Data Privacy Notice

TechnoServe Privacy Policy

Data security, integrity, and confidentiality are extremely important to TechnoServe. We comply with relevant laws, regulations and rules applicable to Personal Data and we implement technical, administrative, and physical security measures designed to protect information from unauthorized access, disclosure, use, and modification. TechnoServe is committed to utilizing state of the art technology and methodologies to ensure data privacy. 

Data Protection Laws

U.S. data protection laws, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other relevant data protection laws, including those from countries where TechnoServe operates, and codes of conduct, affect how we must collect, handle and store personal information. These laws, regulations and rules apply regardless of whether data is stored electronically, on paper or on other materials.  TechnoServe is committed to comply with relevant laws, regulations and rules applicable to Personal Data and collect and use fairly, store safely and not unlawfully disclose personal data. 

Data Protection Principles

TechnoServe abides by the following important principles.  Personal Data collected by TechnoServe must:

1. Be obtained only for specific, lawful purposes;

2. Be processed fairly, lawfully and in a transparent manner in accordance with the rights of data subjects;

3. Be adequate, relevant and not excessive;

4. Be as accurate as practically possible;

5. Be protected in appropriate, legally compliant ways with integrity and confidentiality;

6. Be retained only for as long as is lawful and necessary; and

7. Not be transferred outside TechnoServe to any entity unless that entity also ensures an adequate level of protection.

 In addition to the above, TechnoServe informs individuals, in a concise, transparent, and easily accessible manner, using clear and plain language, as to how TechnoServe handles their Personal Data. Additionally, TechnoServe always honors data subjects’ requests for information about our processing of Personal Data and for the deletion, restriction of processing or rectification of the same.

Collection and Processing of Information

The legal basis for collecting and processing personal data depends on the purpose for which we use the personal data. In some cases, the basis is the subject's consent. In many cases, the legal basis will be TechnoServe’s legitimate interest. However, if subjects think that their interest outweighs TechnoServe’s interest, individuals may object to the processing of their data as described by this policy. Additionally, we may process personal data pursuant to the performance of a contract, cooperative agreement, or any other engagement related to the nature of our business. 

What information we collect: 

TechnoServe processes personal information to meet our legal, statutory and contractual obligations and to provide individuals with our products and services. We will never collect any unnecessary personal data and do not process individual information in any way, other than as specified in this policy.

The following are the primary ways TechnoServe collects data:

• When individuals participate in our international development programs.

• When individuals send us an email.

• When individuals submit their information via an online form.

• When individuals visit our website.

• When individuals submit their information to us in paper form.

• Publicly available information online.

Personal data that we collect:

Clients (Program participants)

TechnoServe collects and processes personal data of individuals who take part in our international development programs in order to fulfill its statutory functions and legitimate interest. Personal data is processed for a variety of reasons relating to our international development programs. In some instances, data is reported to donors per contractual requirement. However, TechnoServe takes security measures in line with data protection regulations to prevent data loss, preserve data integrity, and regulate access to program participant’s data. All personal data is processed according to the procedures established in this policy.

The lawful basis for processing program participants' personal data is our legitimate interest in providing our products and services to clients, and remaining compliant with legal, statutory and contractual obligations. 

Donors and subscribers

When individuals contact us or enter their details in any of our online forms, we may receive and retain personal information. This can consist of information such as name, email address, postal address, telephone or mobile phone number, and financial details to process donations.

The lawful basis for processing your personal data for marketing purposes is based on consent, which can be withdrawn at any time. The lawful bases for processing personal data in relation to donations, administration and record keeping are based on our interests and our legal obligations.

Contractors, Vendors and Service Providers 

The personal data that we may collect or obtain may include; name and date of birth, contact information, such as address and contact details (including email and mobile telephone number), nationality, occupation / job title, country of residence, directorships, certified evidence of identification and proof of address, background checks regarding criminal convictions as appropriate.

The lawful bases for processing personal data are, for the performance of any contract between us, to comply with our legal obligations such as financial due diligence and based on our legitimate interests in order to protect our business interests.

