How We Think

Data Governance in sport is a bit like the Wild West, where entrepreneurs sign 'prospects' up to contracts that are light on detail - and tend to be even lighter on legalities. And I'm a case in point.  One sporting contract I signed gave me very little ability to negotiate or amend the terms, but it gave the other party virtually unlimited rights to record collect, transmit, measure, use, modify, and alter any information related to my training and race data. This included, but was not limited to heart rate, calorie intake, power output, velocity, cadence, and location data. In the sporting world, this is referred to as "performance data".

Ah procurement! The term often strikes fear into the hearts of every (or at least most) public servant. Adding to these fears are perceptions of complex regulatory and policy frameworks as well as the certainty of an audit. As discussed in previous articles, procurement isn't done well, in general in the APS (or in State/Territory Governments for that matter). However, it doesn't have to be this way - and (most) public servants need not 'live in fear' of procurement. In fact, the opposite should be true - they should embrace procurement, banish the fears and develop a positive approach to procurement and contracting.

Remember when as kids, we made choices based on what would make us look cool, avoid embarrassment, or simply because it felt good? Now, fast-forward to the adult world - the corporate decisions, strategic moves. Surprisingly (or not), the same underlying emotions and desires are at play.

"Over-communicate. It's better to tell someone something they already know than to not tell them something they needed to hear" - Alex Irvine

Fair-and-reasonable (FAR). That's the standard, the test for organisations handling personal information (PI) under the proposed privacy reforms. The FAR principle is also found in the 'Objects' section of the FOI Act at Section 3(4), outlining that FOI functions "are to be performed and exercised, as far as possible, to facilitate and promote public access to information, promptly and at the lowest reasonable cost."

Australia's strategic policy has suffered from a crisis of identity for decades. We are not alone in changing political priorities, mismanaged projects or having to adjust to evolving strategic circumstances. But we want to have it both ways, all the time, and without due care to how long it takes or how much it costs.