Rapid Analysis

1. Rapid Analysis Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.

2. Analysis takes time and reflection • People must be lined up and their views sought.  • Ideas need to be sorted through.  • Data needs to be collected, stored, retrieved, examined and displayed.  • Reports needs to be prepared.  • Policymakers may have to decide without the full benefit of the analysis

3. Objectives • How analysis could be made faster without sacrificing its quality • An examination of what takes time in the analysis process • Where one can speed up the work without affecting the quality of the report

4. Typical Analysis • Preparation • Arrange for contracts and mandate to start • Coordinate kick off meeting to clarify purpose & scope of the analysis • Find relevant experts and decision makers • Design study instruments and survey forms • Data collection • Collect observations • Collect experts opinions • Store data • Analyze data • Retrieve data • Clean the data (classify data; check distribution and range of data, edit data) • Examine accuracy of data (Check for errors in logic, check for errors in transfer of data) • Examine if experts were in consensus • Calculate expected values or model scores • Calculate the correspondence between model and experts' judgments • Presentation • Distribute draft report • Prepare presentation • Get input from audience before meeting • Present results at meeting

5. Speedup Analysis through More Preparation • 1. Draft the final report at the start • 2. Avoid group kick-off meetings • 3. Get access to the right experts and through them to right data

6. 1. Draft The Final Report at Start • Write the introduction, the methods section, & the results section • Include all related tables and appendices • Saves the time spent on clarifying the procedures  • Clarifies what data are needed   • Clarifies procedures  • Generating automatic web content

7. 2. Avoid group kick-off meetings • Meet & work individually first • Easier to arrange • Require less coordination • Facilitate later larger face-to-face meetings

8. 3. Get access to the right experts and through them to right data

9. Speedup Data Collection • 4. Collect only the needed data • 5. Reduce the data collected by sampling • 6. Replace data collection with observations of others • 7. Validate subjective indices on objective data • 8. Plan ahead for rapid data collection • 9. Let technology collect the data

10. 4. Collect only the needed data • Many collect data they do not use • Not experienced by the designer • Short surveys will collect less data, have better response rates and waste less of organization’s resources • Prepare final report at start • Ask if responses lead to action

11. 5. Reduce the data collected by sampling • Larger sample, longer time to completion • Start with a small group of people and expand the sample if needed • Shift from sampling the event to measuring time to the event • For example, one can radically reduce the number of patients examined by looking at time between two wrong side surgeries as opposed to number of wrong side surgeries.

12. 6. Replace data collection with observations of others • Subjective data • Objective data • Both are suspect. • Subjective data can reduce the data collection burden Subjective data it is not meant the likes and dislikes of a person but observations made by that person

13. 7. Validate subjective indices on objective data • If experts specify the parameters then there is no need to put aside data for parameter estimation • The need for data is reduced, • For example, severity indices can be constructed from subjective opinions and tested against objective data. 

14. 8. Plan ahead for rapid data collection • Alerts of upcoming surveys • Consent collected • For example, changes in substance abuse rates within United States collected from emergency rooms • Maintain networks of informants and consents ahead of analysis

15. 9. Let technology collect the data • Computers call patients, find them, ask them, analyze the responses and fax the results • More truthful • No later data entry

16. Speedup Data Analysis • Clean the data & generate reports automatically • Analyze emerging patterns before all data are available • Use software to automatically analyze data

17. 10.  Clean the data & generate reports automatically

18. 11.  Analyze emerging patterns before all data are available • Exit polling • Time to reoccurrence Provide mock up analysis

19. 12.  Use software to analyze data • Many existing software • Read reviews

20. Speedup Presentation • Set up presentation meeting months in advance • Present to each decision maker privately prior to the meeting

21. 13.  Set up presentation meeting months in advance • Decision makers are busy • Make an appointment before the report is ready • Create pressure to produce the findings on time • Critical path • Helps decision makers wait for the report

22. 14.  Present to each decision maker privately prior to the meeting • Get input privately, revise report • No surprise group meetings

23. Discussion • No evidence of total time saved • Expectations are changing • Time and motion study can increase market • More time planning less time executing • Whose time is saved? • The person who plans the analysis • The person who executes it • The person who receives It