Employees, Fellows, Board Members and Volunteers

The information we hold includes application form; CV and references; pre-employment information; contract of employment and any amendments to it; correspondence, information needed for payroll, benefits and expenses purposes; address, contact and emergency contact details; education and training records; records of absence; information required to administer and operate physical and IT security measures, training, appraisals.

The lawful bases for processing personal data are; for the performance of any contract of employment, to comply with our legal obligations such as taxation, and based on our legitimate interests in order to protect our business interests. The lawful bases for processing special category personal data are for carrying out our obligations in the field of employment and social security and social protection law or for the assessment of the working capacity of an employee.

Applicants

The data collected includes application details, employment history and interview notes where relevant.

The lawful basis for processing personal data is to take steps to enter into a contract of employment and applicant’s consent.

Donor lists 

Donor lists become available to TechnoServe through different means.  Personal data that we collect or obtain from donor lists may include, name, contact information (email, phone number, or postal address).  

The lawful basis for processing personal data is based on consent, which can be withdrawn at any time. 

Research

TechnoServe uses publicly available personal information, such as geo-demographics, to provide tailored information to potential donors, and to cultivate relationships with individuals who may be interested in supporting TechnoServe’s work.

The lawful basis for processing personal data is based on our legitimate interests in order to tailor our fundraising and marketing activities. 

Use of Cookies: 

TechnoServe uses first party and third party cookies. We use cookies in order to make our site easier to use, to support the provision of information and functionality to the users, as well as to provide us with information about how our site is used so that we can make sure it is as up to date, relevant, and error free as we can. 

Further information about the types of cookies that are used on our site is set out in TechnoServe’s Data Privacy Guidelines. To the extent any Personal Information is collected through cookies, the Data Privacy Statements and Guidelines apply and compliment this Policy.  

When users browse our site, they agree to our use of cookies per a cookies notice at the top of their browser. If they block our use of cookies, they may be unable to access certain areas of our site and certain functions and pages will not work in the usual way. Doing so may also affect our ability to update our site to cater for user preferences and improve its performance. Additional information about our use of cookies can be found in TechnoServe’s Data Privacy Guidelines. 

Use of personal data

TechnoServe does not disclose, share or sell individuals’ data without their consent; unless required to do so by law or as described below. We make every effort to only retain individuals’ data for as long as it is necessary and for the purpose(s) specified in this policy.  

TechnoServe will use personal information for several purposes including the following:

• For taking part or participating in or evaluating one of our international development programs;

• For the performance of an award/contract agreement to match clients with the appropriate program and ensure meeting program criteria;

• For the performance of any employment, service or supply contracts; 

• In relation to any correspondence individuals have entered into with us whether by letter, email, text, social media, message board or any other means;

• For "service administration purposes", which means that TechnoServe may contact individuals for reasons related to donations made such as tax status with regard to the completion of commercial or other transactions entered into with TechnoServe or the activity or online content individuals have signed up for;

• For internal record keeping, external reporting and partnering organizations;

• To invite individuals to participate in surveys or research about TechnoServe or our work (participation is always voluntary);

• For marketing purposes where individuals have specifically consented to receive marketing communications from us;

• To personalize the way TechnoServe content is presented;

• To use IP addresses to identify the location of users, to block disruptive use, to establish the number of visits from different countries;

• To analyze and improve the activities and content offered by the TechnoServe website to provide users with the most user-friendly navigation experience. 

• To tailor fundraising and marketing activities to make them appropriate for our supporters and reflect their interest as closely as possible. 

• We may also use and disclose information in aggregate (so that no individuals are identified) for marketing and strategic development purposes. 

Donor Information 

In the case of donor or subscriber data, individuals have the opportunity to opt out of TechnoServe disclosing, sharing or selling their data at any time.  If a donor or subscriber opts out, that individual’s data is removed from lists of donors or subscribers that are disclosed, shared or sold, and the individual’s data is maintained solely within TechnoServe.

