SNAICC receives award for innovative data platform empowering advocacy
SNAICC has received an award for its use of data in supporting advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The national organisation, which acts as the peak body for Aboriginal community-controlled groups, was awarded the 2025 Qlik ANZ Digital Transformation Award for "Excellence in Providing Better Outcomes with Data".
The award recognises SNAICC's Data Lake platform, developed in partnership with Australian data and digital transformation firm Notitia. The new platform aims to enhance SNAICC's capability to collect, analyse, and present data to support advocacy and inform national policy discussions concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their communities.
Data and advocacy
Catherine Liddle, Chief Executive Officer at SNAICC, said the award provided valuable recognition of how data could support reform efforts.
"We now have new ways of visualising and using the data that underpins our work through this platform. Working alongside Notitia, this project has given us better access to data that can underpin the stories and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families, and communities. It ensures our work is backed by clear, accurate, and accessible data that connects directly to community priorities."
Ms Liddle explained that the Data Lake project equips the organisation to increase the effectiveness of its advocacy by linking specific data with broader trends.
"This is an important part of supporting data sovereignty, which is essential for progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Our Data Lake allows us to continuously strengthen our advocacy with relevant and specific data, as well as high-level trends and insights."
Platform design
Alex Avery, Managing Director at Notitia, stated that the platform was specifically designed to support advocacy and reporting at a national scale.
"A huge well done to the groundbreaking SNAICC team, their project demonstrates what is possible when technology is designed for people first. SNAICC's Data Lake puts community needs and cultural context at the centre of the design showing how data can drive real-world change. We are proud to have partnered with SNAICC to deliver a platform that will have an impact for years to come."
Mr Avery noted that the approach taken by Notitia and SNAICC ensured the design and outputs of the platform would be accessible and relevant to the communities the data represents.
"Human-centred design guided the development from the very beginning. Notitia and SNAICC started the process by mapping user personas and understanding the roles and impact across advocacy, policy, and operations to support different workflows, use cases and levels of data literacy. This helped ensure the project was designed with a deep understanding of user needs."
The dashboard interfaces were co-designed to align with SNAICC's style while accommodating a broad range of data literacy skills across different staff and stakeholders.
Mr Avery said,
"It reflects best practice in design and governance. Dashboards were co-designed to match SNAICC's editorial style and catered for any level of data literacy. Mapping conventions allow data to be shown by various geographic regions, the same divisions used by the government, making insights easier to align with national policy frameworks."
Technology and inclusion
Charlie Farah, Field CTO for Analytics and AI at Qlik, reflected on SNAICC's use of the technology associated with the award.
"SNAICC's use of Qlik Cloud Analytics demonstrates how data can be transformed into a powerful tool for advocacy and inclusion. Their focus on human-centred design means the platform doesn't just deliver insights, it empowers communities and decision-makers to work together towards better outcomes."
Impact areas
According to SNAICC, the Data Lake has enabled the organisation to establish connections between localised evidence and national policy goals, thereby increasing the prominence of community perspectives. The platform is designed to amplify community voices with both quantitative and qualitative evidence that reflects local values and priorities.
Internally, access to the dashboards is available to staff with all levels of data literacy, helping to improve capability across the organisation. In addition, the structure supports long-term sustainability with a focus on governance, staff training and a scalable architecture that can grow with the organisation's evolving requirements.
The award follows ongoing work by SNAICC and its partners to support evidence-based policy and practice, designed to elevate the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families at a national level.