DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS HANDLING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION PROJECT ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Handling of Personal Information (HOPI) Project aims to improve the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (DVA’s) handling of personal information, including collection, use, storage, retention and disclosure. Our aim to be best practice and compliant with all relevant requirements.
It also aims to build the confidence of DVA stakeholders, including veterans and families, researchers and other government agencies in DVA’s handling of personal information.
- Key drivers for the HOPI Project were: The closure of the Veterans’ Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services (Veterans’ MATES) program in February 2024, and the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs’ request that DVA examine options for future programs to provide health benefits to the veteran community, while meeting community and stakeholder expectations around data use requirements.
- The Veterans’ MATES program was a proactive healthcare program focused on preventing adverse health outcomes, such as hospitalisations or unwanted side effects, for veterans who take multiple medications. It ran from 2004 to 2023.
- The recent Commonwealth Privacy Act Review and Australian Government response, providing an opportunity to review and uplift privacy protections to ensure compliance and best practice.
- The work of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
The HOPI Project, running from mid 2024 to the end of 2025, is being undertaken by a small team of staff in DVA’s Research, Evaluation and Data Division. It has several related streams of work: Collection of Personal Information,
Consent and Legislation
▪ Conduct a stocktake of all the information collection points across DVA
▪ Develop options to improve legislation to support collection, use and disclosure of personal information
▪ Develop a comprehensive Privacy Management Framework
▪ Draft a DVA Charter for Handling Personal Information
▪ Review and improve consent arrangements
Personal Information – Data Use and Disclosure
▪ Develop data governance tools to clarify legislative and policy obligations for data users, owners, and stewards to ensure the appropriate use and disclosure of personal information (data).
New Program Policy Options
▪ Develop options for possible future programs and/or research relating to Quality Use of Medicines.
DVA Capability Uplift
▪ Develop capability on handling personal information across DVA, including via improved staff training and development.
Veteran and Broader Community Confidence
▪ Measure and improve public confidence and trust in DVA’s handling of personal information, through conducting baseline research
▪ Conduct community consultation via an informal reference group
▪ Develop a Communications Strategy and Change and Culture Management Plan
▪ Review and update DVA website content on privacy and personal information.
- The HOPI project is continuing to progress DVA towards: Implementing and embedding a comprehensive compliance framework regarding the collection, consent management, use, sharing, storage and retention of personal information.
- Continuing to strengthen trust with veterans, families, researchers, and other stakeholders by demonstrating transparency, ethical data use, and robust privacy protections.
- A privacy-by-design approach, embedding data literacy and privacy capabilities for all staff.
