Data sharing guidelines

The Queensland Government is committed to building a trusted data ecosystem that makes important and non-sensitive data open for anyone to access, use and share. Our commitment to open data is articulated in the Queensland Government open data policy statement.

To help agencies find the data they need, the Queensland Government has created a Queensland Government Closed Data Portal (pilot). For access, email datadiscovery@chde.qld.gov.au (government log in required).

Government employees can also access the Information asset register collated as part of our annual ICT Profiling activity. See Digital console and ICT Profiling standard for more.

Open data

The Open Data Portal is a publicly available resource for users to access, modify, and share Queensland Government data (in accordance with the data’s designated licence).

Spatial data

The Department of Resources provides a range of publicly available resources for users to access spatial data.

Queensland Globe

The Queensland Globe is an online interactive tool that turns physical, geographical and spatial data about a location into a map format. It combines data about roads, properties, topography, land valuations and a range of natural resources in an easy to consume format.

For example, the Queensland Globe Health Services topic provides an interactive map of hospitals, emergency facilities, allied health centres, aged care facilities and more.

Queensland Government agencies can request a new layer or topic by contacting the support team opendata@resources.qld.gov.au

QSpatial

QSpatial allows users to discover, display, select and download data of interest. Detailed metadata accompanies most data sets which provides agency contact details to obtain more information or request data. Data is available in a variety of formats.

QTopo

QTopo provides online access to Queensland topography (including both natural and man-made features) and allows users to customise their own maps.

Smartmap Information System

Smartmap Information System (SMIS) provides information about Queensland property boundaries, valuations, sales data and survey information (for a fee).

Queensland Government agencies can apply for free access by emailing landandspatialsystemssupport@resources.qld.gov.au.

Spatial Imagery restricted services

Spatial Imagery restricted services (SISP Program) provides high-resolution satellite imagery using best practice standards to ensure visual quality, locational accuracy and providence.

QSat satellite imagery

QSat satellite imagery provides a near-daily feed of high-resolution satellite images (captured by commercial satellite at a resolution of 1.5m or better) covering the whole of Queensland.

Government Land Register

Government Land Register (GLR) is an online system of all Queensland Government-controlled property.

Statistics

Queensland Government Statistician’s Office

The Queensland Government Statistician’s Office (QGSO) provides access to a range of Queensland demographic, economic and social data across themes such as population, society, crime and justice, the economy and industry and development.

Queensland regional profiles

The Queensland regional profiles provide statistical reports on a range of community types and local government areas.

Australian Bureau of Statistics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shares a broad range of statistics online. See also the ABS’s BETA page and the ABS’s Explorer stat data page for interactive ways to access this information.

Health data

The Queensland Health Statistical Services Branch is responsible for collecting, processing, analysing and disseminating statistics relating to the health of Queenslanders. The website provides information on commonly requested data collections  (PDF)including links to additional information about the datasets and contact details for custodians. There is also information on the Master Linkage File (MLF) which contains permanently linked references to multiple health-related data collections.

Public records

Queensland State Archives (QSA) holds permanent records of enduring historical value for the Queensland Government and local governments. These records include letters, images, reports, telegrams, photographs, maps, architectural drawings. The QSA website provides information on how to search and access open public records.

QSA only holds records that were created or received by Queensland government agencies. A lot of other historical information can be found and accessed with other organisations. For example if you are looking for birth, marriage and death certificates, try the historical birth, marriage and death databases at the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

The Queensland Government is open by default and non-sensitive data should be published to the Open data portal unless there is sufficient justification not to do so (e.g. privacy, security, sensitivity). For help, see Open data publishing toolkit.

Open spatial data and web services can be published to the QSpatial publisher portal. To become a publisher, email opendata@resources.qld.gov.au. Use the Spatial data publishing guide for downloadable spatial data for help preparing your data.

You may also choose to publish your data, data catalogue or information asset register on your agency’s website.

Other data

The Queensland Government Closed Data Portal (pilot) provides a platform for agencies to catalogue their data assets as well as search, discover and request data from other agencies. The Portal allows for the publication of basic metadata to help others from within government to locate data and information that may be of use to them.

Access to the Closed Data Portal (pilot) is restricted to Queensland Government employees and can be requested via email to datadiscovery@chde.qld.gov.au.

Read the Information sharing authorising framework (ISAF). The ISAF provides guidance and advice to help agencies establish and manage an information sharing activity. It is broad in its design and can be tailored to facilitate sharing across the full spectrum of data for a range of uses.

Use the following steps (which are aligned to the ISAF) as a guide when either requesting or supplying data.

Requesting data

1. Identify

Understand the data requirements. Ask the following questions:

• What data do you have versus what you need?
• Do you need unit record, personal data or analytics?
• What frequency, accuracy, completeness, duration is required?

Data governance: Identify additional datasets and facilitate sharing.

2. Prepare

Locate and evaluate data sources. Consider:

• Open data, data catalogues
• State and commonwealth sources
• QDAP and other whole-of-government data analysts.

3. Plan and request

Obtain internal endorsement or authority. Ask the following questions:

• Who is authorised to request access?
• What agreements may be needed?
• What are the security implications?
• Is a formal request required?

Permitted usage: You must specify how you intend to use the data.

4. Exchange

Obtain access. Ensure you have:

• formal authorisation with requirements documented
• secure, stored data and understand the permitted usage and access restrictions.

Permitted usage: New users need to comply with the permitted usage conditions or request permission to amend them.

5. Use and manage

Use data appropriately. Ensure you manage:

• compliance
• authorisation and permitted usage conditions
• access and use
• oversight and control
• appropriate retirement.

Data governance: Control and oversee data sharing processes, including measurement against outcomes.

