Overview
The principles of organisational governance and data-informed decision making, including collaborative governance, data governance and the importance of evidence-informed and ethical decision making.
This course will focus on exploring the interconnected nature of governance and decision making, specifically ethic, evidence based, data-informed decision making. It is specifically designed for non-technical senior leaders, decision-makers and governance professionals to help them engage with the principles of good governance as well as AI and using data responsibly to support their decision-making. This course will help develop a critical understanding of the role of governance and decision making to address dynamic changes in business environments. It will also introduce students to the value of data to help support effective governance and decision making to arrive at solutions that address complex organisational problems.
About this paper
| Paper title | Governance and Evidence-Informed Decision Making |
|---|---|
| Subject | Doctor of Business Administration |
| EFTS | 0.1667 |
| Points | 20 points |
| Teaching period(s) | 1st Non standard period (12 January 2026 - 6 March 2026)
(Distance learning)
1st Non standard period (12 January 2026 - 6 March 2026) (On campus) |
| Delivery mode | The Distance Learning offering of this paper is a combination of remote and in-person teaching |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,665.83 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Limited to
- DBA
- Eligibility
Limited to DBA
- Contact
- Teaching staff
Dr Adeel Akmal
- Teaching Arrangements
The paper is distance-taught with an on-campus workshop component.
- Textbooks
Readings will be available through Blackboard
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global Perspective, Interdisciplinary Perspective, Critical Thinking,Ethics, Communication, Information Literacy, Research.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.- Learning Outcomes
- Critically analyse overlapping governance systems and explain how accountability, transparency and stakeholder engagement shape decision quality.
- Select, justify and apply appropriate performance-measurement tools—such as KPIs, balanced scorecards and real-time dashboards—to align decisions with system goals.
- Design and run evidence-informed improvement cycles (e.g., PDSA, DMAIC, A3) that gather relevant data, test interventions and scale successful practices.
- Integrate multiple stakeholder perspectives to define “quality” and “value,” mapping customer-or citizen-centred requirements into practical governance or service-design solutions.
- Diagnose and streamline governance-related work processes by identifying waste, bottlenecks and risk points, and propose data-driven remedies that accelerate decision-cycle times.