The handling of personal data in projects is the most important part of data protection. If you consider, check and document the following points, you have already completed an important part of the process: 

1. What personal data is processed as part of the project?
2. Is the processing lawful, i.e. is there a legal basis?
3. Does the processing fulfil all data protection requirements in accordance with the basic principles of data protection?

Responsible within the meaning of the GDPR

Responsibility for processing data does not always lie with the project managers. Responsibility for the processing of employee data, for example, usually lies with the HR department. As part of the project, you should thoroughly check which personal data is being processed and ensure that there is a person responsible for processing the data.

Legal basis and duty to inform

Contact details of project staff are required for the processing of the project. This data is usually provided voluntarily by the respective persons. In doing so, they give their consent for processing. Theoretically, information about the processing should also be provided here, but in practice it has become established practice not to provide this information.

If you collect personal data from people outside the project, you must check the processing carefully and inform the data subjects appropriately. For example, if you are organising training courses or events or if data is collected from study participants. 

Ensure the following points: 

• Can you determine a clear purpose for which the data is collected for all processed data?
• Is the data you process limited to what is absolutely necessary? 
• Have you really only collected the data that is absolutely necessary? 
• Are the data subjects informed about the processing of their personal data? 
• Do you have internal rules on when and how this data is deleted? 

Some of these questions have certainly already been clarified in your organisation for other projects. Why don't you simply ask your colleagues whether the relevant documentation is already available?

You will probably also have to deal with these issues in other projects. If you document your assessments and processes well in this project, this can serve as a basis for future projects. 

Source: OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay