WECA R & Quarto Training

From Excel to Code-First Analysis

Author

WECA Analysis Team

Published

February 18, 2026

0.1 Welcome

This training course helps WECA analysts transition from Excel/PowerPoint workflows to reproducible, code-first analysis using R, Quarto, and Git.

Goal: Enable each analyst to independently create indicator chapters using R, Quarto, and Git.

0.2 Course Structure

  • Duration: 5 sessions × 4 hours (20 hours total)
  • Format: In-person, consecutive weeks
  • Audience: 5 analysts building indicator chapters for the regional priorities report

0.2.1 Session Overview

Session Focus Key Milestone
1 The Whole Game Render a complete indicator from template
2 R Fundamentals Transform and visualise real data
3 Data Wrangling Clean and prepare messy datasets
4 Quarto Mastery Author professional multi-section reports
5 Git Collaboration Create, review, and merge pull requests

0.3 Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Navigate the command line (Git Bash) for basic file operations
  • Use Positron IDE to write and execute R code
  • Load, transform, and analyse data using tidyverse packages
  • Create publication-quality visualisations with ggplot2
  • Author reproducible reports combining code, narrative, and outputs using Quarto
  • Use Git for version control and GitHub for collaboration
  • Follow the WECA indicators project workflow independently

0.4 Course Philosophy

This course follows evidence-based pedagogical principles:

  1. “Whole Game First” - Session 1 shows the complete workflow before diving into details
  2. Tidyverse-First - Human-centred R syntax (pipes, verbs) from the start
  3. Visual Feedback Early - Charts in Session 1 for immediate gratification
  4. Real-World Application - Build actual WECA indicators, not toy examples
  5. Literate Programming - Code + narrative from day one via Quarto
  6. Active Learning - Live coding, immediate practise, pair programming options
  7. Low Friction - Pre-installed software, standardised helper functions

0.5 Getting Started

0.5.1 Prerequisites

Before Session 1, ensure:

  1. Software installed (see Setup Guide)
  2. Access to the indicators project repository
  3. Basic familiarity with Excel and data analysis concepts

0.5.2 Course Materials

Navigate the book using the sidebar:

  • Overview - Course design and pedagogy
  • Sessions 1-5 - Detailed lesson plans with exercises
  • Resources - Datasets, setup guides, troubleshooting