Privacy notice: Acas product evaluation framework – scoping research

In line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this privacy notice explains how your personal data will be processed, used, and protected during your participation in this research. This research is being conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) on behalf of Acas.

What is the purpose of the research?

The purpose of this research is to develop and pilot a standard approach to evaluate Acas training and workplace advice projects. This project will be delivered in two phases, the scoping phase and the pilot phase. The initial scoping research involves interviews with Acas staff and delegates who have participated in Acas training or workplace projects, which include e-learning and webinars. Your participation will help us develop a standardised framework to understand the effectiveness and impact of Acas training and advice services, identify areas for improvement, and ensure future training and advice products can have a greater impact for individuals and organisations.

What is the legal basis for processing my data?

Acas is the data controller for this project. This means that they are responsible for deciding the purpose and legal basis for processing data. For this project, the legal basis for processing data is Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation where “processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the [data] controller”.

Training / workplace project delegates

When you registered for training, events or tailored support with Acas, you agreed to terms and conditions, which stated that:

(9.3) Acas attaches significant importance to the evaluation of its services. It will evaluate services following delivery based on completed evaluation forms. Acas agrees to share the outcome of that evaluation with you. In addition, Acas or its research contractor may approach you to carry out a further evaluation of the impact of the training at a later date.

(9.4) We will only share your personal information with third parties where the law requires us to do so.

Evaluation data is used to monitor and develop services to fulfil Acas’s general duty to promote the improvement of industrial relations. Acas’s Privacy Notice is available online here: www.acas.org.uk/privacy

Acas staff

You have given consent to your name, role and organisational email address being shared with IES for the purposes of contacting you about taking part in this project.

Who will have access to my data?

Acas will provide IES with your name, email address and some job-related information with the sole purpose of inviting you to participate in the initial scoping research. Only IES research team members will have access to your personal details and raw interview responses.

If you agree to take part in an interview, we will collect:

Training / workplace project delegates

  • Your verbal responses during the interview: These will include your experiences with Acas training, what you learned, how you applied your learning, the impact of the training, and any barriers or enablers you encountered.

  • Basic job information: This may include details such as your role, sector, or organisation size, which will be used for analytical purposes to understand variations in experiences, but will not be used to identify you personally.

Acas staff

  • Your verbal responses during the interview: These will include your views on the requirements of an evaluation framework, the types of impact associated with Acas training and workplace projects, and barriers and enablers to delivering training that can be impactful. 
  • Basic work information: Such as your role and responsibilities.

How will my data be used?

  • Interviews will be recorded with your explicit consent, and detailed notes will be taken. These will be used to accurately capture your responses.
  • Your anonymous interview notes will be combined with those of other participants and analysed thematically to identify common themes, insights, and patterns.
  • Interview data will be anonymised before analysis and reporting. With your explicit consent, anonymised interview notes will be shared with Acas at the end of the project.
  • All data will be stored securely on IES's password-protected systems, in compliance with data protection regulations.

How long will my data be kept?

The personal data we may have used to contact you, as well as the audio files from interview recordings, will be securely deleted from the IES systems after this project is complete (approx. April 2026). If the project does not extend beyond the scoping phase, deletion will be around December 2025. The aggregated and anonymised findings (e.g., reports) and the individual interview notes will be retained indefinitely by Acas for their records and to inform future work.

Who can I contact if I would like to withdraw my interview data?

Participation in this research is entirely voluntary. You may withdraw your personal data at any point before the following milestones:

  • Interview data: You can request deletion of your raw interview responses up until they have been anonymised and pooled for analysis (approximately two weeks after your interview).
  • Individual summary: You may withdraw your personal write-up until we share the research findings with our Acas at the end of the project (approx. January 2026). If the project does not extend beyond the scoping phase, you have the right to withdraw until August 2025. Once summaries are transferred to Acas, they will be fully anonymised and no longer linkable to individuals, meaning they cannot be deleted thereafter.

To exercise your withdrawal rights or ask any questions, please contact the Project Manager at IES: megan.edwards@employment-studies.co.uk

Who can I contact with a query about how my data will be used?

If you have any questions or concerns about how your data is being handled in this research, please contact:

Acas Data Protection Officer: dataprotection@acas.org.uk

If you have any questions about the research project, please contact:

Acas Project Manager: Emily Starling, estarling@acas.org.uk

Who can I contact with a complaint?

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent authority for upholding information rights: www.ico.org.uk