Turning numbers into narratives: A spotlight interview with Theogene Nshimiyimana

Theogene works for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Sub-Regional Office for European Economic Area (EEA) where he provides support on programme planning, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and risk management. 

Theogene’s professional journey with IOM began in 2012, building on a longstanding passion for migration and development that was sparked during his postgraduate studies. He earned a master's degree in demography and population studies, focusing his research on migration decision-making processes. His earlier career as a social scientist in clinical trial settings in South Africa ignited his interest in M&E, prompting him to pursue further studies in this field, ultimately earning a master's degree in programme evaluation. 

In this spotlight interview with UNSSC’s Maria Fernanda Villari, Theogene shares his experience pursuing the UN Data Analytics Professional Certificate and reflects on how the training helped him familiarize with new tools, strengthened his data analysis and visualization skills, and enhanced his ability to integrate compelling storytelling in his daily work. 

 

Maria Fernanda: Why was it important for you to pursue the UN Data Analytics Professional Certificate, and what did you hope to gain from this learning journey with us? 

Theogene: I first learned about the course through a colleague who shared her certificate on LinkedIn. As my role is heavily centred on both quantitative and qualitative data,   

as soon as I saw the title I thought, “This is exactly what I need”.  

Even before starting, I was impressed by how practical and relevant the course seemed. I saw a lot of potential—not only for strengthening my own skills but also for improving the support I provide to countries in the Sub-Region. As a Monitoring and Evaluation focal point, I felt the course could transform how we work with data in our daily M&E work. That’s what motivated me.  

I wanted to update my skills in qualitative and quantitative analysis, strengthen my data visualization abilities, and expand my knowledge on how Large Language Models work. 

 

Maria Fernanda: Looking back on the course, what part of the learning journey stood out to you most? How did those moments change the way that you approach data?  

Theogene: In my Office, we don’t have a dedicated institutional tool for qualitative or quantitative data analysis, and many advanced tools, such as STATA and SPSS, require costly licenses.  One thing I truly appreciated about the course was being introduced to new, user-friendly and free tools, especially JASP. I quickly realized its value and introduced it to colleagues, particularly those with quantitative analysis skills. It has been extremely useful. 

From the very first modules, I liked the balance between theory and hands-on practice. It had been a while since I worked with statistical concepts, and the course helped me refresh and apply them immediately, especially when delivering training on quantitative and qualitative methods. 

The sessions on qualitative analysis, data visualization and storytelling were especially impactful. I was familiar with some storytelling techniques, but the way they were taught made them easy to remember and apply. I now use these techniques in my own trainings and daily work. 

The flow of the sessions was also excellent, clear, practical and memorable. I didn’t need to revisit the materials afterward because the facilitators made the concepts stick. They showed how to structure a story – where to begin and end – and how to make it engaging.  

Data visualization is a big part of my work and combining quantitative and qualitative data to craft a compelling narrative has become essential. I thought I was doing well before, but the course expanded my perspective.  

 

Maria Fernanda: Could you share one or two key takeaways from your work on the case study focused on data exploration and analysis? Over the past three months, you've gone through several important steps—from submitting your proposal, participating in mentoring sessions, to completing the final report. Looking back, how would you describe this journey and your experience working on the case study/ on-the-job practice?  

Theogene: I chose the area of data exploration and analysis for my guided final assignment because my organization produces large datasets on labour mobility, surveys and migration intentions, as well as other rich operational data, that require systematic exploration and cleaning before analysis to generate useful insights for decision-making. Although we have this data collected, it is often difficult to analyse it systematically due to lack of appropriate skills and time and tool capability constraints. That’s why tools such as JASP were a key discovery for me during the course.  

The assignment itself was challenging because it required two types of work: cleaning and exploring the dataset to understand its structure – to determine what kind of descriptive and predictive analysis to perform – and then conducting the actual analysis. It was also my very first time using JASP. 

After completing the course, I’ve continued practicing with JASP, with the goal of eventually performing outcome-level predictive analysis, identifying what factors influence beneficiaries’ results and measuring programme effectiveness using existing data. 

The potential of mastering these techniques is huge: merging datasets, cleaning and structuring data, and conducting advanced analysis. My goal is also to share these practices with colleagues in country offices working in monitoring, evaluation and research. 

 

Maria Fernanda: Since completing the course, have you applied the skills at your work or within your team?  

Theogene: Yes, absolutely. I’m now more confident using Power BI, and I want to continue practicing and learning, through trials and errors, to share my knowledge and skills with colleagues.  

I also enjoyed discovering and working with Flourish. It allowed me to create better graphs and maps than anything I could produce in Excel. Since my role covers several countries, this was a game-changer. I haven’t yet trained colleagues on Flourish, but it’s something I definitely plan to do in the coming year. 

As I mentioned before, JASP, the free, powerful and safe-to-use statistical software was a gamechanger for me. I continue practicing it and my ambitious is to introduce it to my colleagues in the sub-region and beyond. 

 

Maria Fernanda: Considering the three components of this course, could you share your feedback on each? Specifically, how did the self-paced lessons prepare you for the topics later addressed in the live sessions? And what is your perspective on the third component—the on-the-job practice? 

Theogene: The self-paced component was very easy to navigate, and I downloaded many materials that I continue to use as I train colleagues. The modules were well-structured, starting with fundamentals and gradually building up, which helped refresh concepts like sampling bias. 

My approach was to complete the self-paced lessons first, prepare the questions I wanted to raise during the live webinars, then attend the sessions. The modules were clear, but whenever I had doubts, I brought them to the live sessions. This combination worked perfectly. 

What stood out most in the webinars was the facilitators. They were motivated, knowledgeable and made the sessions fun and engaging, something rare in many data trainings. They created a safe, inclusive learning environment, and the hands-on exercises made the sessions practical and enjoyable. 

The integration between the self-paced learning, webinars and the final assignment was seamless. Applying what we learned in the modules to real-case scenarios during the live sessions really strengthened my understanding and prepared me for the final assignment. I thought the course was excellently packaged. 

 

Maria Fernanda: If someone was considering joining the course, what would you tell them, based on your experience? 

Theogene: I’ve already recommended this course to colleagues, and for good reason. Today, information and data analysis are central to our work, and we need professionals who can analyse, present and visualize data clearly, especially in the UN context. Part of my role is producing reports for donors and internal stakeholders, so I see the value of these skills every day. 

Another reason is the exposure to free tools like Flourish and JASP. Many colleagues struggle with Excel without realizing that there are other simple, user-friendly and powerful tools that are easy to learn. Learning about these tools is a game-changer. 

Storytelling also stood out for me. In the UN, the work we do is meaningful, but what engages people is how we tell those stories of success—whether about beneficiaries, government partners or our advocacy efforts. Learning how to tell a compelling story using data, not just presenting numbers, was transformative. 

Finally, I want to commend the entire UNSSC team behind the course. Their expertise, supportive approach, and willingness to go the extra mile made a huge difference. For example, my mentor was incredibly patient in guiding me through my assignment, especially since it was my first time using the tool. This learning experience gave me a solid foundation and opened the door to new tools and methods that I’m now using in my daily work.