Permitted usage: There needs to be a process in place to ensure that the permitted usage conditions are complied with (data governance).

Sharing data

1. Prepare

Evaluate data and prepare it for sharing. Ensure you:

• obtain a security classification
• identify a custodian and authorised officer for release, gaps and quality issues
• complete a privacy impact assessment
• complete a business impact assessment.

2. Plan

Determine access and use restrictions. Consider:

• permitted usage conditions
• access restrictions
• retention and disposal requirements
• derived products.

Permitted usage: The supplying agency needs to specify what they will allow users to do with their data.

3. Exchange

Explore publication and transfer options. Consider the:

• Queensland Government’s open by default policy
• publishing catalogue (Open data or the Interim data catalogue)
• Open data portal (making aggregated data available publicly)
• transfer method (ensure it is compliant with security classification and sensitivity).

Data governance: Maintain and make accessible the access and use policy.

4. Manage

Monitor and review. Ensure:

• permitted usage and access requirements are complied with
• issues are resolved
• data is updated as required or agreed
• retention and disposal rules are complied with.

Data governance: Renegotiate permitted usage conditions where necessary. Identify and mitigate issues around unauthorised access or use of data. Be transparent regarding data sharing, use and storage.

Data suppliers

Data suppliers consider and facilitate requests for access to agency data. Requests may come directly or be triggered by an incident, project or research work. A data supplier must have a good understanding of their agency’s data and information holdings, who the custodians are, and ensure there is a documented process in place to respond to requests.

A data supplier is responsible for:

• confirming whether the data receiver is holding the requested data
• completing a comprehensive preliminary assessment, including data quality and sensitivity
• undertaking a security risk assessment of the data if it is currently unclassified
• ensuring any authorisation includes:
  • statement of authorisation and the legal instrument being relied upon
  • timeframe
  • purpose of sharing
  • permitted usage conditions
  • security classification
  • access limitations
  • availability of data and the outputs of the analytics, including publication permission (e.g. of aggregate datasets)
  • process to follow if further use of data is required for another purpose
  • monitoring and auditing requirements
  • recording and storing the authorisation, including permitted usage conditions.

• record keeping and destruction protocols, including a review period to renegotiate with custodians
• exploring the potential to add the data set (in whole or part) to the Queensland Government Data Catalogue and publishing   aggregated or obfuscated data to the Open Data Portal.

Data receivers

Data receivers request and facilitate access to, and transfer of, data to their agency.

A data receiver is responsible for:

• ensuring data suppliers undertake a security risk assessment if the data is not classified
• storing and transmitting the data in   accordance with its security classification and information security   management requirements
• ensuring data suppliers review permitted usage   conditions prior to using the data for any purpose not already contained in   the permitted usage conditions
• ensuring all authorised users have read and   are familiar with the requirements of the access and use policy
• storing and using the data according to the   terms of the authorisation (including permitted usage conditions)
• storing and using the data according to the   terms of the access and use policy
• ensuring any use of the data can withstand   peer and public scrutiny and disclosure
• abiding by the Information privacy principles (IPPs) and the National privacy principles (NPPs) in the Information Privacy Act 2009 and Queensland Government Code of Conduct
• maintaining complete and accurate records of   storage and use of the data
• reporting any incidents of inappropriate   access, use or disclosure to the data governance body.

Data governance body

Data governance bodies monitor and facilitate the sharing of data between government bodies.

A data governance body has a responsibility to:

• facilitate cross agency security risk assessments where required
• resolve unforeseen issues in data requesting, sharing and use
• ensure all parties are following the permitted usage conditions
• facilitate amendments to the conditions of use
• identify and address unauthorised access, release, or use of data
• handle publicity and marketing to ensure that any data use or sharing can withstand peer and public scrutiny and disclosure
• ensure all parties abide by the  by the Information privacy principles (IPPs) and the National privacy principles (NPPs) in the Information  Privacy Act 2009 and Queensland Government Code of Conduct
• maintain the access and use policy and make it accessible.

Independent audit and review body

An independent audit and review body can provide further checks and balances on the data sharing process for the Queensland Government.

An independent audit and review body is responsible for:

• additional body to audit and review decisions of the data governance body
• handling escalated complaints and disputes
• developing lessons learnt as a result of sharing initiatives and make recommendations for process improvements
• investigating and reporting on the outcomes of data breaches and unauthorised disclosures.

Queensland Data Analytics Platform

The Data and Information Services team within the Queensland Customer and Digital Group helps government agencies understand and make better use of their data assets. Their Queensland Data Analytics Platform (QDAP) is a real-time data platform for hosting analysing and sharing whole of government and multi-agency datasets, and is available to internal government analysts or other data specialists. Contact qdapsupport@qld.gov.au for more information.

Queensland Government Statistician’s Office

The Queensland Government Statistician’s Office (QGSO) provides a large range of data related services including data analysis, data extraction, data integration and statistical and demographic research and surveys. In October 2018 the QGSO achieved Accredited Integrating Authority status which allows it to undertake high risk data integration projects involving Commonwealth Data.

Land and spatial information business group

The Land and Spatial Information business group collaborates with agencies completing projects with spatial data considerations. Email opendata@resources.qld.gov.au.

Statistical Services Branch (SBS)

The Statistical Services Branch (SBS) provides a data linkage service to support government and research requirements related to health service policy, planning, management, monitoring and evaluation.

See the following resources:

• Queensland Government Open Data Portal
• Information security policy
• Information security classification framework
• Records governance policy
• Records governance implementation guideline
• Information access and use policy
• Information access and use guideline
• Information asset custodian policy
• Data governance guideline.

Also see Data sharing help for agencies and Information management for help making your data more accessible.