This includes tracking the impact on children, certain vulnerable populations such as data from the first Australians to evaluate programmes and interventions. “Anonymized data” under the IGA includes: It builds on previous efforts to share health and travel data between states in support of the pandemic response. One of the data elements driving the conversation is the National Disability Data Asset, which paves the way for an association-wide vision of the disability sector. Data and digital ministers in each jurisdiction will now develop a work programme with “national priority data areas” to focus resource-based resources on priority issues of national strategic importance, with input from relevant portfolio ministers. Sharing the “lessons” learned from each jurisdiction`s pandemic response is at the top of the list. The national cabinet on Friday approved the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on data sharing, formalizing a plan that was first approved in April to partially lay the foundation for connected government services. The agreement to facilitate data sharing between jurisdictions comes as the federal government comes under intense pressure from privacy groups to strengthen the protection of its federal data-sharing bill, which is before a Senate review committee. The push for a high-level agreement is resulting in a more efficient flow of data between the Commonwealth, states and territories on COVID-19 emergency and recovery measures. The agreement recognises data as a common national good and aims to maximise the value of data in providing exceptional policies and services to Australians. The agreement, which comes into effect immediately, states that governments “will do their best to exchange data between jurisdictions” for recognized purposes, provided data protection standards are met. Federal and state leaders will seek advice from data and digital ministers on how to securely share public data across jurisdictions to improve evidence-based decision-making between governments and improve service and program outcomes. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Data Exchange between Commonwealth and State and Territory (IGA) Governments, signed on 9 July 2021, aims to lay the foundation for better evidence-based policy-making and data-driven public administration – a laudable goal. However, it also increases privacy risks and increases the current struggle for federal, state, and state agencies to strengthen and maintain public trust in their data governance and (especially the sharing of personal data).
In addition to the lack of trust in the enforcement of data protection laws, there is a real risk that poor data governance and data processing practices will be exposed by certain jurisdictions in general and by some authorities within a jurisdiction. Organizations that have not done their “homework” before the IGA will miss the opportunities offered by better data sharing (and will likely cause other organizations to miss them). This form contains the signature of the Minister of the Public Sector, as required for agreements with non-governmental organizations. Like the DAT Act, the IGA expects data to be shared for the purpose of informing decision makers. program design, delivery and evaluation; monitoring of implementation; or improving service delivery. The Data Availability and Transparency Bill 2020 (Cth) (DAT Bill), currently before Parliament, aims to open a new avenue for increased data sharing between Australian government agencies. If passed in its current form, the DAT File Bill will allow for the exchange of public sector data with accredited users (who may be from the public or private sector) for three authorized purposes: (i) to improve the delivery of government services; (ii) information and evaluation of government policies; and (iii) supporting research and development. However, this is only allowed in accordance with the five principles of data sharing (essentially the framework of the five vaults) and must be governed by a data sharing agreement. In order to contribute to the construction of a data-driven public sector in all Australian jurisdictions and to prepare for increased data sharing, Commonwealth, state and territorial authorities should do the following now: The agreement is also not “intended to create legal relationships between the parties” and does not override legal obligations, existing agreements, frameworks and policies. A nationally uniform alert system for all hazards will be established as part of a programme to improve the exchange of data between States and the Commonwealth.
Alex Ellinghausen If the objectives of the IGA are to be achieved without significant negative effects on privacy, all government agencies must improve their awareness and capacity in the area of data protection and information security. Otherwise, costly and embarrassing incidents are sure to follow, which will quickly undermine public trust. The plan for the high-level agreement, which has not yet been worked out, was approved at a national cabinet meeting last Friday. An agreement is being drawn up to allow for a better exchange of data between law enforcement authorities, including the easy exchange of basic information such as motor vehicle registration. The framework will accompany the federal government`s Draft Data Availability and Transparency Act (DAT), which will remain in the Federal Parliament for more than seven months after its introduction. The asset, which digital ministers agreed to put in place in September 2019, contains datasets from the federal, nsw, victoria, queensland and South Australian governments. The bill aims to streamline data sharing between governments and the private sector, but faces fierce opposition from the Labor Party, as well as the Australian Data Protection Authority and the Australian Medical Association. Governments may deny a request for data on legal grounds, even if the disclosure could violate a law or contractual obligation, or interfere with an investigation or legal proceeding. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported data gaps on domestic violence caused by the lack of data sharing.
To add new data or conditions to an existing agreement of any kind. For example, the Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP) combines datasets from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), the Department of Health, the Department of Social Services (DSS) and Services Australia. The combination of these data sets is subject to what statisticians call the “principle of separation,” meaning that theoretically no one can ever see personal identifiers and essential data at the same time (although the information retains the quality of the personal information). Federal, state and territorial leaders have agreed to create an intergovernmental agreement to facilitate better data sharing among all levels of government. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Data Sharing requires all administrations to exchange public sector data as a standard position where safe, secure, legal and ethically possible. .
