National Legal Assistance Data Strategy 2026-2030

Foreword

The legal assistance sector serves a critical role in Australia’s justice system by delivering legal and non-legal wraparound support services to people experiencing disadvantage. The National Legal Assistance Data Strategy 2026-2030 reflects the shared commitment of governments to harness data effectively and responsibly to support evidence-based decision-making and strong service outcomes.

Whilst the true value and impact of the services provided by the legal assistance sector are well understood by those who work in frontline service delivery, there has long been a need for the Commonwealth, state and territory governments and the sector to come together to build and strengthen the future vision for legal assistance data and to better tell the sector’s story and the impact it has in creating meaningful change in people’s lives.

The Strategy was developed collaboratively by Commonwealth, state and territory governments and the sector, and was endorsed by the Standing Council of Attorneys‑General on 31 July 2026. It is the first of 4 long-term reform initiatives delivered under the National Access to Justice Partnership 2025-30 (NAJP),¹ and will guide foundational activities to uplift capability around data reporting and data use.

The Strategy prioritises improvements to the existing national evidence base, including the national Legal Assistance collection produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, building on past investment to ensure that this resource can provide robust insights at the national level.

The Strategy’s foundational actions will also support progress of the other NAJP long-term reforms, in particular, preparedness for measurement of outcome-oriented ‘success measures’ that will be identified through the development of the National Legal Assistance Outcomes‑Based Framework. In implementing the Strategy, governments will work consistently with commitments made under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap² to embed meaningful cultural safety by prioritising understanding and practice of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance.

Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations to control, access and utilise relevant justice data is critical to advancing self-determination and improving access to justice.

Governments have heard from the sector that a data strategy cannot take a one size fits all approach. Service providers operate in a highly complex and demanding environment, which can impact on data collection, use and reporting. Service delivery models and priorities vary considerably across the sector, as do data-related capabilities, capacity and resources.

The Strategy therefore puts the onus on governments to review reporting requirements as a key action to ensure we are collecting the right information in the right way. It also recognises that improvements to data processes and systems will be ongoing, involving work into the future and continuing beyond the life of this Strategy. Achieving the long term vision for legal assistance data will require ongoing commitment, investment and partnership of governments and the sector. This Strategy represents an important step on that journey.

Vision

Legal assistance data is meaningful, accurate and accessible, leading to improved client and community outcomes by supporting providers and governments to make evidence-based decisions and demonstrating the impact of legal assistance services.

This will support a sustainable legal assistance sector that delivers integrated, efficient, effective and appropriate legal assistance services to those most in need.

Purpose

Grouped under 4 focus areas, the Strategy sets out realistic, incremental actions that will progress improvements to data quality and consistency and strengthen data capability by 30 June 2030, setting a foundation for continued improvements into the future.

The foundational actions under this Strategy focus on improving the data currently collected and reported under the NAJP, as well as on preparedness for a transition toward outcomes-based data collection. Data collection processes will be reviewed to ensure that they are proportionate, and that data reporting burden is minimised where possible.

What data is relevant to the Data Strategy?

The Strategy applies to current and future data collected and reported under the NAJP. NAJP data is primarily gathered by service providers from their administrative data systems and reported based on guidance in the National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual (DSM).³ This includes:

• national performance indicators⁴, provided as biannual aggregate counts to the Commonwealth
• detailed unit record data for each financial year⁵, provided to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and published in an annual report on the ABS website⁶
• client feedback data from client experience surveys, including some information about service outcomes such as accessibility of the service and client experience.

This Strategy also focuses on building the readiness of the sector to support the future data needs arising from other NAJP long-term reforms, including the measurement of outcomes, following finalisation of the Outcomes-Based Framework, as well as the Closing the Gap Schedule and the National Legal Assistance Workforce Strategy. In implementing this Strategy, governments will take account of the inherent limitations to administrative data, as well as other primary and secondary sources of data.

Principles

Five principles underpin and guide the implementation of the Strategy’s focus areas and actions.

The principles are:

Person and community centred – keeping the values and needs of people and communities impacted by disadvantage as the focal point of all data-related engagement and processes. This includes ensuring data collection, management and use is undertaken appropriately, does not harm or further marginalise those who are already facing disadvantage, and takes into account lived experience where possible.

Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance⁷ – acknowledging the significance of data for self-determination, establishing a shared understanding of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance, and partnerships between governments and the sector will build cultural competency and facilitate greater agency for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in data collection, reporting and use, that accounts for the unique service delivery and other priorities within the sector.

Aligned and informed – priorities and actions under the Strategy reflect a commitment to collaboration, align with and complement the objectives of the NAJP, National Strategic Framework⁸, the long-term reforms, and other legislation, policies, and standards relevant to data management and use⁹.

Transparent and accountable – the collection, management and use of data across all stages of the data lifecycle are guided by clear expectations and requirements that build trust and confidence across governments, the sector and communities. This includes transparency about the purpose of data collection, how data will be used, and ensuring that data requests are aligned with and proportionate to those purposes.

