Meet the Chair - Governance Working Group

A conversation with Janine Conolly, Chair of Catholic Network Australia's Governance Working Group

As technology reshapes every aspect of education, governance has never been more important. Emerging technologies, evolving governance expectations, and increasing regulatory requirements are presenting Catholic education with new opportunities to innovate while strengthening its responsibility to protect, steward, and serve its communities.

Leading Catholic Network Australia's Governance Working Group (GWG) is Janine Conolly, Executive Manager – Data Strategy and Transformation at Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns. An educator by background, Janine has spent more than a decade working across data strategy, governance and organisational transformation, helping education systems make better decisions with clarity, confidence and purpose.

We spoke with Janine about why governance matters, how Catholic education can embrace innovation responsibly, and why governance should never be seen as a barrier.

Q. Tell us about your role in Cairns and how it complements your role as Chair of CNA's Governance Working Group.

My role in Cairns sits across data, strategy, evidence-informed decision making, data governance and organisational transformation.

Ultimately, my work is about helping organisations make good decisions, manage risk, and work with clarity and confidence. Governance is the foundation - it's the practical architecture that enables organisations to act responsibly, protect trust, and deliver on their mission.

My role sits at the intersection of education and technology. I'm an educator, not an IT professional, but I've worked in the data space for many years. That allows me to help bridge conversations between educational priorities and technical capability.

Chairing the Governance Working Group is a natural extension of my role because it allows me to contribute to the broader mission of Catholic education. It's an opportunity to help build stronger governance practices that support not just individual organisations, but the entire national community.

Q. What motivates you to contribute to Catholic education nationally through CNA?

Every Catholic education authority is grappling with many of the same challenges: AI, cybersecurity, privacy, digital transformation, data governance and increasing expectations around accountability.

Rather than every system solving these challenges independently, CNA gives us the opportunity to learn together, share capability and build common approaches.

I also believe we have a responsibility to model ethical, values-based governance as technology becomes increasingly central to education.

Pope Leo XIV's recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, reinforces this call. It reminds us that as artificial intelligence continues to evolve, we must safeguard the dignity of every person, promote transparency and accountability, and ensure that technology remains in service of humanity and the common good, rather than becoming an end in itself.

Q. What is the role of the Governance Working Group?

The Governance Working Group helps CNA and its participants strengthen the systems and processes that sit behind good decision making.

That includes areas like:

• Risk management

• Governance frameworks

• Compliance

• Documentation

• Reporting

• Policy development

Good governance creates trust.

It helps ensure that CNA's work remains transparent, accountable and aligned to its mission. It protects people and communities by helping identify risks early, make informed decisions and understand our obligations.

Q. How do you see good governance enabling organisations to be more effective, rather than simply adding oversight?

Good governance is about clarity, consistency and care.

It's knowing who makes decisions, understanding how risks are escalated, applying policies consistently, and ensuring we're stewarding our people, resources and data responsibly.

When governance is done well, it actually gives people more freedom.

It shouldn't be overly complex. Instead, it provides clear guardrails that help people understand what matters, where the risks are, and how to work confidently within agreed boundaries.

Innovation actually becomes easier when expectations are clear.

Q. What are the Governance Working Group's priorities over the next 12 months?

We're continuing to strengthen succession planning and onboarding so knowledge is retained as volunteers move through leadership roles.

We're maturing CNA's enterprise risk management approach, including quarterly reporting and improving risk visibility for the Executive and Board.

Procurement is also becoming increasingly important. As schools adopt more digital platforms, we're placing greater emphasis on ensuring technologies are secure, trusted and aligned with good governance practices.

More broadly, we're continuing to build a shared understanding of governance across all of CNA's Working Groups so governance becomes embedded in the way we work every day.

Q. What governance challenges will have the greatest impact on Catholic education over the next five years?

The biggest challenge sits where technology, trust and accountability intersect.

Artificial intelligence presents enormous opportunity, but it also raises important questions around privacy, data quality, bias and human oversight.

Cybersecurity and digital resilience remain critical because schools rely so heavily on digital services.

For Catholic education, our response to AI can't simply be technical.

Pope Leo reminds us that governance should ensure emerging technologies strengthen human dignity, transparency, accountability and the common good.

Innovation must remain human-centred.

Gert Biesta, Professor of Public Education in the Centre for Public Education and Pedagogy, Maynooth University, Ireland, describes education as serving three purposes: qualification, socialisation and becoming. That final purpose – becoming - speaks directly to Catholic education's long tradition of forming the whole person.

