# Tools for Management Analysis Course Canonical URL: ## Overview Successful analysts utilize multiple tools and techniques. This course strengthens the analytical skills needed to support sound management decisions in federal organizations. Participants learn structured approaches to problem solving, decision-making, and critical thinking, with emphasis on comparing alternatives, prioritizing options, assessing risks, and evaluating the factors that influence whether a proposed course of action is likely to succeed. Participants also learn how to analyze organizational problems, distinguish symptoms from root causes, and model programs and work processes using tools such as logic models, process maps, and flowcharts. In addition, the course covers how to select meaningful measures of organizational performance, define those measures clearly, and use them to support planning, monitor operations, and demonstrate results. ## What you'll learn - Apply analytical methods that support management decision-making. - Analyze organizational problems. - Create models that describe programs and work processes. - Select and define measures of organizational performance. ## Curriculum #### Module 1: Decision-Making Support - Apply ordinal ranking and weighted sum methods to prioritize decision alternatives. - Use weighted sum of ratings to compare decision choices. - Use decision trees to evaluate choices based on probabilities, costs, and expected values. - Conduct force field analysis to assess supporting and opposing factors for a decision. #### Module 2: Organizational Problem Analysis - Differentiate between symptoms and root causes in problem situations. - Use problem description frameworks to structure the analysis. - Apply cause-and-effect (fishbone) diagrams to identify potential root causes. - Conduct root cause analysis using the 5 Whys technique to uncover underlying issues. #### Module 3: Program and Process Modeling - Create program logic models to connect inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes. - Develop top-down process maps for linear, low-variation workflows. - Design process flowcharts to represent sequences, decision points, and alternative paths. #### Module 4: Measuring Organizational Performance - Identify and define performance measures linked to key success factors. - Write operational definitions for consistent, reliable measurement. - Develop composite indexes, such as weighted scores and objectives matrices, to track performance. - Use performance data to inform planning, monitor progress, and document success. ## Schedule - Jul 8, 2026 – Jul 9, 2026 — Live Online - Sep 22, 2026 – Sep 23, 2026 — Live Online - Nov 2, 2026 – Nov 3, 2026 — Live Online ## Instructors ### Bruce Gay — Instructor Bruce is an engaging trainers and program manager who brings 25+ years practical experience to deliver effective and experiential training to students. Able to engage adult learners with a range of backgrounds and professional experiences. Successful at building effective stakeholder relationships and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams for solution delivery. Bruce has over 25 years of project and program management experience across multiple industries. He has a Masters degree from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Bruce currently runs his own freelance training and consulting business, helping project managers and team leaders improve their business skills, become better leaders, and achieve professional greatness. Bruce is a well-received speaker in the areas of design thinking, project management, cross-team collaboration, and AI tools for projects, and has presented at regional and international conferences. ### Steve Pesklo — Instructor Steve is an energetic trainer who focuses on applying technical concepts to everyday work practices. He is the founder and president of SoftLake Solutions, a company that specializes in providing data and AI applications to identify fraud for Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Accounting, Privacy, and Compliance. Steve brings a large amount of experience across multiple industries and government agencies. He is an expert in implementing large data analysis projects across the world, including Inland Revenue in the UK and Argentina, New Zealand, Africa and across Europe. Previously, he was the manager of Data Architecture and Data Services for a large mortgage company. He is a frequent speaker on data analytics and project management topics and speaks fluent German. He has been teaching at the Graduate School for over 10 years. Steve has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in Computer Science from California Lutheran University and the Universität Salzburg in Austria. He is certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). ### Joe Mlakar — Instructor Joe has over 27 years of Federal Government and military service and has been a part-time instructor with Graduate School USA since 2023. He enjoys using his technical knowledge in Operations Research to teach his students to provide organization and structure to complex processes, and apply advanced analytical techniques to help leaders make better decisions. Joe is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $1249