The Aqua Book — this gives guidance for producing quality analysis for government
- The Code of Practice for Statistics from the UK Statistics Authority
- The Green Book — this gives guidance on appraisal and evaluation in central government
- The Magenta Book — this provides guidance from HM Treasury on what to consider when designing an evaluation
Senior Civil Service (SCS) learning
The Analysis Function has produced an SCS Capability Framework following consultation with:
- senior analysts
- the analytical professions
- wider stakeholders across Government Analysis
The frameworks present an opportunity for people currently in SCS roles, or people considering working at SCS level in the future, to consider:
- their own capabilities
- the capabilities required by analytical SCS
- which capabilities they might wish to develop further
The Leadership College for Government has developed its first Leadership and Management Prospectus. There also several Accelerated Development Schemes, with some schemes dedicated to SCS colleagues.
Connecting with the analytical professions
You can find out more about each of the analytical professions online:
- Government Actuary’s Department homepage
- Government Economic Service homepage
- Government Geography Profession homepage
- Government Operational Research Service homepage
- Government Social Research Profession homepage
- Government Statistical Service and Statistician Group homepage
- Central Digital and Data Office
Feedback
We want to ensure that the Technical Learning Curriculum continues to improve and contains information that is useful and interesting to readers and learners. If you would like to provide feedback on the Curriculum or ask any questions, please email us at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.