Hello from the Data Profession Team at the ABS!
One noteworthy aspect in these unprecedented times is the way ordinary Australians are becoming increasingly aware of the value of data in public policy. Whether it’s the data relating to the national vaccine rollout, or data relating to the economy, one thing is for sure – the role of data in public policy has come to the fore. It’s against this backdrop that the team can report on a number of important developments this quarter.
First is the release of one of our foundational deliverables – the Data Capability Framework (DCF)! This is an exciting milestone as it will enable consistency of language to be used and a common yardstick against which all APS staff can assess their data capability. The DCF has been several months in the making, including extensive consultation with stakeholders across the APS. In this newsletter, we take a tour of the Framework and investigate the foundational role it will play in the Data Profession into the future.
Also, this quarter we have conducted a number of Data Professional Employee Value Proposition workshops. These workshops have provided an avenue for data professionals from across the APS to share what motivates and inspires them at work – and what they’re looking for in a career in data. Workshop participants have represented a range of agencies, from very large to very small, and from the perspectives of policy to service delivery. Additional insight into the motivations of our data workforce will be gleaned from a series of one-on-one interviews. The stories and experiences shared in the workshops and interviews will help us develop the personas that will capture the key aspects of our APS data professionals. This will enable us to ensure that the data profession matches the needs and expectations of our data workforce.
Finally, the team is evaluating feedback from the APS Data Leadership Course which was piloted in July and August with around 40 SES officers from 10 agencies. The aim of this course has been to uplift the data capability of senior executives so they can engage with, lead and champion the increasingly data-driven work program and culture of the APS. This is essential to maximising the value of public sector data through greater understanding of its use and re-use within and across agencies as the public service engages with data sharing
We hope you enjoy the newsletter. As always, we would love to hear about the projects you’re working on, or news you would like to share with the data community through the Data Profession News. Please send your ideas to aps.dataprofessionalstream@abs.gov.au.
Best wishes,
Meredith Padgett
Acting Director, Data Profession