Evaluation of the Economic Contract -
Online survey and interviews with businesses
The Welsh Government has commissioned OB3 Research (OB3) to undertake an evaluation of its refreshed Economic Contract.
The aim of this evaluation is to provide an independent assessment of the impact of the Economic Contract (EC) by ascertaining to what extent any behavioural changes amongst businesses can be directly attributed to the EC.
As part of this evaluation, OB3 will be gathering information through an online survey of businesses who have signed the Economic Contract. OB3 will also be conducting interviews with a sample of businesses.
The Welsh Government is the data controller for the research. The Welsh Government will receive a copy of the data collected by OB3. However, OB3 will delete any personal data provided through the online survey and interviews, and anonymise the raw data, before it is shared with the Welsh Government.
The information collected during the project will be included in a report that will be published on the Welsh Government website and possibly in other publications by OB3 and Welsh Government.
Your participation in this research is completely voluntary. However, your views and experiences are important in order to help inform Welsh Government policies.
The contact for this research at OB3 Research is Nia Bryer.
E-mail address: nia@ob3research.co.uk
Telephone number: 07792 609821
PRIVACY NOTICE
What personal data do we hold and where do we get this information?
Personal data is defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified by reference to an identifier’.
OB3 Research (OB3) received your contact details from the Welsh Government in the form of name, telephone number, and email address. Welsh Government hold these details as your business has adopted the Economic Contract.
Your participation is voluntary and if you do not wish to take part or be sent reminders then please reply to the invitation email and your details will be removed. OB3 will only use your email address and telephone number for the purposes of this evaluation.
OB3 has sent you an email with a link to invite you to take part in an online survey. The survey does not require the collection personal data from you and neither your IP address nor your email address are collected as part of completing the survey so your responses are anonymous. If you choose to provide additional personal data as part of your survey responses we will try not to identify you from, or link your identity to, the responses you provide. OB3 will remove any personal data in survey responses before it is shared with the Welsh Government.
As well as the survey, we would like to discuss issues in more detail through interviews. If you are willing to take part in an interview, then you need to provide your details as the survey is anonymous. There is an opportunity at the end of the survey to provide your details (name, emails and phone number) and this will be captured on a new survey form so that your survey responses remain anonymous.
OB3 will not interview everyone who says they are willing to be interviewed but will instead select a sample of those who have agreed to take part in an interview based on the programme/WG department engaged with, the type of development pledge as well as location. If you are contacted for an interview than you are not required to provide any additional personal data except your image if you agree to an interview being video recorded.
We wish to record interviews for operational reasons. We will make this clear to you before the interview begins, and you will have the opportunity to tell us if you are not happy for the discussion to be recorded. If interviews are recorded, personal data will be removed during the process of transcribing. Recordings will be deleted as soon as this process is completed. If discussions are not recorded, personal data will not be included in written notes prepared during or following the interviews.
If you raise a query or complaint and provide personal data requesting a response, the researcher will forward the request only to the relevant official and subsequently delete it from the research data.
What is the lawful basis for using your data?
The lawful basis for processing information in this data collection exercise is our public task; that is, exercising our official authority to undertake the core role and functions of the Welsh Government.
Participation is completely voluntary. Research studies such as this are important for the Welsh Government to collect information and actionable evidence about its ability to deliver government priorities. The information collected in this research will be used to improve the Economic Contract (EC).
How secure is your personal data?
Personal information provided to OB3 is always stored on a secure server. The data can only be accessed by a limited number of researchers working on this project. OB3 will only use this data for research purposes. OB3 Research has Cyber Essentials certification.
When conducting surveys, OB3 use a survey software programme called SNAP software. We have ensured that SNAP software is UK GDPR compliant and meets our expectations in terms of the security of any data collected via the software.
OB3 has procedures to deal with any suspected data security breaches. If a suspected breach occurs, OB3 will report this to the Welsh Government who will notify you and any applicable regulator where we are legally required to do so.
OB3 will use the information gathered to produce a report that will be published on the Welsh Government website. This report will not include any information that could be used to identify individual participants.
How long do we keep your personal data?
OB3 will hold personal data during the contract period, and any personal data not already removed during data cleaning or transcription will be deleted by OB3 within three months of the end of the contract. This includes your contact details.
OB3 will provide Welsh Government with an anonymised version of the survey data which will not include information that could identify you.
Individual rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to the personal information you provide as part of this evaluation, you have the right:
To access a copy of your own data;
For us to rectify inaccuracies in that data;
To object to or restrict processing (in certain circumstances);
For your data to be ‘erased’ (in certain circumstances); and
To lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection.
The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Phone: 0303 123 1113. Website: www.ico.gov.uk
Further Information
If you have any further questions about how the data provided as part of this study will be used by the Welsh Government or wish to exercise your rights using the UK General Data Protection Regulation, please contact:
Name: Linta Mathew
E-mail address: Linta.Mathew@gov.wales
Telephone number: 03000 259392
The Welsh Government’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at:
Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ, Email: DataProtectionOfficer@gov.wales.