Grassroots data collaboration is fuelling the systems-change vision for Bourke, facilitated via the Palimaa Data Platform, powered by Seer Data & Analytics.

Maranguka is a model of Indigenous self-governance guided by the Bourke Tribal Council. Maranguka partnered with Just Reinvest NSW in 2013 to develop a ‘proof of concept’ for justice reinvestment in Bourke. By addressing the underlying causes of crime, savings on criminal justice costs are reinvested in strategies that strengthen communities and prevent crime.

In 2021, the Maranguka Initiative is the largest data-driven, community-led project in Australia and has resulted in reduced crime, particularly among young people, increased safety, millions of dollars in justice savings, and new economic investment for Bourke.

Maranguka has become Australia’s lighthouse initiative for community and data-led place-based change and is the first major Justice Reinvestment Initiative in Australia. Work being done on the ground is unified by Bourke’s ‘Growing our Kids Up Safe, Smart and Strong Strategy.’ Central to this work is data access, sharing and storytelling guided by the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and the leadership of Maranguka and the Bourke Tribal Council.

Seer Data & Analytics is working in partnership with evaluation and learning team Kowa to support the Maranguka initiative by automating data access and data sharing from 15 data contributors into the Maranguka data collection. Data contributors include NSW Health, NSW Education, NSW Communities & Justice, NSW Police, Department of Social Services as well as services and not-for-profits operating in Bourke.

The result is the Palimaa Data Platform, a data infrastructure platform for access, analysis, collaboration, sharing and secure storage of data contributed to Maranguka in one place. ‘Palimaa’ meaning horizon ‘Where the Sky Meets the Land’, is allowing Bourke people to drive forward their community transformation vision of better outcomes & results for children, young people and families.

Kowa and Seer support the Maranguka team and their partners in Bourke with self-service data ingestion, data visualisation and storytelling, guided by the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and with authority and legitimacy provided by Bourke Tribal Council.

Maranguka’s Palimaa Data Platform empowers the community of Bourke to respond rapidly to changing circumstances evidenced by data. Data is reviewed regularly in collaborative working group meetings attended by cross-service community leaders and stakeholders.

Actions taken as a result of the data collaboration include refinement of existing service delivery and programs, ideation and mobilisation of new initiatives, community member and stakeholder engagement and relationship building, and the development of new, sustainable funding models.

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The Maranguka Community Hub case study is featured in the Australian Data Strategy.
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The format of regular community data collaboration also ensures that the narrative is controlled by the community and local knowledge is at the heart of the decision-making process.

Creating and maintaining an environment of trust and inclusion that supports the systems- change vision is at the heart of Maranguka’s Palimaa Data Platform. Access to and sovereignty over community data underpins the powerful community collaborations and actions coming out of Maranguka’s working groups and partnerships.

In harnessing the power of data, Maranguka has created a landmark example of community leadership and collaboration as they work towards their mission of ensuring no one gets left behind in Bourke.

Maranguka’s Palimaa Data Platform empowers the community of Bourke to respond rapidly to changing circumstances evidenced by data. Data is reviewed regularly in collaborative working group meetings attended by cross-service community leaders and stakeholders.