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NewFrom Data to Decisions: Communicating Evidence for Effective Public Policy
Good policy doesn’t fail because of a lack of data. It fails when that data isn’t understood, trusted, or acted on.
This practical webinar is designed for public sector professionals who need to turn analysis into influence. Whether you are working with complex datasets or briefing senior leaders, your ability to communicate evidence clearly is what drives decisions.
Date: 29 April, Wednesday
Time: 2:30–3:30 pm (BST)
Speaker: Thomas Foster
We will focus on the real skill gap: translating technical insight into messages that land with non-technical audiences. You will explore how to simplify without losing meaning, present data with confidence, and avoid the common traps that lead to misinterpretation.
Through practical examples and simple techniques, you will learn how to structure your narrative, use visuals effectively, and communicate with clarity and authority.
By the end of the session, you will be better equipped to:
- Turn data into clear, actionable messages
- Communicate insights confidently to senior stakeholders
- Use visual and narrative techniques to improve understanding
- Avoid common pitfalls when presenting evidence
About the Speaker – Thomas Foster
Thomas Foster is a former senior Civil Servant and now a coach, trainer, and consultant with over 15 years’ experience spanning policy, delivery, communications, and frontline services across UK government.
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Thomas Foster
Thomas Foster joined the UK Civil Service as a Fast Streamer in 2009, gaining first-hand experience of the coalition negotiations that followed the general election. He subsequently contributed to the emergency Spending Review and worked on the design of major government programmes, including the Work Programme and Universal Credit.
Read BioThomas Foster
Thomas Foster joined the Civil Service as a Fast Streamer in autumn 2009, in time for an inside view of the first peacetime coalition negotiations for almost a century. He participated in the subsequent emergency Spending Review and went on to play a role in designing the incoming government’s flagship Work Programme and Universal Credit policies. Later, he moved into areas as diverse as financial regulation and designing new financial instruments for private‑sector investors, and, at the other extreme, frontline management in a Jobcentre in one of the most deprived wards in London.
In 2015, he joined the Department for Transport, where he built and ran a public and parliamentary communications team for the rail franchising programme. This period oversaw one of the most active and controversial phases in the twenty‑year history of privatised rail. He then moved into a policy and regulatory role as Deputy Head of Local Transport, where he oversaw one of the biggest open data projects in UK government history, as well as a widespread review of the future of regulation in the taxi and private hire sector. Since 2020, Thomas has worked full‑time as a coach, trainer, and consultant.
Prior to joining the Civil Service, Thomas attended law school in York, studied Politics and Contemporary History at university, and worked in a variety of private‑sector roles, including executive search and recruitment for UK‑based financial services companies.
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