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A re-cap on Analytics Labs, its benefits and how to get involved

How would your university benefit if you were able to:

  • Improve staff skills in the area of data and analytics
  • Access a wide range of quality controlled national data presented for higher educational purposes
  • Gain experience in using relevant cutting-edge software tools and techniques
  • Extend your professional networks through collaborative working with peers from around the UK
  • Instantly access, analyse and review comparative data collated from over 60 sources (including the DfE, GOV.UK, ONS, Data.ac.uk)
  • Meet current and future challenges using data to aid scenario planning and risk analysis
  • Access pre-modelled scenarios covering topics such as student recruitment and retention, staffing, research, Brexit, league tables and estates management
  • Influence future developments such as data science opportunities
    What could it mean for your own career development?

What is Analytics Labs?

Analytics Labs is an exciting research environment within which we co-design new data derived products and services with our members and other customers. We focus on themes that are determined by an established stakeholder group. It is offered free to Jisc and HESA members.

What we’re looking for – experience

We are looking for strong data analysts (with experience in Tableau and/or Alteryx or related products) to join our agile analysis teams and develop proof of concept outputs for redevelopment and release to a wider audience. In return participants are supported to develop their existing skills.

We are also looking for team leaders/product owners. These will be heads, assistant heads or similarly senior roles who will be responsible for guiding their team in the creation of outputs for demonstration by the team at a showcase event at the end of the cycle.

Team roles and commitment

Team analyst – The effort required is just one day per week for twelve weeks (plus a day either end of the cycle for start-up and showcase events). Most of the time will be spent working remotely with team members from across the sector. You will also meet face to face with your team on a monthly basis. For that level of commitment, you’ll get a fantastic professional development experience as we create new content through:

  • Accessing a wider range of datasets than is currently possible, for safe experimentation purposes
  • Identifying currently unknown trends and insights to provide an evidence base for sound business decisions
  • Innovating through collaborative working, for example across institutional functions.
  • Team leader/Product Owner – Steers their team towards creating widely applicable outputs for demonstration at the end of cohort showcase event. Again, this role provides the opportunity to gain/enhance professional development experience in a number of areas, including providing leadership in a largely remote working environment. We anticipate the effort to average out at around 8 days for an entire twelve-week development cycle (this includes 5 days of face to face activity – start-up, showcase plus 3 team meetings).

    On successful completion of Analytics Labs, we’ll ask you to take part in a showcase event to demonstrate the outputs to peers and a panel of experts. We award you a digital credential and invite you to join our analytics labs alumni forum. As a forum member you’ll receive unique offers, see early previews of new service content and have an opportunity to influence it.

    Related costs

    There is no charge to take part, however participants are expected to cover their own travel and subsistence costs when attending face to face project meetings. Further details on Analytics Labs and the benefits of getting involved can be found on the Jisc Business Intelligence web page.

    What happens to the outputs of Analytics Labs activity?

    All outputs are demonstrated to peers and representatives of the wider community at a showcase event. The most promising dashboards and visualisations for higher education use are fully redeveloped by in-house staff into highly valuable dashboard suites designed to help with easy exploration and decision-making within the sector. These are released through HESA’s Heidi Plus HE intelligence platform as ‘Community Dashboards’.

    Previous Analytics Labs participants have delivered insights into a range of areas including HE finance and the impact of Brexit, league tables, postgraduate teaching tracking and tracking the student journey and we’re always looking to build on and develop some areas and explore others.

    How do I apply?

    Application is open to Jisc Higher Education members only.

    Further details on Analytics Labs and the benefits of getting involved can be found on the Jisc Business Intelligence web page.

    Please email us if you have any queries/would like to hear more about how to apply.

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