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Strategic Data Skills

Build the strategic skills you and your business need

This course is for people who want to work strategically with data - using it in their role to inform decisions from strategic objectives to the day to day operations of an organisation.

Over the course of five interactive, online modules you will learn how to:
  • Identify how open and shared data infrastructures can improve decision making.
  • Apply strategic thinking to new data projects.
  • Open and shared approaches that make it easier to create and build impactful products and services.
  • Make better decisions with data.
Strategic Data Skills self paced example screen
Strategic Data Skills self paced example screen
Strategic Data Skills self paced example screen

Expert led or Self-Paced

You choose how you would like to enhance your strategic data skills. A self paced option is available on-demand and offers 6-months of access to course materials. However, if you want an expert to help guide your journey, provide insight into latest trends and also provide bespoke feedback on assignments in the course then we also offer an expert-led version of the course.

Join us for our Expert Led instance in March 2025

We will be running a tutor led instance of Strategic Data Skills, starting on 25th March 2025. You can view the full course schedule here.

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Self-Paced
Delivery: Online (self-paced)
Study Hours: approx 15 hrs
Course Access: 6 months
ODI members price: £510 + VAT
General admission price: £600 + VAT
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Expert Led
Next instance: March 2025
Delivery: Blended
Study Hours: 48 hrs
Duration: 6 weeks
ODI members price: £1275 + VAT
Early bird price: £1,350 + VAT
General admission price: £1500 + VAT

Buy Strategic Data Skills (self-paced)

ODI Members

  Start now   
  6 months access  
 £510 + VAT

General Admission
(Non ODI Members)

 Start now   
  6 months access  
 £600 + VAT

TCPDSO and iCPD Partnership Logo 2022o ensure inclusivity, we offer discounted pricing for customers from lower or middle-income countries.

Please contact us for further information.

If you represent a business interested in purchasing four or more course spaces, please reach out to us for personalised discounted rates.

Inspired by data pioneers, built for you

At a time when businesses are trying to get value from AI and data it’s more important than ever to understand the landscape, filter out the noise and set a clear direction.

The Open Data Institute is a world-leading research and training institution founded by the creator of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and AI pioneer Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt. Our research, training and practical work helps people, companies and governments build data infrastructure that benefits all.

More than 52,000 people worldwide have developed their data literacy using the ODI’s self-guided training.

Created by a team of data specialists and learning designers, the Strategic Data Skills course will guide you as you turn theory into practice, and as you step-up to play a strategic role in helping your organisation get value from data.

tim and nigel
SDS certificate-3

How Strategic Data Skills works

Our courses are not simply read. They are designed for active learning helping you prioritise the application of learning through authentic action.

The Strategic Data Skills curriculum is based on a decade of research and practical experience working with, training and advising data-intensive organisations such as Google, Roche and the Singapore Government.

Your strategic data skills learning experience includes:

  • Interactive, mobile friendly learning
  • Accessible content that uses simple, non-technical language
  • An AI tutoring assistant
  • Support from the ODI team
  • Knowledge checks
  • 6-months access to the content and our learning platform
  • A certificate of completion from the Open Data Institute

Who the course is for

This course is for non-technical people who want to create an effective data ecosystem in their organisation and sector without learning complex programming.

Previous attendees include Founders, CEOs, Marketing VPs, Product Managers and Analysts.

Attendees come from start-ups, multinational companies, local and central government, NGOs and charities.

"A really great course for people that need to work with data without being a fully fledged analyst."

Strategic Data Skills, 2023
Natalie Gudgeon, Data Strategy Lead, Valuation Office Agency

Introducing Strategic Data Skills: Watch the video for a brief overview from one of our expert tutors

Value for you - value for your business

Successfully complete Strategic Data Skills to demonstrate your ability to help any organisation generate actionable, strategic insights from data.

  • Boost your career – demonstrate to potential employers your ability to work with data, showcase your new skills to peers and managers, the course certificate from the ODI provides evidence of your skills.
  • Data to inform your work – the course shows you how to make better decisions with data.
  • Avoid harmful impacts – discover how to balance the need to create an impact, with the need for an ethical approach whilst working with data.
  • Embrace open innovation – get hands-on experience of how you can use open and shared approaches to working with data to create exciting new products and services.

How this course will benefit your company

After attending Strategic Data Skills participants have the ability to help any organisation:

  • Make better decisions with data.
  • Demonstrate to clients and stakeholders their ability to work effectively with data.
  • Identify how open and shared data infrastructures can improve decision making.
  • Apply strategic thinking to new data projects.
  • Adopt open and shared approaches that make it easier to create and build impactful products and services.
  • Avoid reputational risks by considering data ethics as part of a project.

Please contact us you would like further information on our Strategic Data Skills self-paced course

"This course has given me the confidence to talk about data analysis and visualisation and understand how the data we use and how we share it is changing and what that means for data providers and everyone who uses data"

Strategic Data Skills, 2022
Philippa Vigano, Innovative Technologies Programme Manager, NatureScot

Learning Pathway: Data Skills without Programming

ODI learning pathways_SDS

Strategic Data Skills

Choose between tutored or self-paced learning formats. A comprehensive course designed for individuals seeking to work strategically with data without delving into complex programming concepts.

After completing Strategic Data Skills, consider advancing to:  

Introduction to Data Ethics and Data Ethics Canvas or Understanding Data Ethics and AI. These learning opportunities will provide a well-rounded understanding of data ethics, complementing your strategic data skills.

Alternatively, if you hold a more technical or hands-on data-focused role, you can progress towards:
Best Practices for Data on the Web course (coming soon).

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