Outcomes

This project will help protect data privacy, reduce risk, improve community interactions and measure performance. The creation of a data framework will address:

• escalating data complexity and volume
• data quality and accuracy
• data silos
• regulatory compliance
• data privacy
• data sharing and collaboration
• data security
• policy formation
• resource allocation.

The data framework will help councils manage these areas while being cost-effective, accessible and secure.

A self-assessment tool developed as part of the project will also help councils audit and identify their current maturity and benchmark their progress.

Background and purpose

The Local Government Data Governance Framework project will create a framework to handle data governance which meets legal and customer needs. It will provide local councils with practical guidance on data treatment, handling and align with policies and guidelines to support data governance implementation.

The project builds on the success of the Cyber Security Framework and Toolkit

While proper data governance was recognised as part of the toolkit project, additional guidance and frameworks are now necessary. The cyber security toolkit also noted the need for councils to identify and classify information.

This new project will help councils work better together, share resources, and be stronger, as well as reduce the risk of data breaches.

Who is this for?

This project aims to improve data management for councils to benefit their communities.

How this project is being delivered

This project is being delivered by the Local Government Information Technology Association of SA.

A Data Governance Special Interest Group will be established with metropolitan and regional council participation. This will include establishing a Local Government Data Governance Steering Group to provide input to the project and promote the toolkit to the sector.

The framework will give councils the tools to assess the data they collect, where they store it, who accesses it, why they need to retain it and for how long. This ensures information is monitored and protected from potential security breaches and threats.

Project update - January 2024

Project completion: 10%

Initial work has commenced on this project with a working group now established and the project scope defined. LGITSA has engaged a delivery partner to support this project.  Additional stakeholders have also been identified and engaged.