About ADPO

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ADPO is a network for those who are actively working as Data Protection Professionals in their respective organisations.

ADPO offers Data Protection Professionals an opportunity to share ideas, voice concerns, seek clarity on new legislation, and offer their own insights on the demands and challenges of the job. Membership is open via ICS to anyone who fills a data management role within their organisation, whether formally or informally. The objective of ADPO is to provide clarity on issues, raise awareness of the legislation, and to offer its members a forum where these topics can be discussed.

At a time when we are seeing more and more data-related issues arising in the media, ADPO is both topical and relevant. It addresses the requirements of anyone who is striving to define a data management strategy, establishing practical processes and structures for their organisation to achieve and maintain compliance with the Irish DP legislation.

In parallel, we are facing into a period of considerable change in this area – new Regulations are being proposed which will mean significant challenges for any organisation which manages personal data as part of its sales, marketing, or deployment strategy.

ADPO Committee

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Code of Conduct

Members of the Association of Data Protection Officers shall behave in accordance with the principles set out below:

Protection of Public Interest and Legal Compliance

Members shall:

• exercise their skills in such a way as to observe and comply with the appropriate Data Protection and professional conduct legislation
• recognise the privacy rights of individuals, engage professionally with third parties and not prejudice the intellectual property rights of others
• recognise the rights of individuals and groups with regard to the confidentiality of their data
• take reasonable steps to know and understand the relevant legislation, regulations, and standards and comply with such requirements in carrying out their work
• recognise basic human rights and endeavour to avoid actions that have an adverse effect on such rights

Responsibility to Employers and Clients

Members shall:

• perform professional work that meets the requirements of their employer or client and draw the employer’s or client’s attention to the consequences of ignoring or overruling the member’s professional judgement
• perform professional work to time and to budget and notify the employer or client early if such requirements are unlikely to be fulfilled
• not offer or provide any inducement to a third party in return for business secured with a client, unless there is full disclosure of the facts to that client
• not disclose or authorise the disclosure of confidential information gained in the course of professional work, except with the prior written permission of the employer or client, nor use such information for personal gain

Professional Dignity and Promotion of Professional Aims

Members shall:

• protect the reputation of the data management profession and strive to improve professional standards through personal participation in their development, use and regulation and avoid actions that will adversely affect the good standing of the profession
• raise individual awareness, advance public knowledge and enhance the appreciation of Data Protection and, wherever possible, counter false or misleading statements detrimental to the profession
• encourage and support fellow practitioners in their professional development and, where possible, provide opportunities supporting the development of new entrants to the profession
• uphold the principles which underpin the Data Protection legislation, and support the work of the Office of the DP Commissioner in disseminating an accurate, practical and constructive interpretation of the legislation in their professional activities
• act with integrity towards fellow practitioners and towards members of other professions who may be engaged in related work and avoid any activity that is incompatible with professional status

Competence, Ethics, and Impartiality

Members shall:

• take reasonable steps to upgrade their personal professional skills and their awareness of relevant informatics developments
• avoid claims to levels of competence that they do not possess
• accept professional responsibility for work they perform, or performed under direction and not terminate a professional assignment except for good reason and with reasonable notice
• commit to continuous professional development in order to maintain the highest level of awareness regarding relevant legislation and industry best practice
• avoid situations that give rise to conflict of interest and make full disclosure to clients in advance of any such conflict of interest that may arise