1. National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual
Carolyne Howard – March 2018
Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department

2. Introduction
The history behind the National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual (the Manual)
Benefits to collecting consistent and comparable data
Purpose of the Manual
Development of the Manual
Current status
Further information

3. The History
A data standards project first commenced in 2011!
2014 Review of the National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services
Differences in how various services and actions were defined made it difficult to gain a comprehensive picture of service delivery.
The Productivity Commission’s draft report into Access to Justice (released 8 April 2014).
The National Legal Assistance Data Standard Manual is not a mandatory reporting requirement!!

4. Benefits of collecting consistent and comparable data
It will help to improve business planning within the sector.
It will help to inform future legal assistance policy.
It will assist with programme design and evaluation.
It will ensure that limited resources are directed to areas where services will have the greatest benefit.
It will provide a comprehensive overview of legal assistance services delivered and the people and organisations accessing those services.
It will help service providers respond to current and emerging legal need.
It will demonstrate how effectively the legal assistance system, and the justice system more broadly, is functioning in Australia

5. Purpose and Structure
The purpose of the manual is to provide best practice guidance to legal assistance service providers.
It is designed to facilitate the collection of consistent and comparable data across the legal assistance sector.
The Manual is not a representation of data required by the Australian Government.

6. The Development of the Manual
Data Standardisation Project
Primary outcome was the development of the National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual that sets out:
the purpose of collecting data, both for the benefit of government and service providers
principles of data collection
consistent definitions and counting rules for service types
best practice and additional data sets.
A Working Group was established consisting of representatives from:
National Legal Aid
The National Association of Community Legal Centres
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services; and
Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum.
Consultation with the sector
The manual is the product of over four years of consultation with the national legal assistance data standards working group

7. Current Status Other projects CLASS
Legal Aid Commission system upgrade
Indigenous Legal Assistance Service Providers started using the Manual on 1 July 2017
Other projects
FDV Data Gaps project

8. Further Information Thank you!
A copy of the Data Standards Manual can be found at:
Contact:
Carolyne Howard, A/g Director, Legal Assistance Policy and Programs Section
Thank you!