In its bid to build sustainable capacity for debt, research, macro economic and financial sector management in the member countries, The West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, WAIFEM is organizing a five day regional course from February 17-21 2014 on Data Analysis for Research,macro-economics and debt management using advanced Microsoft excel 2010 at the WAIFEM headquarters in Lagos
According to the Director General, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, the course represents an important opportunity to broaden and deepen the understanding in the use of Microsoft excel to enhance work efficiency in offices adding that the course is tailored towards advanced data analysis and reporting in excel. ” It is designed to enable participants learn powerful techniques used to analyse large disjointed and incoherent data collected from actual scenarios.
Prof Akpan also said that the course will enable participants acquire unique, time tested skills to quickly extract valuable information from data sets as well as polish reconciliation skills and empower participants to harness the power of the pivot table and other special data extraction functions in excel
He continued by highlighting the course structure and modules which includes an Overview of Excel, Working with formulas and functions, Understanding cell referencing, Link formulas and scenario analysis, consolidating data and introduction of data analysis.
Others includes formatting in excel, DKH data analysis methodology and creating user friendly templates, variance/trend, excel tables and charts and introduction of VBA and Macro
Prof Akpan urged participants to seize the opportunity of the course to forge and strengthen their professional network within the sun-region.
The five day events have participants from Ghana, Gambia, Sieraleone and Nigeria.
The facilitator of the regional course, Mr David Brown said that course is a structured methodology that will improve their efficiency at work. In terms of data storage. The courses will give room for analysis and the course will expose participants to new technology that will save time and stop them from copy and paste. He also said the excel is a powerful software that enable users manipulate the back end and adjust the front end which is the report.
He continued by saying that excel is the 2nd most popular software program and about half a billion people use excel on a daily basis
According to Brown! Research has shown that Microsoft excel is one of the software that is mostly used in the work environment and is the most powerful and important software adding that excel provides enormous capacity to do quantitative analysis, statistical analysis of databases with hundreds of thousands of records to complex estimation tools with user-friendly front ends
He said that excel also provides an intuitive interface that let’s user see what happens to the data as its been manipulated.
Jackieopara 