Sharing data expertise across the APS – the Data Professional Technical Forum
The Data Professional Technical Forum (DPTF) is a new series of virtual workshops where Australian Public Service (APS) agencies can share their experience in the technical aspects of working with data. It is one of the Data Profession initiatives seeking to mobilise data expertise across the APS.
The DPTF is jointly chaired by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), with fifteen other APS agencies providing input into shaping the direction and topics of future workshops.
What topics have been discussed at DPTF workshops so far, and which agencies are involved?
The first workshop was held in April 2021 and included presentations from the ABS, ATO and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources on the theme of data governance. It attracted an audience of over 350 data professionals from across the APS. The recording of this workshop is now available in the APS Data Professional Stream video library.
The second workshop in July 2021 showcased use cases of natural language processing from the ABS, ATO, Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Securities and Investment Commission, and attracted an even larger audience (over 470 viewers). The recording of this workshop is also available in the APS Data Professional Stream video library.
What’s next?
The next workshop is scheduled for late October 2021 and will present COVID-19 data analytics use cases from the Department of Health, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Services Australia. Details for this virtual event will be shared via DPTF Planning Group members, Data Profession working group, LinkedIn and the GovTeams page.
In December 2021, the ABS will be hosting a symposium on public data access and privacy, which will also serve as the last DPTF event for 2021. Various domestic and international government agencies and universities will be presenting which will provide a wealth of knowledge and experience on this very important topic, and an impressive network of connections for the APS to draw on.
The themes for DPTF workshops in 2022 are currently being finalised with some exciting topics in the mix for future workshops, including:
- location and geospatial data analysis
- machine learning and ethics for artificial intelligence
- transitioning to cloud technology
- computer vision (including optical character recognition and image/object detection) and
- cross-agency collaboration and delivery.
How to get involved and find out more about the DPTF workshops
If your agency would like to be involved in proposing workshop topics, would be willing to share its data expertise with other agencies, or if you have any further enquiries about the DPTF, please email kristen.stone@abs.gov.au or ying.yang@ato.gov.au.