ILM by City & Guilds · 8723-310Mandatory unit

Unit 310: Analysing data to make decisions

This unit equips learners with the understanding of how data supports decision-making in organisations. Learners will explore data sources, types, collection and analysis methods, and develop skills in how to interpret and apply insights to support continuous improvement.

In short

Unit 310 Analysing data to make decisions is a 4-credit optional Level 3 unit. LO1 is broad knowledge about data sources, reliability and flow; LO2 requires one identified area of your organisation where you analyse real data, summarise findings in an appropriate format and make recommendations.

Level

RQF Level 3

Credit value

4 credits

Guided learning

25 hrs

Assessment criteria

11 criteria

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

To achieve unit 310 your portfolio must evidence every assessment criterion below. There is no exam and no written assignment — you demonstrate each criterion using evidence from your own work.

Learning outcome 1

Understand how organisations use data to support decision making

1.1
Explain different sources of data used by organisations
What this covers: Different sources: internal (customer databases, sales records, financial reports) and external (supplier/partner data, government statistics, market research reports).
1.2
Explain how different organisations use different types of data
Evidence requirement: ), at least two different types of data (from range in ) and at least two explanations.
What this covers: Different organisations: public, private and third sector/not for profit; and different types: qualitative, quantitative, structured, unstructured.
1.3
Identify key characteristics of reliable data
Evidence requirement: Evidence must include at least four key characteristics.
1.4
Describe different approaches used to collate and analyse data
Evidence requirement: Evidence must include at least two qualitative and two quantitative approaches.
What this covers: Approaches: qualitative and quantitative.
1.5
Outline types of formats used for presenting data
What this covers: Formats: visual formats, text-based summaries, digital tools.
1.6
Outline the process of how data flows through an organisation
What this covers: Evidence should include the common data lifecycles. Acceptable forms of evidence may include: • annotated data extracts (eg spreadsheets, graphs, charts) • screenshots of digital work (eg presentation slides, dashboards) • observation records • annotated case studies • data analysis projects • comparative data summaries.
1.7
Explain ways in which data supports decision making within organisations
Evidence requirement: Evidence must include at least two different organisations (from range in

Learning outcome 2

Be able to analyse and present data to make recommendations

2.1
Identify an area in own organisation that requires data analysis to support future decision making
2.2
Analyse data to identify trends, patterns and insights
2.3
Produce a summary of findings using appropriate formats
2.4
Make recommendations based on the findings

How to approach unit 310

Written by our assessment team: what the criteria mean in practice, the evidence that works, and where learners get caught out.

What this unit is really about

Unit 310 is the smallest Level 3 unit at 4 credits, and its shape is lopsided on purpose: LO1 has seven knowledge criteria, LO2 has four practical ones. The spec confirms LO2 needs one identified area — from your own team or the wider organisation — that lets you reference the full criteria.

So the practical work is a single, contained analysis. That is achievable in a fortnight if you pick a question you already half-know the answer to and have the data for: absence patterns, complaint categories, rework rates, quote-to-order conversion, delivery timeliness, stock shrinkage, call volumes by hour.

The evidence that works

Learning outcome	Evidence that works well
LO1 — how organisations use data	Your organisation's actual data sources and types, what makes data reliable, the collation and analysis approaches used, presentation formats, how data flows through the business, and how it feeds decisions
LO2 — analyse and present	The identified area, your analysis showing trends and patterns, a summary in an appropriate format, and recommendations that follow from the findings

The spec's guidance is explicit that formats may include charts, graphs, text summaries and digital tools such as spreadsheet functions or presentation slides. A spreadsheet with a pivot table and two charts, plus a one-page summary with three recommendations, meets LO2 cleanly. You do not need a BI tool.

Where the marks actually are

Criterion 1.3 — reliable data. Name the characteristics and then apply them to your own source. Accuracy, completeness, timeliness, consistency, relevance, and whether the collection method biases it. Most workplace data is imperfect; saying how yours is imperfect is a strength.

