DataPoints: the data news you need from the National Data Commissioner

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DataPoints: the data news you need from the National Data Commissioner

Happy Spring from the Office of the National Data Commissioner. 

Dataplace hits 100 

We are delighted the number of organisations onboarded to Dataplace has surpassed 100. Join the data sharing community by onboarding to Dataplace at dataplace.gov.au. From there you can access the Australian Government Data Catalogue to find what data is available, make a data request and collaborate on a data sharing agreement. You can also use Dataplace to manage your organisation’s data sharing and apply for accreditation to join the DATA Scheme. 

We’ve got new accreditations too! 

We’re also celebrating 2 new participants in the DATA Scheme - the Commonwealth Department of Finance and the Attorney-General's Department. There are now 26 accredited data users who can make requests for data under the Scheme and 12 organisations accredited to provide data services – go to our register to find who is accredited

ONDC’s Annual Priorities 

We have refreshed our regulatory priorities for 2024-25. We will continue to adopt a facilitative posture focusing on: 

• Facilitating data sharing and supporting continued uptake of the DATA Scheme. We will continue to support the build of the National Disability Data Asset and access to it. We will support newly accredited entities to make their first data sharing requests and data custodians to recognise accreditation and respond to requests in a timely way. 

• Increasing accredited entities and promoting adherence to Scheme requirements. We are continuing to improve the accreditation process to make it as simple as possible and will strive to meet our service level standards. 

• Educating and guiding on best practice data handling and sharing. This includes supporting Australian Government agencies to develop and maintain their data inventories and include their data assets in the Australian Government Data Catalogue. 

Want to learn more about how your organisation can use the DATA Scheme? 

We are hosting webinars on Wednesday 18 September to help DATA Scheme participants better understand how to make and respond to data sharing requests under the Scheme. Check out our webinar offerings for September: 

Making data sharing requests – 10:00am AESTRegister here

Join us for an overview and walk-through of the process of requesting data through the DATA Scheme using Dataplace. 

Responding to data sharing requests – 11:30am AESTRegister here

This session will provide an overview of data custodian’s obligations to consider and respond to data sharing requests, and how requests can be managed using Dataplace. 

Establishing a DATA Scheme data sharing agreement – 1:30pm AESTRegister here

Join us for an overview and walk-through of what a data sharing agreement must contain, including advice on key privacy, ethics, and confidentiality issues, and a demonstration of how to generate a data sharing agreement template. 

National Data Advisory Council 

The National Data Advisory Council met in August, welcoming Ms Elizabeth Tydd to the Council as the newly appointed Australian Information Commissioner. The Council reviewed the draft National Data Commissioner’s 2023-24 annual report, got an update on the working group examining issues with uptake of the Scheme and noted the beta launch of the Australian Government Data Catalogue. They encouraged further action to increase the number of data assets listed in the Catalogue. 

Good uses of public data 

With Spring upon us and the weather warming, we’re all hoping the spread of respiratory illnesses will slow. But is that what really happens? The Australian Bureau of Statistics has been tracking deaths from acute respiratory illness each month from the beginning of 2022. And while COVID deaths so far in 2024 are lower than 2023 and 2022, the number of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) deaths is on the rise. Check out how acute respiratory diseases have re-emerged every month over the past few years in this article: Deaths due to COVID-19, influenza and RSV in Australia - 2022 - July 2024 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au). 

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