Data toolkit - data.govt.nz

Introduction to data

Learn what data is and why it is important, and learn about some of the related terms, principles, and frameworks.
Data ethics

Data ethics helps define good practices around how data is collected, shared, and used. This includes identifying all potential impacts on people and communities, maximising positive impacts while mitigating negative impacts, and building enduring relationships based on transparency and trust.
- Ngā Tikanga Paihere
  
  Ngā Tikanga Paihere draws on 10 tikanga (Te Ao Māori/Māori world concepts) to help you establish goals, boundaries, and principles that guide and inform your data practice.
- Government algorithm transparency and accountability
  
  Algorithms have an essential role to play in supporting the delivery of government services to people in New Zealand. The government must ensure that data ethics are embedded in its work, and always keep in mind the people and communities being serviced by these tools.
- Guidance on information sharing
  
  The Government Chief Privacy Officer has published guidance to help government agencies with sharing information responsibly and legally.
Data governance

Data Governance is a system of decision rights and accountabilities which describe who can take what actions with what information, and when, under what circumstances, using what methods. Good governance ensures data availability, quality, security, usability, and integrity.
- Co-designing Māori data governance
  
  A co-designed Māori data governance model offers the NZ government the opportunity to develop an approach to data governance that reflects te ao Māori needs and interests in data.
- Holistic data governance
  
  This page describes holistic data governance, how it differs from other approaches, why you might consider it, and what it might involve.
- Traditional data governance
  
  This page describes traditional data governance, when it is useful, and what it involves. It also highlights some of the limitations of a traditional approach to data governance.
- Operational data governance
  
  A new approach to data governance that addresses the operational realities of data practice while maintaining strategic vision and direction.
- Steady state data flow mapping
  
  This page describes steady state data flow mapping, why it might be useful for you and what it involves.
Data management

Guidance and resources related to the effective management of data.
- Introduction to data management
  
  Learn about the lifecycle of a dataset, and data management plans (DMP), why they are important, and how to write one.
- Data dictionary
  
  Data dictionaries are useful information to include alongside your datasets. They help describe the elements and values contained within your data to help users reuse it. A simple data dictionary can be created quickly and should include a few key piece of information.
- What is a data custodian and what do they do?
  
  To make sure data and information is maintained, there will often be a data custodian responsible for updating and preserving the data. Under the New Zealand Data and Information Management Principles, agency data custodians should implement recommended practices to support well managed data.
- Assessing the accuracy of your data
  
  Knowing the quality of the input sources is important to ensure resulting information is fit-for-purpose. Without this knowledge the wrong assumptions could be made when transforming the data into information, jeopardising the quality of the output.
- Managing data changes for comparison over time
  
  Changes to data, statistics and information can happen over time, and can include changes to the structure of the information to improve accuracy, relevance or efficiency or to adhere to international best practice. They may be forced due to changes in the source data for other reasons. All such changes need to be managed to ensure information is comparable over time.
Data standards

Standards establish consistent ways for describing and recording data across agencies. Consistency ensures there’s only one way of talking about each different piece of information. This consistency is vital if we wish to share and re-use data across Aotearoa.
- Mandated data standards
  
  Mandated data standards, their importance, the current mandated standards, the topics proposed for future mandate, the process for selecting topics, and who mandates them.
- The process for selecting and mandating standards
  
  We describe the process for mandating data standards, including the groups involved in mandating standards, the proposed topics and candidates, how you can engage with the process, why it was changed, and compliance with the previous standards.
- Register of government mandated data standards
  
  A definitive list of approved mandated data standards.
Data stewardship

Creating a joined-up, consistent, and transparent approach around how government collects, manages, and uses the data it holds on behalf of New Zealanders. This includes developing data policy, infrastructure, strategy, and planning as well as ensuring agencies have the capability and right skills to maximise the value they get from data.
- A data stewardship framework for NZ
  
  A data stewardship framework enables government to better manage and use the data it holds on behalf of New Zealanders.
- Data stewardship toolkit
  
  The toolkit provides access to guidance, resources, and tools to help people and organisations to steward data effectively.
- Value proposition assessment tool
  
  The Value Proposition Assessment tool helps data practitioners articulate the value of good data management practices. We provide a introduction to the tool and a link to more detailed guidance.
- Data stewardship and the role of national statistical offices
  
  In April 2024, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) published a guide to help national statistical offices understand the importance of data stewardship and their changing roles as data stewards.
Data storage

The way your data is stored can affect how easy it is to access, use, and keep secure.
- Exploring Te Ao Māori perspectives on offshore data storage
  
  This report seeks to strengthen the Māori-Crown relationship by building understanding of Māori perspectives on data storage. It also aims to inform discussions and guide government agencies in their decision-making about storing data.
Open data

Open data is data anyone can use and share. Learn about the benefits, how it is used, and how to release more open data.
- What is open data?
  
