Very good news at the Federal level with Commonwealth’s Office of the National Data Commissioner releasing a new guide for the Australian Public Service on how to improve data management and get the most out of the data they hold.
Always useful and valuable, guidances about how to approach ‘data’ are warmly welcomed, particularly as so many of us forget the word is actually the plural of the less-used but equally meaningful singular ‘datum’.
Far be it from PS-sssst! to point any fingers but the opening statement heralding the guide above could do with a poke.
“Government data is valuable” the National Data Commission extolled, “but it needs to be managed effectively.”
Translation: “Government data ARE valuable and THEY do need to be managed effectively.”
Here endeth the 486th (at least!) lesson,
Only 100 years out!
Heartiest reverence, respect and recognition to Nigel M of Tasmania’s Department of Justice for unravelling last week’s cybermystery of how the not-for-profit Agency AustCyber came to be established in 1917 – as reported in another public sector medium (not PS News) – at a time when its task of boosting computational innovation to promote the development of online security was hardly in its infancy.
“Bit of poor proofing in the ‘other medium’s’ article,” the knowledgeable Nigel suggested.
“The organisation was created in 2017 not, unsurprisingly, 1917”.
Well sleuthed Nigel, earning you a popular PS-sssst! Prize Pack of Book, Torch/Pen and exclusive T-Shirt is on its way as a token of our appreciation for setting us (and that ‘other’ medium) straight.
It’s a wonder one or more of the inquisitive team of inquisitive journalists the story went through bother checking such a simple fact.
Wouldn’t happen in PS News! (Yeah! Famous last words!).
Pop goes the plumber!
To Victoria now where the State’s Building Authority (VBA) has called on homeowners to do their homes a favour by cleaning out gutters and downpipes to stop leaves and debris banking up and causing water to overflow into homes and buildings.
“Leaf litter build-up in gutters not only increases the risk of blockages … but over time can cause corrosion and damage,” VBA’s ED of Ops, Alison Byrne declared.
Explaining that cleaning out a gutter doesn’t have to be a plumber’s job, the wise Ms Byrne went on to warn however that anything other than a simple clean-out could require a “licensed or registered plumber” to be done properly.
“Unfortunately, non-compliant roof plumbing is an issue that we continue to find through our ‘Proactive Inspections Program’ and our ‘Plumbing Audit Program’, our wise adviser said.
But to PS-sssst’s sharp eye and ear, the pair of plumbing programs abbreviate to PIP and PAP, a pair as readily applying to plumbing policies as to a vaudeville comedy duo.
Adding a possible ‘Plumbers Operations Program’ to the ABV family, the pepped up regulator could set up its stagewise stars as a trio, taking on the vaudevillian variety vocation as Pip, Pap and Pop!
Police beat
While in the mood for accommodating acronyms, the capital city of Canberra’s police, paramedics and mental health experts have joined forces to see a trial program expanded which will see the three services deal collectively with members of the public suffering mental health issues.
The eponymous name chosen for the service is the ‘Police, Ambulance and Clinician Early Response” program suitably acronymed as PACER which will take it every step of the way.
Giving it away!
To Rama Gaind’s weekly giveaway now in which this week’s attraction is a free copy of the personal financial guide for women to stand on their own two feet: On Your Own Two Feet by Helen Baker.
To become famous as the sole and only winner of On Your Own Two Feet you needed only answer simply Rama’s quiz question: Who were the five financial fundamentals women need to build a solid fiscal base?
The answer was: Emergency fund, spending and investment plan, insurances, superannuation and estate planning, and the first correct entry to escape from the PS News Barrel of Booty to claim the guide belonged to Justine M from the National Indigenous Australians Agency in Darwin.
Congratulations Justine and thanks to everyone who took part. The book will be on its way to Justine very soon.
In the meantime, Rama remains on the search for other winners – so or her latest free DVD prize follow this link and for another book prize follow this link.
Good luck to all who take her on!
Scooting along
And finally, terrific (or should that be ‘terrafic’?) news from the ACT now that the fun, free and frolicking eScooter which was made legal last December is to be partnered by rent-a-eScooter system in a few weeks, once the necessary rules are passed through the ACT’s local Parliament.
Never one to forget that ‘Bureaucracy’ is the name of the game when there’s a few knots of red tape in need of administering, the ACT Government has set a new zenith in the ancient art of beadledom, doodling the easy-to-read ‘eScooter law’ into the uber-arduous ‘Dockless Shared Micromobility Policy (and Guidelines)’.
Reminds PS-sssst! of the Bureaucracy school commandment: “Never use one syllable when 15 will do!”
Till next week….
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