ANZSOG Public Sector Dialogue – Data, Judgement and Public Value

What do we mean by “data”?  How does it acquire authority, and how it is actually used - or set aside - in real public sector decision-making? 

These are the questions that will be explored in ANZSOG’s five‑week online masterclass series, Data, Judgement and Public Value. 

The program moves beyond technical data skills to examine how data operates as evidence, knowledge, story and power in modern-day governance. 

The series intentionally widens the evidentiary frame, engaging with First Nations perspectives and knowledge systems that challenge dominant data paradigms and highlight questions of power, value and legitimacy. It is rounded out with practical tools and future‑oriented responsibilities of public sector leadership. 

Broadening how public leaders think about data 

For the public sector “data” can often mean engaging with analytics tools or technical instruction. However, there is a growing recognition that traditional “evidence‑based” approaches often fall short in real‑world settings where data is contested, political or value‑laden. 

Designed for a low time commitment with high return, this series emphasises sensemaking, reflection and dialogue to interrogate and use data more effectively in policy making and service delivery.  

It creates a high‑trust space for public sector professionals from all jurisdictions to discuss and examine how data shapes — and is shaped by — institutions, communities and systems of accountability. 

Professor Brian Head, ANZSOG Fellow and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Queensland is leading the masterclass’ second session where he will be examining the real life use of data in the public sector. 

“Good data are always crucial for understanding and solving problems. But reconciling the perspectives of stakeholders is just as crucial in areas of policy contestation, where we must take seriously the values, interests, priorities and experience of stakeholders. 

“Successful resolution then also depends on good judgement, good facilitation and good processes,” says Professor Head. 

Practical application in the “real world” 

Data, Judgement and Public Value equips participants with practical framing and language they can use straight away in their day-to-day work. It supports public sector professionals to navigate real-world challenges where evidence is incomplete, contested or value-laden.  

Participants apply their learning directly to policy advice and briefings, data‑informed decision discussions, performance and accountability conversations, and engagement with communities, stakeholders and Ministers. 

 The program also strengthens internal conversations about evidence quality, trust and risk—supporting more confident, defensible judgement in complex and high‑stakes environments. 

Only then does the conversation turn to the practical and future‑oriented responsibilities of public sector leadership. 

Martin Stewart-Weeks, ANZSOG Practice Fellow for Digital Government Strategy and Leadership and the founder and principal of Public Purpose Pty Ltd, will be delivering the program’s fifth session.  

He lead the exploration of the the future of data in public institutions, with a focus on trust, workforce capability and leadership responsibility rather than technology forecasting.  

“For a long time, issues around data and its use across government and policy were seen as purely technical and distant from the work of leadership. That’s no longer true. The way data is developed, governed and used is now central to effective public leadership in world that is being rewritten by AI and new digital capabilities,” said Mr Stewart-Weeks. 

Five conversations on data, power and leadership 

The series unfolds across five live, interactive online masterclasses, each exploring a different dimension of data and public value: 

• Valuing knowledge, which broadens what counts as data and evidence, including lived experience, qualitative insight and First Nations knowledge frameworks 

• Evidence and judgement, examining how leaders make defensible decisions when evidence alone cannot decide 

• Data sovereignty, reframing data as an issue of power, rights, consent and governance 

• Data stewardship, focusing on responsible data leadership, trust and institutional capability 

• The future of data, exploring how AI, automation and changing public expectations are reshaping leadership responsibility and accountability   

Across the series, participants are encouraged to critically examine whose knowledge is prioritised, whose voices are missing, and how data practices can either strengthen or erode public trust. 

Program details 

Data, Judgement and Public Value will run from 17 June to 15 July 2026 and is delivered fully online.  

It will benefit public sector professionals including Policy Directors and Managers, Data, Digital or Analytics Leads, Strategy, Evaluation or Insights Managers, Service Design and Reform Leaders, and leaders working across regulatory or integrity systems. 

Early bird pricing is available until 20 May 2026, with registrations closing on 15 June 2026.