  What is open data? Learn about the open data toolkit, open licences, open accessibility, and human- and machine-readability.
- Open data policies
  
  New Zealand has several pieces of policy that have been endorsed by the Cabinet to support open government and the release of open data. These policies and principles are helpful to understand to support agency discussions relating to opening up data and improving transparency.
- Privacy for open data
  
  It is important that you always consider the impacts of publishing your data upon privacy. On this page, we discuss the nature of risk and the options you have to address it.
- Formats for open data
  
  Machine and human readable formats, such as PDF, CSV, and XLS, ensures that you maximise the value of your open data while complying with open government data and information policies.
- Benefits of using open data
  
  Open Data in a business context can, at first, appear at odds with the idea of economic value creation, particularly when publishing Open Data. Benefits can be found through using others open data or publishing it.
- Open government information and data programme
  
  A cross-government programme to accelerate the release and reuse of open government data to maximise the value of that data.
- Standards for open data
  
  When releasing open data it is important to use a standard to ensure your data is comparable and interoperable.
Policy

The policies, principles, and frameworks guiding the way agency’s manage and use data.
- Open data policies
  
  New Zealand has several pieces of policy that have been endorsed by the Cabinet to support open government and the release of open data. These policies and principles are helpful to understand to support agency discussions relating to opening up data and improving transparency.
- Declaration on Open and Transparent Government
  
  The Declaration on Open and Transparent Government was approved by Cabinet on 8 August 2011.
- An overview of New Zealand data and information principles
  
  This draft guide explains what data and information management principles are, and outlines the principles used in the New Zealand government context.
- New Zealand Data and Information Management Principles
- How New Zealand's data and information principles work together
  
  This draft guide provides a high-level comparison of the data and information management principles in the New Zealand context, and applies a value lens to the principles.
- NZGOAL (New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing) framework
  
  The New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing framework (NZGOAL) is all-of-government guidance for agencies to follow when releasing copyright works and non-copyright/public domain material for reuse by others. Use this guidance when you intend to release open data.
Privacy, security, and confidentiality

Government holds a vast amount of data on behalf of New Zealanders. When used securely – protecting privacy and confidentiality – and with New Zealand’s trust and confidence, data can provide rich insights about us and our communities. Ensuring data is collected and managed in a way that protects people’s privacy and is secure from unauthorised access.
- Data privacy
  
  You need to understand data privacy if you are working with data about people. The Privacy Act 2020 provides rules that you must comply with when collecting and using the data.
- How to carry out a privacy impact assessment on your dataset
  
  A privacy impact assessment (PIA) is a tool used by agencies to help them identify and assess the privacy risks arising from their collection, use or handling of personal information. A PIA will also propose ways to mitigate or minimise these risks.
- Controlling access to your data to keep it safe
  
  Protecting the confidentiality of information people supply is essential to retaining public trust and confidence in the system. Without cooperation, willingness to provide data can be too low and threaten its accuracy or the usefulness.
- Managing people’s requests to correct data you hold about them
  
  If you collect information about people you may get requests to correct that information. Knowing your responsibilities and having a system for managing corrections will improve data quality and ensure your legal responsibilities are fulfilled.
- Understanding data confidentiality
  
  Data confidentiality relates to whether individuals, households, or businesses can be identified within the data.
- Guidance on information sharing
  
  The Government Chief Privacy Officer has published guidance to help government agencies with sharing information responsibly and legally.
Data capability framework

The data capability framework is a tool designed to help define and develop data & analytical capabilities.
- Data capability framework guide
  
  This guide provides expanded information about the Data capability framework, including the levels of capability, descriptions of use, and example use cases.
- The framework by capability
  
  All 25 capabilities together, in no particular order. This view is useful if you want to get a complete view of the framework and the capabilities, regardless of their categories.
- The framework by category
  
  The capabilities in their 7 possible categories. Each of these categories relates to a stage in the data lifecycle. This view is useful if you want to focus in on a particular category to assess an individual or a team.
- Data capability assessment questionnaire
  
  This questionnaire complements the guide to ensure the best use of the Data capability framework. Look through the guide first, as it will cover the purpose of the framework and the context for its use.
Data practice communities

Directory of data communities, discussion forums, and meetups to share ideas on data management and use.
- Open data community forums
  
  Open data discussion forums, websites and meetups where you can get (and share) information and ideas about the innovative use of open data.
- Government analytics network
  
  The Government Analytics Network (GAN) is a community of practice for government people working with data. Formed in 2017, GAN has 300 members from 40 government agencies. It is run by its members with support and guidance from Stats NZ and the Social Investment Agency.
- Algorithm charter community of practice
  
  A community of practice for government people to learn, share ideas and advice, collaborate, and align good algorithm use practice across government.