How data sovereignty can empower First Australian communities to define success on their own terms, and in so doing, improve outcomes for people.

The first in a series of articles exploring the role of data and evidence of what works in relation to delivering improved outcomes for and with First Australian communities.

In this article we explore the role of First Australian peoples, particularly through community-controlled organisations and peak bodies, in defining measures of success, collecting data and influencing program and service improvement.

There is a long history of research being undertaken in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in which the researcher or a third party is the beneficiary of the research. It is not uncommon for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to never hear from the researchers again or not have any control or say in how the research is used over time. But the more substantive issue is that the research often does not address the priorities that are important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are now pushing back on this approach, and organisations like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) are at the forefront of developing culturally appropriate research ethics that place community at the heart of decision-making and influencing the ownership and use of data.

Data sovereignty is the idea that data are subject to the laws and governance structures within the nation it is collected.

In doing so, data sovereignty can improve outcomes for First Australian peoples, by capturing what matters to them, including about their culture and their strengths, and ultimately improve policy and programs.