Effective data sharing will be at the heart of the Government’s response to COVID-19. As State governments dig deeper into COVID-19 cases within Council areas to identify clusters, local government will also be required to start sharing some of their data to support these needs. Councils need to be transparent about how they handle sensitive personal information, while contributing effectively to managing a global pandemic.
In many cases, data sharing for local governments will involve setting up systems and ways of managing data that are entirely new and challenge established ways of operating.
Over time, all Councils will need to handle more and more data and some of it will be very personal and sensitive. The right policies and procedures need to be in place to be ready for this challenge. Smart City initiatives were already driving demand for better data sharing; COVID-19 has only increased the urgency of addressing these critical issues.
Why you need Data Sharing Policies
Installing data sharing policies and procedures help manage personal and commercial risk. There is a strong risk aversion not to share anything unless something goes wrong, which is a barrier to realising the potential benefits.
Data sharing enables innovation. If your organisation is serious about catalysing and encouraging innovation, data sharing is an essential building block.
Data-driven decision-making is fast becoming the new normal. While it does take time to set up, once the correct systems are in place open shareable and easy to access data has significant operational benefits and can lead to new insights and outcomes.
Astrolabe has been helping local governments to protect personal information and protect local governments while handling sensitive personal information. While it may sound challenging, learning by doing is the best way to start developing capability, understanding, and trust.