Learning Curriculum: Technical

Technical is the demonstration of specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.

Roles within the Analysis Function (AF) tend to be of a technical nature and this is the most extensive section of the AF Learning Curriculum.

On this page you’ll find opportunities to help you gain the specific technical skills, knowledge or qualifications to continue to advance your career.

The technical learning below aligns to the 70:20:10 learning model and covers a wide range of subjects including improving your Microsoft Office skills, learning new programming languages, calculating sample design estimation and much more.

Most of the learning in the AF Learning Curriculum is free but any learning that does have a cost associated is indicated by a £ sign.

Get started with a new technical subject or take your learning further by exploring this range of topics.

Data analysis

Awareness

Awareness in demography (10)
Analysing evidence: effective collaboration (10)
Awareness in editing and imputation (10)
Awareness in index numbers (10)

Taking it further

Data and analysis (10) (£)
Introduction to editing and imputation (10)

Data management

Awareness

Awareness in administrative data (10)
Awareness in data ethics (10)

Taking it further

Data quality (10)
Introduction to data and information (currently unavailable) (10)
Representing and manipulating data in computers (10)
UK data service skills modules (10)
Releasing statistics in spreadsheets – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Making spreadsheets accessible – a checklist of the basics – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Using symbols and shorthand in tables – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)

Data science

Data visualisation

Data visualisation e-learning – e-learning from the from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Data visualisation: charts – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Data visualisation: tables – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Data visualisation: colours – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Data visualisation: infographics – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Dashboards – guidance from Analysis Function Central Team (10)
Data visualisation pages on Style.ONS – guidance from the Office for National Statistics (10)
Data visualisation in R or Python – e-learning from the Analysis Function Capability Team (10)
Data Visualisation Thinking – e-learning from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). A useful resource on how to approach creating data visualisations. Note: the active content within this resource has been removed (10)
Exploring data: graphs and numerical summaries – e-learning from the Open University. This course is an introduction to summarising data. It provides statistical definitions and activities to practise skills. Note: some equations are images so are not screen reader accessible (10)

Economics

Doing economics (10)
Economy, society and public policy (10)

Geography

Awareness

Modelling tools and techniques

Awareness

New systems and ways of working

Awareness

Awareness of new coding tools (10)

Taking it further

Fundamental theories in machine learning (10)
Introduction to Machine Learning in Python (10)
Introduction to artificial intelligence in government (10) (£)
Microsoft Project 2010: Advanced (10) (£)
Microsoft Project 2013: Advanced (10) (£)
Microsoft Project 2016: Advanced (10) (£)

Operational research

Please note that the following Government Operational Research Service (GORS) courses in this section are only available to GORS members with the relevant log on details:

Operational research foundation level courses delivered by the Operational Research Society are available for all and can be found on the society’s website. They 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

Quality assurance, validation and data linkage

Awareness

Awareness in data linkage (10)

Taking it further

Data linkage in Python (10)
Data linkage in R (10)
Introduction to data linkage (10)
Model quality assurance (10)
Quality assurance of administrative data (QAAD) workshop (10)
Quality of evidence, uncertainty of risk (10) (£)
Quality statistics in government (10)
Urgent data quality assurance guidance (20)
Support for statistical quality in government (20)
Quality assurance of code for analysis and research (20)

Software programming, tools and techniques

Intermediate index numbers (10)
Introduction to Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAP) (10)
Introduction to editing and imputation (10)
Editing and imputation in R (10)
Editing and imputation in Python (10)
Reproducible reporting with RMarkdown (10)
Introduction to RMarkdown (10)
Introduction to Sparklyr (10)
Machine learning in R (10)
Dates and times in Python (10)
Dates and times in R (10)
Introduction to Bayesian data analysis (10)
Introduction to object orientated programming in Python (10)
Best practice in programming – clean code (10)
Excel 2016: Intermediate (10) (£)
Excel: Advanced (not currently available) (10) (£)
Excel: Foundation (10)
Excel: Intermediate (not currently available) (10) (£)
Foundations of SQL (10)
Command line basics (10)
Introduction to Git (10)
Introduction to natural language processing in Python (10)
Introduction to Pyspark (10)
Introduction to Python (10)
Introduction to R (10)
Introduction to unit testing (10)
Statistics in R (10)
Hypothesis testing in R (10)
Introduction to continuous integration (10)
Packaging and documentation (10)
Introduction to machine learning theory (10)

Survey design

Awareness of questionnaire design (10)

Senior Civil Service (SCS) learning

A series of learning suggestions designed to enhance your skills within the SCS, this selection is available for existing Senior Civil Servants only.

Directors’ Network (10)
Leading in complexity series – complexity and sensemaking (event ended) (10)
Leading in Complexity series – leading at your best (event ended)(10)
Leading in Challenging Times – brain hacks for leaders (event ended) (10)
Leading in Challenging Times – leading with disruption (event ended) (10)
Leading in Complexity series – psychology of leadership within challenging times (event ended) (10)
Leading in Complexity series – Disrupting Groupthink (10)
Director general leadership programme (10)
Tools and support for talent management (10)
Immersive learning series (10)
High potential development scheme (10)
Individual Development Programme (10)
Future Leaders scheme (10)
Senior Leaders scheme (10)
SCS performance management (10)
Leadership summit (10)
Excellent drafting for senior leaders (10)
High impact communication(10)
Major projects leadership academy (10)
Deputy director induction programme: Base Camp (10)
SCS Civil Service Orientation (10)
Deputy Director Leadership Programme (DDLP) (10)
Director Leadership Programme (DLP) (event ended) (10)
Civil Service Leadership Academy (10)
Leadership in action (10)
Civil Service Accelerated Development Schemes (10)
SCS capability framework (10)

Analytical Learning Pathways

The Government Analysis Function pathways highlight a route through learning. Bringing together analytical courses from a range of providers, each pathway will help you to see where your learning could take you.