Transparency in Government

Join us for a discussion about the application of data intelligence to the operation of the public sector, and the role technology can play in identifying patterns of problematic behaviour in government.

The webinar will be hosted by InnovationAus Publisher, Corrie McLeod with expert guests Carrick Ryan, Former Australian Federal Agent and Political Commentator; Marie Johnson, CEO of The Centre for Digital Business; and Han Aulby, Executive Director of The Centre for Public Integrity.

Insights from consumer, citizen and company data are now used to inform all aspects of modern life. The role of data in the public sector over the past five years has focused on maintaining a balance between privacy and innovation. Governments share data across agencies and departments to determine how to improve citizen outcomes and identify fraudulent / criminal activity – but we have not seen the same amount of ‘data intelligence’ applied in the operation of the public sector – both in executive government and the bureaucracy that implements its policies.

Pork barreling scandals, an exploding number of unaddressed FOI requests, higher than ever management consultancy fees and the lack of availability of real-time data on corporate donations to political parties with an election looming – there is a growing gap between the use of technology by government to understand and manage citizens, and the use of technology applied to the public service itself to hold it to the same standards as the wider business community.

Australia has a well-regarded government, and its relative stability during the period spanning the GFC up to COVID-19 is evidence it performs well. But like every organsiation, the explosion of data and information has made it harder for the interested public to clearly understand government transactions and communications.

Areas for discussion:

• How RegTech is being used across various industries to identify patterns of problematic behaviour, and the lack of appetite within government to apply this same process to its own operation
• The role that technology can and should play in identifying government behaviour that goes against community expectations
• How the public sector can continue to function and thrive when it’s being swamped by data, like every other industry.