Two-day crash course: Effective Data Presentation (Mar 28-29)

Prof. Galit Shmueli will be conducting another round of the popular 2-day workshop Effective Data Presentation on March 28-29, 2013.

More and more data and statistics are being collected in Bhutan. They are communicated to the public through reports, presentations, newspaper articles and other media. Yet, current presentation practices are lacking in effectiveness.

Workshop participants will gain knowledge and experience with best practices for communicating data. We will use data from Bhutan and software that is accessible to many (Microsoft Excel and the Tableau Public). The workshop is a must for those who collect, analyze or present data or statistics...

For full details and registration click here.

Upcoming Workshop: "Create Effective and Secure Websites"

Why pay someone Nu 25,000 for a website, when you can build a super website for free? If you can surf the Internet and use Facebook, you can also build websites.

Following the success of the first "Build a Website" workshop, we are pleased to offer another opportunity to learn how to easily build free, media-rich websites. No computer degree necessary.

In this 3-day, hands-on workshop you will create your own free website using Google Sites. Instructed by Mr. Boaz Shmueli of the Rigsum Institute, the workshop will take place in Thimphu on August 1-3, 2012.

The workshop is intended for:

• Tiny, small and medium-sized businesses and organizations
• Educational institutions
• Entrepreneurs
• Tour operators
• Webmasters
• Anyone wishing to expand his or her knowledge

For full details, including online registration, click here.

"Effective Data Presentation" workshop offered again: July 26-27, 2012

More and more data and statistics are being collected in Bhutan. They are communicated to the public through reports, presentations, newspaper articles and other media. Yet, current presentation practices are lacking in effectiveness.

Effective Data Presentation is a 2-day workshop (Jul 26-27, 2012) by Professor Galit Shmueli. Participants will gain knowledge and experience with best practices for communicating data. We will use data from Bhutan and software that is accessible to many (Microsoft Excel and the Tableau Public).

The workshop is a must for those who collect, analyze or present data or statistics.

For full details and registration click here.

Rupee Crunch or Chart Crunch?

Today's Kuensel front page article "Self-sufficiency through commercialization"presents a large chart displaying the breakdown of different imported food product categories in 2011. While the chart is colorful and eye-catching, it does not convey the data or the story effectively. Why do I claim that it is ineffective? Try answering the following questions:

1. Which food category was imported the least in 2011? (in terms of Rs.)
2. Which was the second highest import category?
3. Sugar imports differed from Vegetables, fruits and nuts by what amount?

How many did answers you get right the first time? How long did it take to answer each of these questions? These are measures of effectiveness. 

Now try answering the same questions with the following chart:

Powered by Tableau

What makes the chart that I created more effective than Kuensel's fancy chart? Here are a few differences:

• Pie charts are ineffective charts, because our brain and eye can easily compare differences in length or height, but not slices of pizza.
• The "fancy" chart attracts too much attention to non-information compared to information, while the effective chart is focused on the information. Effects such as 3D, a plate with texture in the background, lots of color are all distractions from the information about amount of import of different food product categories.
• Are the decimal digits really needed in Kuensel' s chart? (118.43M or just 118M?) And if so, then one or two decimals?

These are just a few issues that need to be considered when communicating data. The NY Times, Washington Post and other top media houses have already embraced effective visualization, as well as online sharing of charts and dashboards. The upcoming 2-day workshop Effective Data Presentation is a great way to learn about such practices and to gain experience in creating effective charts and interactive dashboards. Journalists and other media people are encouraged to join!

Take charge of your website

www.women.bt

I recently taught two batches of Rigsum's "Creating Websites" course. I have designed this fun, hands-on, two-day workshop in order to help individuals and organization create effective, secure and easy-to-update websites using a user-friendly technology called Google Sites.

I started thinking about offering this training after hearing plenty of "website horror stories" in Bhutan: acquaintances told me about webmasters who took their money and disappeared on them, about stale websites that are all but impossible to update, ridiculously expensive hosting, hacked websites, and more. You might have heard similar stories yourself.

After completing my course, participants are able to create their own efficient, clean, and search-engine-optimized website. They save the hassle (and money) involved in hiring a webmaster. Participants are able to update the website themselves whenever they wish. Their webpages are automatically backed up online, so they never have to worry about losing their data. Moreover, hosting is free - an additional savings of at least Nu 4000 a year.

Participants in my workshops include people from different sectors: government, corporate and private. Here are two examples:

• Ms. Kesang Chuki Dorjee (KCD Productions) decided she had enough trouble with her previous website. Following the workshop, she created the beautiful Inspiring Bhutanese Women website.
• Mr. Tashi Wangyel created GNH Builders, a website for his construction company. Customers are now able to find everything they need to know abotu GNH Builders, including forms, work progress etc.

www.drukschool.com

Other organizations in Bhutan using this technology include Druk School and our own Rigsum Institute, as well as internal DHI websites.

I will be offering this workshop again on April 19-20, 2012. Seats are limited. You can find complete information on the workshop page.

