ANALYSTS play a crucial role in policy-making, designing and shaping collections of information, knowledge, and statistics into comprehensible usefulness. Professionals and sector experts, researchers, and even experienced media operators, in their day-to-day occupation, perform the multifaceted array of skill sets that make for a good analyst.
These skill sets include the ability to see patterns in the chaos of raw information; the instinct and intuition to rapidly translate patterns into possible solutions beneficial to society; and the knack for polishing solutions to fit the needs of citizens. Analysts know how to design sound solutions, which become public policy. They hone crucial skills, including research, data analysis, influential communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and networking, and persuasive writing, into the ability to form policy frameworks that become solutions.
In today’s world of a constant, rapid, endless flow of raw information, the role of analysts serves policy makers, government leaders, and public officials well, providing the kind of road map that causes them to make informed, rational, objective decisions.

Developed countries worldwide take the role of analysts in government, State agencies, and public policy organisations with serious intent. Few successful societies make public policies without first consulting talented, professional, experienced analysts. It is a proven fact that were small, developing nations to rely on analysts to design and shape public policy, socio-economic growth would accelerate faster. In the Caribbean context, Jamaica sets the tone for this, with a deliberate policy of tapping into the massive pool of Diaspora Jamaicans. Skilled Jamaicans from around the world contribute their analytical capital to the homeland. Jamaica even allocates seats in its Parliament for its diaspora. One of Canada’s most wealthy and knowledgeable financial exports, the billionaire– Michael Lee-Chin– plays a pivotal role in his homeland– his place of birth, Jamaica– and helps Jamaica’s financial sector, as analyst, adviser, and entrepreneur.

In fact, around the world, public policy agencies abound, housing an army of analysts, serving as advisory agencies to public institutions. They employ an impressive network of analysts who study geopolitics and the global situation. These analysts constantly formulate policy ideas and advice for governments, global organisations like the UN, and even private sector concerns, like, for example, the oil and gas industry.

Analysts are not stage performers. They work behind the scenes, doing quiet, inglorious work, paper pushers. But their contribution to society, in terms of the policies that governments and relevant organisations implement, is invaluable. Analysts work for influential global think tanks, and supply lobbyists with research knowledge to advise governments.
In pushing new legislation through Parliament, for example, governments find useful the objective, rational, professional report of analysts. Without analysts, policy-making becomes either a subjective, emotive exercise, or an autocratic imposition. The analyst provides the rationale, knowledge, and blueprint for a policy decision to flow out of a solid place, a place of thorough thinking, of consideration of every and all facets and impact, and of unquestionable professionalism as to how the policy was formulated.
As Guyana pushes forward into the dream of fast becoming a global success story, the need for professional analysts who could equip Government, public officials, and bureaucrats to make lightning-fast policy decisions will increase. In every sector, leaders would be well served to take on a cadre of analysts who are capable, professional, and experienced, and who demonstrate the array of skills crucial to the role.

Here is what Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Computers, said about the role of analysts: “I can’t ever remember being struck by lightning when making a big decision. It’s always about taking in more and more data points and making tack adjustments as you figure it out. I call … industry analysts and try to get as much information as possible.”
The great American Journalist, Bob Woodward, had this to say about what he observed of the rampant, popular hobby of US media analysts: “Many people have their reputations as reporters and analysts because they are on television, batting around conventional wisdom. A lot of these people have never reported a story.”

Woodward referred to the ability of the experienced, professional, trained Journalist to read society, provide in-depth analysis, and report the findings in a way that the State could rely on. Professional media help to formulate sound public policy. Indeed, democracies used to rely heavily on a thriving media landscape to furnish the State with the pulse of the nation, with reliable, well researched, professionally gathered reports, which leaders could use to make public policy.

Beyond the media, professional analysts make the public decision-making process a reliable one. They supply the data that informs the intelligence that goes into policies that shape society, that attracts public funding, and that impacts citizens. They know-how to study society’s trends, to conduct needs analysis within their area of expertise, and to concisely and clearly articulate these into professional reports that inform leaders.

Analysts play key roles in every level of government in Europe, the US, and other developed nations. Even the global intelligence community employs a host of analysts to sift through field data and come up with intelligence that make sense.

Analysts form a layer of expertise that is invaluable to the success of organisations, institutions, agencies, and governments. Guyana would do well with a host of professional analysts informing public policy.