As we govern AI, data and digital systems, we need to continually ask not only whether they work safely and technically, but whether they support the dignity, agency and flourishing of young people and the communities we serve.

Q. How do you balance innovation with appropriate governance?

Good governance doesn't constrain innovation; it ensures innovation is purposeful, responsible, and aligned with organisational priorities.

It encourages organisations to ask important questions:

• What problem are we solving?

• What data is involved?

• Who is affected?

• What are the risks?

• What is our risk appetite?

• What guardrails need to exist?

When those questions become part of the way we work, innovation becomes more sustainable because risks are being managed deliberately rather than accidentally.

This is also where sector-wide initiatives become incredibly valuable.

Frameworks like Safer Technologies 4 Schools (ST4S), AI literacy initiatives, and CNA's collaborative work with NCEC around technology assessment help schools move forward with confidence. They reduce duplication, provide trusted guidance and allow educators to focus their time where it matters most - relationships, learning and teaching.

Q. As data becomes increasingly central to education, what does effective data governance mean for Catholic education?

Data governance is about ensuring that data is trusted, protected and used responsibly.

In Catholic education, it is also about recognising that the information we hold represents real people.

Every dataset represents students, families, staff and communities. Data governance isn't simply about technical controls. It's about stewardship.

It includes data quality, classification, retention, access, accountability and culture.

Creating a culture where people understand that data isn't just an organisational asset -it represents people and deserves to be treated with dignity and care.

Q. Why is data governance becoming such an important issue?

Whether we're talking about AI, cybersecurity, privacy, decision making or regulatory compliance, everything depends on trusted, well-governed information.

Good data governance improves decision making, strengthens accountability and ensures organisations can confidently respond to emerging technologies and changing expectations.

Without it, every other governance challenge becomes harder.

Q. What do you see as the greatest strategic risks facing Catholic education?

I think they fall into three broad areas.

The first is digital and data risk - AI, cybersecurity, privacy and digital resilience.

The second is capability. Governance only works if people understand their responsibilities and have the knowledge and confidence to act.

The third is sustainability and organisational resilience. Financial pressures, regulatory change and maintaining critical digital services all place increasing demands on education systems.

When core systems become unavailable, they can immediately impact our ability to fulfil our duty of care.

CNA can make a significant contribution by sharing lessons learned, developing common frameworks, providing professional learning and helping participants avoid solving the same problems in isolation.

Q. Where do you see the greatest opportunities?

One of the most exciting opportunities is using technology and automation to give time back.

If we can responsibly automate routine administrative work, educators have greater capacity to focus on what matters most - relationships, teaching, learning and the formation of young people.

Q. How can CNA continue strengthening governance capability across the network?

One of CNA's greatest strengths is its ability to bring people together.

The relationships formed across Participants create trusted spaces where people can openly discuss challenges, share lessons learned and support one another.

That collaborative environment is incredibly valuable.

Additionally, shared governance frameworks, practical resources, professional learning and national guidance all help participants mature their own governance practices without having to build everything independently.

Q. What does a strong risk culture look like?

A strong risk culture is one where people feel comfortable raising issues early.

Risks are discussed openly rather than hidden.

Escalating concerns is seen as good practice - not failure.

For a volunteer-led national organisation like CNA, that means keeping governance simple, using clear language and continually connecting risk management back to purpose.

People need to understand that managing risk isn't about creating work - it's about protecting our mission and the communities we serve.

Q. If you could achieve one outcome during your time as Chair, what would it be?

I'd like governance to become something participants see as practical, trusted and genuinely helpful.

Success would mean governance is embedded into the way CNA works - not because people feel obligated to comply, but because they see how it helps them make better decisions, understand their responsibilities and manage risk with confidence.

Governance should support our work, not burden it.

Q. Finally, what would you say to someone considering joining one of CNA's Working Groups?

I'd encourage them to get involved.

It's a practical opportunity to contribute beyond your own organisation while learning from colleagues across Australia.

You don't need to have all the answers.

Bring your experience, ask thoughtful questions, be willing to collaborate, and you'll make a meaningful contribution.

The Governance Working Group exists to help participants navigate an increasingly complex environment while ensuring that technology, systems and governance remain firmly in service of people and human dignity.

As Catholic education continues to navigate rapid technological change, strong governance will play an increasingly important role in helping organisations innovate responsibly, manage risk, and remain focused on their mission. Through the collaborative work of leaders like Janine Conolly and the Governance Working Group, CNA is helping build the capability, confidence and shared approaches needed to support Catholic education well into the future.