1. Increasing our impact:
analysis at the heart of policy
BIS Analysts’ Annual Conference
16 April 2013
Tera Allas
Director General
Strategy, Analysis and Better Regulation

2. Today’s discussion
• There is no single recipe for
improving the impact of analysis
• But there are some common
themes to reflect on
• We are already getting lots of
things right, with growing demand
2

3. We already recognise it’s not
just about the facts
Did they
agree with the
recomm-
endations?
Was the
Were the timing
facts correct? and style
Did they right?
make
the right
decision?
Were the
Were the facts
recomm-
persuasively
endations
presented?
compelling?
3

4. But often our good intentions
may not have the right effect
Intention Action Impact
Example 1 Explain in detail the Frustrated decision
Persuade decision conceptual risks and maker, may ignore
makers not to challenges of the advice
intervene in intervention in a
a particular market
market
Example 2 Propose an innovative Interested decision
solution that meets maker, keen to
Gvt needs through hear more
improved information,
illustrated with 2-3
“killer facts” 4

5. So we need to experiment and
adapt our approach over time
Innovation
Evaluation
(What else
(Did it work?)
should we try?)
Intention Action Impact
5

6. Today’s discussion
• There is no single recipe for
improving the impact of analysis
• But there are some common
themes to reflect on
• We are already getting lots of
things right, with growing demand
6

7. We should start by knowing
our audience
What on earth
Busy are they trying
Impatient?
to say here?
Not an
expert Tired?
I’ve got to run –
where’s the
summary?
Lots of other
influencers Confused?
Personal That guy at the
preferences dinner was Worried?
very
compelling... 7

8. Typically, brevity, clarity and
relevance are at a premium
Comments I hear about analysis in decision making
• What is the unit here?
• I don’t understand what they are trying to say
• There are no real, concrete facts here – just theory
• Am I supposed to think this figure is big or small? Why?
• Why couldn’t they have summarised the key conclusions upfront?
• I want their considered opinion – I already knew that “it depends”!
• OK, so the evidence is mixed; what am I supposed to do now?
• Why am I reading this / listening to this again?
• This is all very interesting, but what are we going to do about it?
• I was trying to work out this chart, but – quite frankly – gave up
• I’m not convinced – stakeholders tell me something totally different
8

9. And rational argument is only
one influencing approach
Influencing tactics
• Appealing to friendship (asking for help)
• Socialising
• Consulting
• Appealing to values
• Modelling
• Alliance building
• Exchanging (trading/negotiating)
• Legitimizing (using authority) Are we over-reliant
on the intellectual
• Stating (making a direct request)
influencing tactics?
• Logical persuading
9
Source: Interpersonal and Interactive Skills, McKinsey & Company, Inc.

10. Today’s discussion
• There is no single recipe for
improving the impact of analysis
• But there are some common
themes to reflect on
• We are already getting lots of
things right, with growing demand
10

11. There are many recent
examples of great BIS analysis
Scotland Macro
Industrial
events
Strategy
Business
Cases Access to finance
Migration
EU Spending Round
preparation
Science and
innovation Budget
Allocations People Survey
11

12. Our customers are happy and
asking for more
“It is like having a Rolls “We don’t run the “We have actually done
Royce service organisation on the text book analysis
at your disposal” anecdote – we need here”
facts and evidence”
“I’d like to see more
evidence before we
make a decision” “Could we have the
“No-one has quite analysts have a look at
managed to do this the impacts first?”
before in BIS”
12

13. Further reading*
• BIS style guide
• Guidance on submissions
• Killer Slides material
• “Say it with charts”
• Extreme presentation method
• “Pyramid Principle”
• Influencing Skills
13
* Please contact Tera’s office (amanda.hutley@bis.gsi.gov.uk) if you’d like further information