❓ WA Parliamentary Question regarding the iThink ideas management system, focusing on anonymity, data protection, access, moderation, and usage policies. The answers reveal that while not fully anonymous, data is protected, access is controlled, and the platform is actively moderated.
AnsweredQoN 5713Legislative Assembly
Asked
30 October 2019
Member
Portfolio
Premier; Minister for Public Sector Management; State Development, Jobs and Trade; Federal-State Relations
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to anonymity and protections built in to the State Government’s iThink ideas management system, and I ask: (a) Are account holders guaranteed anonymity when using the platform; (b) What identification protections have been put in place in the state government’s contract agreement with Crowdicity for iThink users; (c) Is there any obligation for Crowdicity to supply personal information of iThink users to the state government, its departments or other third party organisations; (d) Do any government Ministers have access to the front or back end of the platform; (e) If yes to (d), please list any Ministers that have logged on to the system; (f) Does the platform running iThink include the full suite of Crowdicity tools: (i) If not, what tools does the WA version use; (g) Please detail any policy, protocol or user training delivered to senior executives in relation to accessing and using iThink; (h) Does the state government have written agreement from all CEOs and/or director generals that they support their staff utilising iThink; (i) How is the platform moderated for language, online abuse or any other inappropriate conduct; (j) How many reports of misuse, abuse or inappropriate conduct have been received through the system; and (k) Please detail the nature of any reports in (j)?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 February 2020
Response time
9 days
(a) No. All users have to register using their public sector employee email address and their first and last names.
(b) Only administrators of the platform (Crowdicity and authorised Public Sector Commission staff) have access to full names and email addresses. Section 10 of the contract with Crowdicity includes a provision for Crowdicity to maintain a secure environment for its infrastructure and resources. This includes both the integrity of data to ensure it is neither accidentally nor deliberately altered, defaced or lost; and the confidentiality of data so it is disclosed only to authorised persons, entities and processes.
(c) No.
(d) Ministers are able to register and use the front end only of the platform, like any other users.
(e) To date no Ministers have registered on the platform.
(f) Yes.
(f)(i) Not applicable.
(g) A briefing was provided to the Public Sector Leadership Council Directors General, who were given a demonstration of the platform.
All public sector staff have access to promotional and communications materials and the platform contains information and instructions on its use. Commission staff have provided presentations to a number of agencies across the public sector on how to use the platform.
(h) Directors General and CEOs have supported iThink by enabling access to Crowdicity on their agency systems and providing communications to staff encouraging them to participate.
(i) The platform is managed and moderated by the Public Sector Commission. The Commission is notified via email whenever an idea or comment is posted on iThink. All ideas are moderated by Commission staff for any inappropriate language, online abuse and any other inappropriate conduct daily.
At registration, users are required to read and consent to the iThink terms of use which require users to uphold the Public Sector Code of Ethics.
(j) No reports of misuse, abuse or inappropriate conduct have been received.
(k) Not applicable.
(b) Only administrators of the platform (Crowdicity and authorised Public Sector Commission staff) have access to full names and email addresses. Section 10 of the contract with Crowdicity includes a provision for Crowdicity to maintain a secure environment for its infrastructure and resources. This includes both the integrity of data to ensure it is neither accidentally nor deliberately altered, defaced or lost; and the confidentiality of data so it is disclosed only to authorised persons, entities and processes.
(c) No.
(d) Ministers are able to register and use the front end only of the platform, like any other users.
(e) To date no Ministers have registered on the platform.
(f) Yes.
(f)(i) Not applicable.
(g) A briefing was provided to the Public Sector Leadership Council Directors General, who were given a demonstration of the platform.
All public sector staff have access to promotional and communications materials and the platform contains information and instructions on its use. Commission staff have provided presentations to a number of agencies across the public sector on how to use the platform.
(h) Directors General and CEOs have supported iThink by enabling access to Crowdicity on their agency systems and providing communications to staff encouraging them to participate.
(i) The platform is managed and moderated by the Public Sector Commission. The Commission is notified via email whenever an idea or comment is posted on iThink. All ideas are moderated by Commission staff for any inappropriate language, online abuse and any other inappropriate conduct daily.
At registration, users are required to read and consent to the iThink terms of use which require users to uphold the Public Sector Code of Ethics.
(j) No reports of misuse, abuse or inappropriate conduct have been received.
(k) Not applicable.
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