https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/55586
Title: | Creating a Framework for Conducting Evidence-Based Policy for a Sub-National Economy Using Linked Administrative Data |
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Contributor(s): | Santos, Emmanuel Candido Soriente (author); Villano, Renato (supervisor)![]() ![]() |
Conferred Date: | 2023-03-20 |
Copyright Date: | 2022-08-29 |
Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/55586 |
Related Research Outputs: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/55587 |
Abstract: | The South Australian project in BLADE (SA BLADE) is the first project of its kind in Australia in which a state government (the Government of South Australia) has linked business-related administrative and program data with Commonwealth data. BLADE is the acronym for the Business Longitudinal Analytical Data Environment, which is managed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data linkage creates a new data asset that opens up new possibilities for its users. The aim of this study is to generate some generalisable principles that would contribute to the theory and practice of conducting place-based economic development policy through the use of linked administrative data. It will make use of design science research methods covering the development and evaluation of the innovation to show the value, importance and relevance of linking administrative data across sub-national and national jurisdictions for the purpose of informing place-based economic development. The specific research question addressed is whether the creation of SA BLADE has led to an adaptable, relevant and responsive framework for conducting such evidence-based policy in a subnational economy. The type of innovation that was introduced in SA BLADE is a process and technology innovation that was intended to ultimately lead to organisational and social innovation for the South Australian Government. It can also be characterised as an incremental or sustaining innovation, in that it sought to extend and improve on the information contained in existing data assets and build on the lessons learnt during a pilot phase. It can also be categorised as an open innovation, in that the state government invited academics to codesign the innovation and also to participate in the process of transforming data into new knowledge and information that can be used by policy makers in extending the current understanding of industry and employment dynamics. The SA BLADE project went through multiple rounds of iterative adaptation over several years. Throughout this process, lessons were learnt that led to further refinements. Multiple uses of the project were identified and added to the project's scope. SA BLADE is a contextually adaptive project that lent itself to an action design research (ADR) mode of enquiry. As the project involved repeated cycles of developing, evaluating and refining the information systems artefacts, the ADR framework as applied in this study involved collecting the lessons and insights gained during the sequential iterations of the innovation project cycle. The ADR methods allowed participants to interpret what these artefacts meant to them, individually and as a group, after repeatedly interacting with them. The adoption and diffusion depended on a positive assessment by groups of users and stakeholders. Reflective practice on the part of the researcher and participants afforded the construction of collective meaning. This study sought to capture these subjective assessments by harvesting the key insights and learnings gained by the participants from their involvement in the innovation project. The synchronicity of both research and practical processes during the innovation management process addressed the need for both rigour and relevance. As posited in the study, the policy making and decision making systems and information/decision support systems co-evolved by mutually informing and mirroring each other. Also, data-driven policy did not mean that the data project had to be scoped and designed by data people. Rather than just relying on technical teams, when policy teams with the questions and objectives relevant to the decisions that need to be made led the data design process and analysis of the information, the results were more meaningful than if the data teams were left to their own devices. The study provides evidence of adoption as demonstrated by the growth in the number of users (in terms of both people and agencies) and the willingness of agencies to financially contribute to the innovation to ensure its sustainability. More significantly, it uncovers the insights that resulted from the lived experience of the early adopters and users of the innovation based on a range of design criteria that was informed by the literature. Based on this evidence, it is possible to infer the impact and potential pathways for scaling out to other jurisdictions and agencies, and further upgrade of the innovation with others sources of data, such as surveys, social media and online content. |
Publication Type: | Thesis Doctoral |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 380109 Industry economics and industrial organisation 440708 Public administration 460505 Database systems |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 230204 Public services policy advice and analysis |
HERDC Category Description: | T2 Thesis - Doctorate by Research |
Description: | Please contact rune@une.edu.au if you require access to this thesis for the purpose of research or study. |
Appears in Collections: | Thesis Doctoral UNE Business School |
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