Upcoming Workshops

We are glad to announce two upcoming workshops:

Build a Website (Using Google Sites)

Can you surf the Internet? Then you can also build websites. No computer degree necessary. In this 2-day, hands-on workshop you will create your own free website using Google Sites. Instructed by Mr. Boaz Shmueli, the workshop will take place on Nov 14-15, 2011, and is intended for small business owners, schools, tour operators, various organizations and anyone tired of chasing a webmaster...





Risk Analysis for Project Planning (Using Excel)

How can data be used for planning, decision making, and assessment? Learn basic and advanced Excel skills for risk analysis. A two-day workshop by Professor Galit Shmueli (USA) will take place on Nov 21-22, 2011. The workshop is intended for decision makers in the government, corporate and private sectors. Fee includes the book "Practical Risk Analysis for Project Planning".

For details and registration visit www.rigsum-it.com/workshops.

Workshop: Decision Making Using Excel, June 1-3

Prof. Galit Shmueli will be conducting a 3-day workshop on "Decision Making Using Excel". The workshop is intended for decision makers in government, corporate and private organisations in Bhutan, as well as for entrepreneurs and those planning to start new businesses. Attendees will gain knowledge on how Microsoft Excel can be used effectively for evaluating projects and supporting decision making. 

The three-day workshop will take place on June 1-3 at the new Rigsum Institute campus (behind Hotel Pedling).

For more information and for online registration please visit http://www.rigsum-it.com/workshops/decision-making-using-excel-may2011.

Prof Shmueli with graduates of the Oct 2010 workshop

Today was World Statistics Day

Today was the first World Statistics Day. Initiated by the UN, this day was (and still is) celebrated around the world by various events such as seminars and conferences to highlight the role of statistics, the achievements of statistical bureaus, etc.

The choice of the date Oct 20, 2010 is explained on the International Statistical Institute's website as follows:

The date 20-10-2010 was chosen since the year rounding in '0' has always been an important year in official statistics. In many countries, this is the year when the population and housing census is conducted. It is also the base year for the trend analysis in economic statistics or in compilation of national accounts or input-output tables. In 2010, some 3 billion people will be counted in some 60 countries. This is why we choose 20-10-2010 to emphasize the importance of this year in official statistics calendar

Bhutan's National Statistics Bureau celebrated the event with a program on "The role of statistics towards supporting evidence-based decision-making in the country."

As a statistician, I would have loved to attend this event. However, I was conducting another related event: The first day of a 3-day workshop on Decision Making Using Excel. The workshop aim is the same as the NSB's event: to promote evidence-based decision making. The workshop is attended by 20 decision makers from government, corporate, and private organizations in the country. The workshop highlights the usefulness of data for planning and evaluating projects, and for interpreting and presenting data effectively.

Workshop: Decision Making Using Excel

Prof. Galit Shmueli will be conducting a 3-day workshop on "Decision Making Using Excel". The workshop is intended for decision makers in government, corporate and private organisations in Bhutan. Attendees will gain knowledge on how Excel can be used effectively for supporting decision making.

The three-day workshop will take place on October 20-22 at the new Rigsum Institute campus (behind Hotel Pedling).

For more information and for online registration please visit http://www.rigsum-it.com/workshops/decision-making-using-excel.

Prof. Shmueli and graduates of the June 2009 workshop

Final Workshop: Decision Making Using Excel

(Posted by Galit)

I will be conducting the workshop "Decision Making Using Excel" for the last time next week. The dates are set to June 10-12, at Rigsum Institute's new campus (behind Hotel Pedling).

The workshop is intended for decision makers in government, corporate, and private organizations who have at least basic knowledge of Excel. For more information see http://workshops.bzst.com. To register please emailgshmueli@umd.edu.

Special Talk: "Who’s Spying on My Computer: Internet Security in Bhutan"

Rigsum IT & M Announces a Special Talk:

Who’s Spying on My Computer: Internet Security in Bhutan

The increasing Internet usage in Bhutan presents many opportunities but also entails major cyber threats. This talk is an overview of the computer security challenges facing government, corporate, and private organizations in Bhutan.

Speaker: Boaz Shmueli, President and Founder, MileMaven.com, USA
Date: Friday, 8th may, 2009, at 4:00pm
Venue: BCCI Hall, Thimphu

This talk is open to the general public. Seats are limited. Interested parties are kindly requested to contact the Rigsum Institute at 321466 or email gshmueli@umd.edu.

Note: To download the presentation slides, you will need to login. To open the presentation, you will need a password. The password was given to the talk participants.

Workshop: Decision Making Using Excel

Following the two successful workshops in Nov 2008 and Mar 2009 and continuing demand, Professor Shmueli will be conducting a third workshop on Apr 29- May 1. This 3-day workshop is intended for top management and decision makers in government, corporate, and private organizations. For more details see http://workshops.bzst.com. To register, please call Rigsum IT&M at 321466.