DataPoints - National Data Commissioner Update July 2024

Our continued focus on supporting the sharing of Australian Government data with our tools and best practices has led to more data sharing. We helped to facilitate the sharing of socio-economic data with a non-government organisation to support the roll out of the investments in disadvantaged communities across Australia under the Commonwealth’s Stronger Places, Stronger People program.

The Australian Government Data Catalogue, the place to find and request Australian Government data, is now live on Dataplace! Search through nearly 60,000 data assets from various agencies to find the data you need. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, get in touch and we will help.

We are working closely with Australian Government agencies, to increase the number of records available on the Catalogue. An up-to-date data inventory positions your organisation to best use and protect the data you hold. We have created guides to assist Commonwealth agencies to develop their data inventories using a standard methodology.

Our data sharing community continues to grow

More government entities and universities are onboarding to Dataplace. There has never been a better time to onboard and start making requests for Australian Government data. You can now use Dataplace to search the Catalogue, request data from Australian Government agencies, respond to requests from others including under the DATA Scheme, apply for DATA Scheme accreditation, develop and manage data sharing agreements and monitor and report on your data sharing activities.

In July, we accredited the Scheme’s 12th data service provider– the Western Australia Department of Premier and Cabinet. Post end of the month the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department Finance were accredited as data users, taking the total to 26 and creating a core data sharing community comprising many of the data focused Australian Government agencies, most state and territory governments and the large research universities. If you want to become accredited to participate in the DATA Scheme, check out our accreditation resources here.

Last chance to nominate for the APS Data Awards!

There is just over a week left to nominate for the Australian Public Service (APS) Data Awards 2024. Data professionals within the APS are encouraged to nominate their work and share how it’s had a positive impact on the public services and outcomes for Australians.

With eight categories to choose from, this is a great opportunity to gain recognition for your hard work and the significant contributions your data initiatives have made. The process is straightforward and designed to capture assessable criteria easily, making it simple and convenient for nominees to participate. To learn more about the awards and to nominate before Friday 16 August, visit apsdataawards.gov.au.

Want to learn more about the DATA Scheme and build your organisation’s data capability?

We are hosting webinars and online meetings on 14 August 2024. Join us for one, or all, if you want to deep dive into the DATA Scheme and strengthen your organisation’s data capability:

• Australian Government Data Catalogue – Preparing to contribute to the Catalogue – 10:30am AEST – Register here.

This session will help you to understand what the Australian Government Data Catalogue is and how Australian Government agencies can contribute to it.

• Introduction to the DATA Scheme – 11:30am AEST – Register here.

Join us for an overview of the DATA Scheme, including how the Scheme operates, the key Scheme participants and how you can make requests for data under the Scheme.

• How to become an Accredited Data User – 1:30pm AEST – Register here.

Join us to learn the steps to accreditation, benefits of being an accredited data user, and obligations and responsibilities an accredited data user has.

Good uses of public data

The Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Reserve Bank of Australia recently hosted the Human Capital conference. The conference explored how data, and new measurement approaches, can inform the research and policies addressing challenges in the Australian labour market and economy. Papers discussed at the conference covered topics such as the COVID-19 recession and its impact on the Youth Labour Market, AI and the changing skill demands for jobs, and measuring labour quality using emerging microdata sources. Check out these papers and many others here.

Good reads for the data community

A recent report released by Google details data and AI trends from a survey of business and IT leaders about their goals and strategies for harnessing generative AI. The report noted that “AI innovation will hinge on strong data governance.” Some key findings of the report reveal that only 44% of respondents are fully confident in their organisation’s data quality. Additionally, only 27% of the organisations surveyed consider themselves to be extremely or very mature in data governance. Check out the full report here.

If you have feedback or something to share in future editions of DataPoints, please get in touch. We are always interested to hear your stories, including how you have used data to deliver public benefit. Also, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn!

Gayle