Adaptable and responsive – allowing for the ongoing development and improvement of present and future data that is meaningful and accounts for the diversity across and within governments and the legal assistance sector, including different service models, systems and levels of data capability and capacity.

Focus Area 1: Governance and leadership

Governments and the legal assistance sector work together to build and embed a strong data culture, where a shared understanding of the value of legal assistance data for evidence-based and people-centred decision making is respected, and where data is utilised to advance the rights of the individuals and communities engaging with legal assistance providers.

Actions

1.1 Establish a governance structure to oversee the implementation of the Strategy for the duration of the NAJP, utilising existing forums where possible – by 30 December 2026.

1.2 A Commonwealth-led preliminary review of current NAJP reporting requirements (including any additional state and territory NAJP reporting requirements), in consultation with the states and the sector, to identify ‘quick win’ opportunities to streamline reporting requirements and clarify the purpose and intended use of reported data – by 30 June 2027.

1.3 A full review of NAJP reporting requirements, led by the Commonwealth in consultation with the states and the sector, that includes consideration of the data needs of other NAJP long-term reforms, including the Outcomes-Based Framework – by 30 June 2028.

1.4 Governments and the sector to work towards embedding Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance principles, informed by the NAJP Closing the Gap Schedule, once developed, in NAJP processes and practices and long-term reforms, including through the reviews of the NAJP reporting requirements and the DSM¹⁰ – 30 December 2028, and then ongoing.

Focus Area 2: Data capability and literacy

Governments and the legal assistance sector are equipped to compile, interpret and use data that enables evidence-based and people-centred decision-making to improve access to justice and outcomes for people and communities. Actions under this focus area recognise the different levels of existing data maturity across the sector and governments and the importance of shared learning and continuous improvement.

Actions

2.1 The Commonwealth to lead the development of a centralised resource and knowledge hub to share information and other resources to support knowledge, skill and capability uplift across the data cycle – by 30 December 2027, and then ongoing.

2.2 Governments and sector to work together to prioritise strengthening of data capability, including through formal and informal learning opportunities – ongoing.

2.3 Governments build awareness and understanding of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance and obligations under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap with a view to working towards embedding these principles in NAJP processes, practices and long-term reforms, with reference to Action 1.4 – ongoing.

Focus Area 3: Data quality, systems and processes

Governments and the legal assistance sector support, within available resourcing, improvements to data infrastructure, technology and processes with a view to:

• Maximising consistency, quality and value of data collection, recording and analysis to enable the sector and governments to access and use the data they need, when they need it, whilst ensuring reporting requirements are not unduly increased.
• Creating more streamlined, integrated and efficient systems and processes that minimise duplicative effort, utilise data already being collected and recorded by service providers and simplify reporting, including by adoption of new and emerging technologies.

Actions

3.1 A Commonwealth-led review of the National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual (DSM), in consultation with the states and sector, including to:

• incorporate any preliminary changes to reporting requirements (refer Action 1.2), improve consistency in application and use of the DSM, revise definitions and categories to be more relevant and meaningful – by 30 December 2027.
• incorporate any further changes resulting from the full review of reporting requirements (refer Action 1.3) – by 30 December 2028.

3.2 Governments and sector to identify gaps, barriers and priority areas for improvement (including opportunities to embed Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance principles) within their technology, infrastructure and processes across the whole end-to-end data cycle – ongoing.

3.2 Governments and sector facilitate discussions and information sharing about case studies, opportunities and challenges associated with reforming systems and adoption of new technologies (e.g. harnessing artificial intelligence; implementation of the National Data Repository for Community Legal Centres) – ongoing.

Focus Area 4: Evidence and insights

Governments and the legal assistance sector collect and compile data to facilitate the building of consistent, fit-for-purpose, time-series¹¹ evidence bases that inform the data needs of the NAJP and are:

• Collected, shared and used in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, Australian Privacy Principles,¹² other relevant privacy legislation, and service providers professional duties, including their duty of confidentiality.
• Based upon common, agreed standards and expectations and contribute to shared learning of person-centred justice principles and practices that improve outcomes for individuals and the community.
• Accessible, where appropriate, by sector, governments and researchers in related policy spaces and, where possible, aligned with other data sources to provide opportunities to demonstrate the broader justice and social welfare impacts on people and communities, including where multiple service systems interact to achieve the same outcome objectives.

Actions

4.1 Governments to work together with the sector and the ABS to progress ongoing improvements to the existing national evidence base, including the ABS Legal Assistance collection – ongoing.

4.2 Governments to work together with the sector to identify opportunities to share NAJP service data, insights or analysis with the sector and other government agencies to inform service delivery and policy development¹³ – by 30 December 2028, and then ongoing.

4.3 Explore development of a national research agenda, identifying national and local priorities to guide future projects and reports to support the objectives of the NAJP – ongoing.

Endnotes

Related links

• National legal assistance data
• National Access to Justice Partnership 2025-30
• National Strategic Framework for Legal Assistance
• National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual