Accredited data users: Commonwealth, state and territory government bodies, and Australian universities who are accredited to obtain and use Australian Government data under the DATA Scheme.
Accredited Data Service Provider: an organisation or individual with technical expertise who can offer complex data integration services and/or data sharing on behalf of a Data Custodian.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): an engineered system that generates predictive outputs such as content, forecasts, recommendations or decisions for a given set of human-defined objectives or parameters without explicit programming. AI systems are designed to operate with varying levels of automation.
Australian Government Architecture (AGA): a collection of digital artefacts and guidance materials that can be used as a guide to inform its users on how to align to the digital direction of government.
Australian Public Service (APS): comprises entities that employ their staff under the Public Service Act 1999; includes all departments of state and some other entities.
Automated Decision Making (ADM): An automated system that builds on or around an administrative decision-making process.
Co-design: the active involvement of a diverse range of participants in exploring, developing and testing responses to shared challenges. A simple way to understand co-design is to break it down into its parts. The ‘co’ is typically considered an abbreviation for ‘cooperative’ or ‘collaborative’ design while ‘design’ draws on the discipline of industrial design.
Critical technologies: technologies that can impact Australia’s national interest, including our economic prosperity, national security and social cohesion.
Data: any information in a form capable of being communicated, analysed or processed (whether by an individual or by computer or other automated means).
Data analytics: describes processes or activities designed to obtain and evaluate data to extract useful information.
Data asset: a structured collection of data developed for a purpose.
Data breach: when personal information is accessed or disclosed without authorisation or is lost.
Data integration: the process of combining data from two or more sources at the unit level (e.g. person and/or business).
Data matching: the process of bringing together data from different sources and comparing it. Entities that carry out data-matching must comply with the Privacy Act 1988.
Data maturity: a measure of an organisation’s current data management capabilities and capacity.
DATA Scheme: a scheme for sharing Australian Government data, underpinned by strong safeguards and consistent, efficient processes, and focused on increasing the availability and use of Australian Government data to deliver government services, inform better government policies and programs, and support world-leading research and development.
Digital by design: the principle by which digital technologies and data are used to rethink and re-engineer public processes, simplify procedures and create new channels of communication and engagement with public stakeholder.
Digital government: the use of digital technologies as an integrated part of governments’ modernisation strategies to create public value.
Digital ID: of an individual means a distinct electronic representation of the individual that enables the individual to be sufficiently distinguished when interacting online with services.
Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework: a six-state, end-to-end framework providing a way for the Government to manage digital investments across the entire project lifecycle.
Digital Service Standard: a set of best-practice principles for designing and delivering government services. It helps digital teams to build services that are user-friendly, inclusive, adaptable, and measurable.
Entities: in accordance with section 10 of the PGPA Act and includes Australian Government departments of state, bodies corporate and others.
Interoperability: the ability to transfer and use information in a uniform and efficient manner across multiple organisations and information technology systems.
Legacy technology: an information system that may be based on outdated technologies but is critical to day-to-day operations.
Life event: an event (planned or unplanned) in a person's life where they experience a major change; for example, the birth of a child.
Machine Learning: a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science which focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way humans learn.
Metadata: the information that defines and describes the data.
Omni-channel: the ability for users to switch service channels part way through a transaction.
Online services: a digital service that facilitates interactions between two or more distinct but interdependent sets of users (whether firms or individuals) who interact through the service via the internet.
Open by Default: when organisations make government data and policy-making processes available to the public, within the limits of existing legislation and in balance with national and public interest.
Personal information: information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:
- whether the information or opinion is true or not; and
- whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.
Request for information: an approach to market to seek information from registered sellers. This approach is used when requirements are not clear or well defined.
Sensitive data: personal information that includes information or an opinion about an individual’s:
- racial or ethnic origin
- political opinions or associations
- religious or philosophical beliefs
- trade union membership or associations
- sexual orientation or practices
- criminal record
- health or genetic information
- some aspects of biometric information.
Technical debt: a broad term associated with the additional “owed” effort required to rework customised solutions, normally delivered off pattern to meet deadlines, or where there have been significant delays to maintenance of systems that are required to maintain stability and integrity.
Tell us once: allows members of the public, if they choose, to tell government quickly and easily about a change in their details just once, saving time and expense for both them and the Government. This approach relies on secure data sharing with relevant government entities to ensure individuals do not have to provide the same information multiple times to different entities.
Value for money: the use of public resources in an efficient, effective, ethical and economical manner. Value for money includes considering the financial and non-financial costs and benefits in the use of public resources.