Privacy Information Notice
About this research
Qa Research is undertaking surveying on behalf of the Environment Agency with people who have a role in NFM in England. The aim of this survey is to understand where there is a need for training to inform the development and availability of suitable training.
The Environment Agency is the data controller for this research (Data controllers ‘determine the purposes and means of processing personal data’) – see ‘Contact’ below.
The legal basis for this research is ‘public task’ (performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller). The Environment Agency uses information, including your personal data, to fulfil its responsibilities as the flood risk management authority under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. The lawful basis it relies on to process your personal data is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR, which allows it to process personal data when this is necessary to perform its public tasks as a flood risk management authority.
Taking part in this research is voluntary, which means you can choose not to take part, and also change your mind about taking part at any time.
How your data will be used
For research purposes:
This research is confidential. This means that your identity and personal details will only be accessed by Qa Research for the purposes of this research project. The Environment Agency will not know you have taken part and will only receive aggregated data (which means your data will be mixed in with the views of many other people) and research reports will only contain anonymous data, (which means you will not be named, nor identifiable from any answers you gave).
Qa Research will only keep your data for as long as we need it, and will delete it within 12 months of the end of this research project.
For quality control purposes:
Qa always like to ensure that people who take part in research have had a good experience. They check the work of their interviewers and recruiters to ensure they are following the MRS Code of Conduct, and to comply with the requirements of ISO 20252, the International Standard for Market and Social Research, to which Qa is registered. Qa Research is the data controller for personal data collected for this purpose, and the lawful basis for using your data in this way is our legitimate interest. Access to personal data collected and used for quality control purposes is strictly controlled and limited to Qa Research employees on a need to know basis. Data collected for quality control purposes will not be passed on to the Environment Agency or any third party.
If you take part in a depth interview:
Audio recordings are made by Qa researchers so they can listen back to them later to help with analysis. Quotes will be included in the report but Qa will take particular care to ensure you are not identifiable.
How Qa Research keeps your information safe
Qa Research uses a wide range of technology to ensure that any personal data we hold is processed, stored and transferred in a secure way. This includes encryption, password protection and limiting access to personal data to key staff only. We hold Cyber Essentials accreditation and we regularly review our processes, hardware, software and policies to ensure we maintain personal data securely.
Your rights
Participation in research is voluntary. If you change your mind about taking part, any personal data will be deleted from any research study or research database in which you are identifiable.
Under the UK data protection legislation individuals have rights over their personal data and Data Controllers have a responsibility to fulfil these rights – see ‘Contact’ below. Different rights apply depending on the legal basis being used for processing (for this research, the legal basis is ‘public task’). For this research, your rights include;
- Right to be informed – you have the right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal information.
- Access to personal data – you can find out if Environment Agency and Qa Research is using or storing any personal data about you and ask for a copy of your personal data (called a ‘subject access request’).
- Rectification of personal data – a right to have any personal data held about you corrected if it is inaccurate
- Object to processing – a right to object to the use and storage of your personal data. If the Environment Agency and Qa Research agree to your objection, we must stop using your data for that purpose unless we can give strong and legitimate reasons to continue using your data despite your objections.
- Restrict processing – if you are concerned about the accuracy of your data or how it is being used you have a right to limit the way your data is used.
You have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with the way the Environment Agency or Qa Research processes your personal data. The ICO can be contacted at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
Contact
If you have further questions about this research project
Call Qa Research on 01904 632039. Qa Research is a Market Research Society (MRS) Company Partner. You can verify this by calling MRS Freephone 0800 975 9596. The MRS is the professional body for market and social researchers. All its members (and all Qa Research employees) are bound by the MRS Code of Conduct which sets professional standards for research www.mrs.org.uk
Qa Research’s privacy policy can be viewed here https://qaresearch.co.uk/privacy/
Contact the Environment Agency’s Data Protection Officer
The Environment Agency’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) is responsible for independent advice and monitoring of the Environment Agency’s use of personal information. If you have any concerns or queries about how they process personal data, or if you would like to make a complaint or request relating to data protection, please contact their DPO:
Data Protection Officer, Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AH
Email: dataprotection@environment-agency.gov.uk
The Environment Agency’s Privacy Policy can be viewed here: