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9 February 2024 - 12:00 pm To 29 February 2024 - 7:00 pm

Privacy Collection Notice for DSS Engage Expressions of Interest for the National Disability Data Asset Panels

Your personal information is protected by law, including under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act).

This privacy collection notice is provided to you to ensure that you are aware of certain matters in relation to the Department of Social Services’ (department, we, our) collection of personal information, as required by the Privacy Act.

Purpose of the collection

The department’s National Disability Data Asset team is inviting you to express interest in joining the Disability-informed Ethical Oversight Panel and/or the Disability Data Development Scoping Panel via an expression of interest form on DSS Engage.

The purpose of both panels is to guide the Council on specific topics. More information on both panels is available in the Panels Information Pack and is also available in Auslan and Easy Read.

What is ‘personal information’ and ‘sensitive information’?

Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.

Sensitive information is a subset of personal information. It includes information or an opinion about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of associations or unions, sexual orientation or practices, criminal record, or health, genetic or biometric information.

What personal information we collect:

As part of the expression of interest process, the Department of Social Services will collect a range of your information which will be shared with Disability Advocacy Network Australia. This includes some personal information (some of which could be sensitive information), including your:

  • name
  • email address
  • lived experience of disability (if applicable)
  • skills, characteristics and experience
  • education and career history (if applicable).

Sensitive information will be collected if you choose to provide it in your expression of interest form.

How we collect personal information

The information will be collected via our secure website on DSS Engage, and will be submitted upon completion of the online expression of interest form.

Why we collect personal information

Personal information is being collected for the purpose of assessing suitability for a position on the Disability-informed Ethical Oversight Panel and/or the Disability Data Development Scoping Panel.

Given the nature of the nomination process, we are unable to provide the option of remaining anonymous or using a pseudonym. Therefore, if you do not consent to providing your name and other personal information to input into the expression of interest form, you will not be able to express interest in joining the panels.

Storage of your personal information

Storage of personal information (and the disposal of information when no longer required) is managed in accordance with the Australian Government records management regime, including the Archives Act 1983, agency-specific records authorities and general records authorities. This ensures your personal information is held securely by the Department of Social Services.

All personal information collected by the Department of Social Services is stored on Services Australia’s cloud storage, on servers located in Australia. Services Australia and the Department of Social Services retains effective control over any personal information held on our cloud, and the information is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Any information disclosed to third parties will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act and stored in accordance with agreed security protocols.

Who we disclose your personal information to

Any personal information or sensitive information collected during the expression of interest process through DSS engage will be disclosed to the Evaluation Panel which consists of:

  • members of the National Disability Data Asset team at the Department of Social Services
  • members of the National Coordination Function team at Disability Advocacy Network Australia.

Once the Evaluation Panel has made its recommendation, details of the recommended candidates will be shared with:

  • members of the National Disability Data Asset Council.

The National Disability Data Asset Council will decide the membership of both panels based on the recommendations from the Evaluation Panel.

We will not provide this personal information to anybody else unless required by law. We will not disclose this personal information to anybody overseas.

More information

More information about how the department handles your personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy contains information about how you can access any personal information we hold, and how to seek correction of that personal information. It also contains information about how to make a complaint about a breach of your privacy. If you have any concerns or questions, you can contact us at complaints@dss.gov.au.

More information about how Disability Advocacy Network Australia handles your personal information is set out in their Privacy Policy.

Confirmation and consent

By acknowledging this collection notice in your expression of interest form, you consent to the Department of Social Service’s collection of your personal information in accordance with this collection notice and the department’s Privacy Policy.

Please note that you do not need to provide sensitive information if you do not wish to do so.

If you provide sensitive information in your expression of interest form, you consent to the Department of Social Service collecting your sensitive information in accordance with this collection notice and the department’s Privacy Policy.

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