Criterion 1.6 — how data flows through an organisation. This one is regularly answered badly because it is not about analysis at all. Trace one real number: it is entered at the till or on the job sheet, syncs overnight into the system, appears in a weekly report, gets summarised in a monthly pack, informs a quarterly decision. A simple flow diagram evidences it better than a paragraph.

Criterion 2.4 — recommendations based on the findings. The link must be visible. Each recommendation should point back to a specific pattern in the data, and it is worth saying what the data does not tell you. "Tuesday failures are three times the weekly average; the data does not tell us why, so the recommendation is a two-week manual check on Tuesday inputs before any system change" is a stronger answer than a confident conclusion the data cannot support.

Correlation is where portfolios overreach. Two things moving together is not one causing the other, and the sentence acknowledging that is worth more than a bolder claim.

Useful reading

Taylor's scientific management — the origin of measuring work, and its limits
Delegation: a manager's guide
Workplace documents as evidence — commercial data needs redaction too
Portfolio of evidence

Keep reading

Supporting information for unit 310

Unit aim: This unit equips learners with the understanding of how data supports decision-making in organisations. Learners will explore data sources, types, collection and analysis methods, and develop skills in how to interpret and apply insights to support continuous improvement.

Evidence requirements: LO2 Requires one *identified area from within the organisation that allows the full assessment criterion to be referenced. * Identified area can be from the learners’ own team or within the wider organisation.

Unit guidance: AC 1.5 Formats/visual formats, may include but are not limited to, charts, graphs, text-based summaries, and digital tools (eg spreadsheet functions, presentation slides). LO2 Acceptable forms of evidence may include: • annotated data extracts (eg spreadsheets, graphs, charts) • screenshots of digital work (eg presentation slides, dashboards) • observation records • annotated case studies • data analysis projects • comparative data summaries.

Suggested learning resources: These suggestions are current at the time of publication. The following resources are provided as guidance only. Centres should select current and relevant resources and encourage learners in self-guided reading. The role of data in business (and its different types) (online), Indeed Editorial Team, 2025 The role of data in business (and its different types) | Indeed.com UK Handling information and data: Developing your information literacy, Mind Tools, n.d. Handling Information and Data Fundamentals of data analytics in a data-driven world: A comprehensive guide for beginners, Chukwu, M, 2023 Fundamentals of Data Analytics: Learn Essential Skills, Embrace the Future, and Catapult Your Career in the Data-Driven World—A Comprehensive Guide to Data Literacy for Beginners (Audio Download): Russell Dawson, Michael F. Ward, JWS: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Evidencing this unit

All evidence for the skills learning outcomes must be generated in the workplace or a realistic working environment, and must be valid and attributable to you.

Workplace documentation and records — team development plans, project implementation reports, meeting agendas and minutes, training materials
Video clips, up to a maximum of 15 minutes
Projects
Reflective accounts, journals and logs
Assessment observation
Witness testimonies

Portfolio guide Reflective accounts

Where unit 310 counts

This unit sits in the ILM Level 3 Leadership and Management suite (8723) and counts towards the pathways below, from £449.

Frequently asked questions

How much data analysis does unit 310 need?

One identified area of your team or organisation, analysed properly. A spreadsheet with a pivot table and a couple of charts, plus a one-page summary of findings and recommendations, meets LO2 — no BI tooling required.

What does 'how data flows through an organisation' mean?

Criterion 1.6 is about the journey of a number, not its analysis: where it is captured, which system it lands in, which report it appears in, and which decision it eventually informs. A simple flow diagram evidences it well.

Is unit 310 mandatory?

Yes. Unit 310 is a mandatory unit — every learner on the relevant pathway must complete it.

How is unit 310 assessed?

Assessment is a portfolio of evidence, centre-devised and internally set and marked. There are no exams and no written assignments.

What evidence can I use for unit 310?

All evidence for the skills learning outcomes must be generated in the workplace or a realistic working environment, and must be valid and attributable to you. Workplace documents, projects, reflective accounts, observation records and witness testimonies are all valid sources.

Which qualifications include unit 310?

It counts towards the Level 3 Award, Level 3 Certificate, Level 3 Diploma, Level 3 Extended Diploma.