How we’ll get there
4A: Shared approaches and tooling to support optimised data governance and management
Good data governance allows us to use data safely, efficiently and to the benefit of our community, economy and environment. By adopting common practices and standards, we can get greater value from our data. We can be more efficient by sharing resources, infrastructure and knowledge.
Our aim is to build data maturity to meet agency needs and enhance our cross-sector practices. We will develop an ongoing program of maturity improvement that addresses priority needs first.
A baseline data maturity assessment was conducted with 13 agencies across the NSW government. Ten data domains were assessed across a five-point scale. It showed that maturity is variable across domains and agencies, with room to uplift data maturity across the sector.
- Adopt common, interoperable data standards for use across agencies and their contractors
- Increase use of cross-sector data governance and management tools
- Measure and report on data maturity across the sector
- Share resources and implement initiatives to uplift data maturity across the sector
- Evaluate the appropriateness of the spatial data governance framework for use in other domains
- The NSW Data Governance Toolkit streamlines data governance and boosts efficiency by equipping NSW Government agencies with tools and guidance to build robust data governance frameworks. The Toolkit is regularly updated to reflect evolving data needs, technologies, standards, and best practices.
- The NSW Spatial Digital Twin (SDT), led Spatial Services at the Department of Customer Service, creates a collaborative environment that generates cost savings and efficiencies right across government and industry by enabling users to arrange and visual large amounts of location data in one place in 3D and 4D (3D plus time) in near real time.
- The Foundational Spatial Data Framework supports Government planning decisions by ensuring that commonly used spatial information is captured, stored, and disseminated in a way that guarantees quality, consistency, interoperability, and usability.
- The Department of Customer Service (DCS) launched its Enterprise Data Catalogue (EDC), making it easier and faster for DCS agencies to find, understand and access the right data. The EDC uplifts data maturity by providing a centralised, self-service platform with robust data governance tools and processes to improve data management and sharing.
- The Metadata.NSW Registry is a centralised repository of over 15,000 metadata items across NSW Government, making it easier for users to search, identify and access relevant human services data across multiple agencies. The Registry acts as a data governance tool by ensuring data elements are defined, consistent and easy to interpret, improving data management, integration, and analysis across NSW Government.
- The NSW Data Passport is a joint initiative by the Department of Communities and Justice and Department of Customer Service to make it easier, faster and safer for government and non-government researchers to access over 60 human services data assets and insights through an online accreditation process, meaning users only need to demonstrate they are a ‘safe user’ once rather than multiple times.
4B: Build sustainable funding options to increase data maturity across the sector
Government’s resources must be used efficiently and effectively. Taking a cross-government approach to data maturity opens opportunities to reduce duplication, coordinate our efforts and leverage economies of scale.
This includes sharing knowledge and resources, building capability in cross-government priority areas and collaborating to leverage greater value when investing in infrastructure, platforms and tools.
Our goal is to collaborate to invest in our people, resources and infrastructure to target priority areas and deliver value for money. (maybe add a sentence about a sustainable approach to investing in data if Treasury is supportive)
- Recommend an approach to cross-sector investment in people, infrastructure and resources that enable data capability, capacity and quality uplift
- Coordinate procurement of data governance and management platforms and tools
- TBA
