- Published
- 8 October 2026
- Last reviewed
- 8 October 2026
Name the decision
A request to analyse our enquiries does not yet explain what the analysis should help someone decide. Start by asking who will use the result and what action they might take. A question about staffing may need different evidence from a question about the popularity of learning topics.
In this fictional exercise, a training team wants to decide when to schedule enquiry support. Its starting question is which arrival periods need closer investigation. This does not establish that any particular staffing change is justified.
Define what one record represents
Clarify whether a row represents a person, an enquiry, a message or a completed application. One person might send several messages about one enquiry. Combining these units without explanation can make a count misleading.
For the exercise, record the enquiry identifier, arrival timestamp and agreed topic category. Use fictional identifiers and do not copy personal contact details into a public practice file. Keep the original meaning of a field visible when creating a derived classification.
Choose the period and comparison
State the observation period and any relevant time zone. Decide whether you are comparing days, weeks or another useful interval. Record missing timestamps, repeated entries and changes to how enquiries were collected.
A promotional campaign or temporary form outage might affect the pattern. Treat these as conditions to examine rather than inventing a causal explanation. A comparison is more useful when the definitions and coverage are consistent.
Test whether the evidence can answer the question
Ask what the available records actually show and what remains unknown. Arrival times can describe recorded demand, but do not alone show response workload, handling complexity or the best staffing arrangement. Explain this boundary to the decision maker.
Write a short analysis brief containing the decision, question, unit, period, proposed source and limitations. Ask a colleague to describe the intended use in their own words. Resolve a mismatch before building a dashboard. Use the related data-quality quiz to practise checking records before reporting.
Source and practice note
The Government Data Quality Framework links fitness for purpose to understanding how data will be used. The examples and exercises are original RDE learning material using fictional situations.
Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.