BACKGROUND
OAIA has two kinds of memberships according to our bylaws: Regular and Student. In 2021, we also offered a reduced fee membership option for Indigenous Peoples that is not officially recognized in the bylaws.
Currently, OAIA collects a name and email address for new and renewing members that are stored in our website managed and maintained by Blue Moth Creative through an annual contract.
There are a number of benefits to being an OAIA member including reduced rates for webinars and conferences, access to OAIA conference materials such as videos and reports, IAIA access to journals and reduced conference rates, and access to an electronic job board through the website. While we have established an active LinkedIn presence, members have no way of connecting with each other for personal and professional networking opportunities outside of OAIA in-person conferences. In addition, we collect information during the membership process through a website, maintained by a third-party service provider, as well as via PayPal for processing membership fees. We use this information in the delivery of services to members and the general public.
This proposal considers the development of a privacy policy, primarily in support of an online searchable member directory that would be populated when the public become new members or renew their membership. The directory would be on the website under Resources and accessible to OAIA members only. While the privacy policy was initiated in support of this resource, it is possible that our website and services should have this policy regardless as OAIA collects personal information.
A PRIVACY POLICY FOR OAIA
A privacy policy explains to members what happens to the personal information collected through our website and other services as part of delivering OAIA’s mission and in accordance with our values.
Below is an example for discussion based on IAIA and OPPI.
Privacy and Security
Ontario Association for Impact Assessment (“OAIA”, “us”, “we”, or “our”) operates https://oaia.on.ca/ and info@oaia.on.ca (the “Service”).
OAIA values and respects the privacy of our Members, including security of your personal data. This page informs you of our policy regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. We use your data to provide and improve the Service in accordance with our mission, vision, and values.
We agree to use such information for the purpose collected. This applies to both on and offline information that is collected and used in the course of our activities. By using OAIA’s website and services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
OAIA strives to comply with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. The Act – commonly referred to as the CSA Code – includes, with some modification, the principles set out in the National Standard of Canada Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information, CAN/CSA-Q830-96.
The ten overarching principles include Accountability; Identification of Purposes; Consent; Limiting Collection; Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention; Accuracy; Safeguards; Openness; Individual Access; and Challenging Compliance.
Terms of Use
By using OAIA’s website and services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:
- The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
- This website contains material that is licensed to us through a contractor. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.
- All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to OAIA, are acknowledged on the website.
- From time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
- You may not create a link to this website from another website or document without OAIA’s prior written consent.
- Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of Canada and Ontario.
Collection of Data
Data is collected annually during membership application and renewal process. Members can use the website, email, and phone to update their information. Reminders to keep information current are included in email broadcast messages and other member communications.
We collect several different types of information to provide and improve our Service to you, particularly members including certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you (“Personal Data”). Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to: e-mail address, first and last name, organization name, and country of residence. You can opt-out of providing some of this information.
Members’ data is primarily stored in a database housed offsite with a contracted service provider in Ontario. Depending on your location, this may be outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those in Ontario.
This database is accessed by OAIA Administration and used for member mailings, broadcast emails to whole or subsets of the database, member surveys, and to share information on impact assessment deemed appropriate by the OAIA Board of Directors. Consent for the collection of data is given upon the completion of the membership application and membership renewal.
We may also collect information on how the Service is accessed and used (“Usage Data”). This Usage Data may include information such as your computer’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data (“cookies”).
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our Service and hold certain information. Cookies are files with small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device. Tracking technologies also used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze our Service.
You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.
Use of Data
OAIA uses the collected data for various purposes:
- To provide and maintain our Service.
- To notify you about changes to our Service.
- To allow you to participate in interactive features of our Service when you choose to do so such as a membership directory.
- To gather information so that we can improve our Service.
- To monitor the usage of our Service.
- To detect, prevent, and address technical issues with our Service.
OAIA may process your Personal Data because of the following:
- For payment processing purposes.
- We need to perform a contract with you.
- You have given us permission to do so.
- To comply with the law.
Retention of Data
OAIA will retain your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.
OAIA will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of our Service, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.
Disclosure of Data
OAIA may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
- To provide a membership or conference-related Service, such as listing registered delegates on a venue attendees list or sharing a member’s contact information with another current OAIA member in an online members-only directory.
- To comply with a legal obligation.
- To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service.
- To protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public.
- To protect and defend the rights or property of OAIA.
Security of Data
We are committed to using all commercially reasonable efforts to maintaining the security of your Personal Information. We adopt appropriate data collection, storage, and processing practices and security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of your personal information, username, password, transaction information, and data stored on our servers.
Service Providers
We employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate our Service (“Service Providers”), to provide the Service on our behalf, to perform Service-related services or to assist us in analyzing how our Service is used.
These third parties have access to your Personal Data only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.
One such third-party Service Provider that OAIA uses is to maintain our website and membership directories. Another third-party Service Provider we use is for payment processing. The payment processor we work with is PayPal. Their Privacy Policy can be viewed at https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full.
We do not store or collect your payment card details. That information is provided directly to our third-party payment processor whose use of your personal information is governed by their Privacy Policy. These payment processors adhere to the standards set by PCI-DSS as managed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which is a joint effort of brands like Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. PCI-DSS requirements help ensure the secure handling of payment information.
Links to other sites
Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.
SOCIAL MEDIA
In addition to the website, OAIA publishes online content on a number of social media services such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. OAIA users can elect to connect to that content through accounts they may have on social media networks or apps. This Privacy Policy does not govern the collection of content by other websites, apps, social media networks or otherwise. Our users are required to abide by the applicable policies and requirements of social media networks or any other websites or apps used in connection with OAIA.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at info@oaia.on.ca.