Individuals’ rights under this Privacy Policy

It is our policy to ensure that all individuals understand their right to access and request information about their personal information that TechnoServe processes, as follows:

• What personal data we hold.

• The purposes of the processing.

• The categories of personal data concerned.

• The recipients to whom the personal data has/will be disclosed.

• How long we intend to store personal data for.

• If we did not collect the data directly from individuals, information about the source.

Individuals have the right to ask us to correct and/or complete the information and we will strive to do so as quickly as possible; unless there is a valid reason for not doing so, at which point a notification to the individual will be sent within 30 days of receipt of the request. 

Individuals have the right to request erasure of their personal data or to restrict processing (where applicable) in accordance with applicable data protection laws; as well as to object to any direct marketing from us. Where applicable, individuals have the right to be informed about any automated decision-making we may use.

If we receive a request from an individual exercising any of the above rights, we may need to verify the individual’s identity before acting on the request; this is to ensure that data is protected and kept secure. 

Please be aware that some of these rights are limited by others’ rights. For example, where access to one individual’s personal data would implicate disclosing another individual’s personal data, TechnoServe may deny a request. In this case, the requestor will receive a justification within 30 days of receipt of the request. 

Data Retention

TechnoServe only ever retains personal information for as long as is necessary and we have strict review and retention procedures in place to meet these obligations. The precise length of time will depend on the type of data, our legitimate business needs and other legal or regulatory rules that may require us to retain it for certain minimum periods.   Once we have determined that we no longer need to hold personal data, we will securely delete it.

In cases where individuals have consented to us using their details for direct marketing, we will keep such data until those individuals notify us otherwise and/or withdraw their consent.

Marketing

Occasionally, TechnoServe would like to contact individuals with updates relating to our projects and services or campaigns we are undertaking. If individuals consent to us using their contact details for this purpose, they have the right to modify or withdraw their consent at any time by using the opt-out/unsubscribe options or by contacting dpo@tns.org.

Safeguarding of information

TechnoServe takes every reasonable measure and precaution to protect and secure personal data. We have several layers of security measures in place, including:

• Encryption of personal data when transferring;

• Pseudonymization and aggregation of personal data wherever possible;

• Internal processes and measures which meet the principles of data protection by design and data protection by default;

• Restricted access to personal data based on need (access controls);

• Firewalls & Anti-virus/malware;

• The ability to ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services;

• The appointment of a Data Protection Officer (DPO).

We have established procedures defining our safeguards to maintain physical and electronic security and privacy of all individuals’ data and information.  Our employees, or anyone acting on our behalf, are required to protect the confidentiality of information and to comply with written procedures. Our employees are subject to disciplinary actions if they fail to follow these procedures. 

Training Requirements

Our employees are required to take data privacy mandatory training at least? annually. The training aims to ensure our employees have a deep understanding of the complex legal landscape regarding data privacy, become familiar with our policy, procedures and tools to identify and prevent risks, and take actions to protect our data. 

Contact Information

To access information that we store or for questions about TechnoServe’s information practices, please contact us at:

To: Data Protection Officer (DPO)

TechnoServe Inc.

INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

1777 N Kent Street, Suite 1100

Arlington, VA 22209

Tel: +1 202 785 4515

Fax: +1 202 785 4544

Alternatively, you can send an email to our Data Protection Officer, Jeff Chrisfield, Chief Financial Officer at DPO@tns.org. 

Definitions

Cookies: These are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to an electronic device when visiting a Site. Cookies are then sent back to the originating Site on each subsequent visit, or to another Site that recognizes that cookie. Cookies are useful because they allow a Site to recognize a user’s device. For more information about cookies visit: www.allaboutcookies.org or www.youronlinechoices.eu 

Data processing: Any action performed on data, whether automated or manual. The examples cited in the text include collecting, recording, organizing, structuring, storing, using, erasing; so basically anything.

Data controller: The person or institution who decides why and how personal data will be processed. If you’re an owner or employee in your organization who handles data, this is you.

Personal data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

Special Category Personal Data: is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinion, religious or philosophical beliefs, genetic data, and biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person.