Privacy Policy | Updated – 15/03/26
UK Open Government Network (UK OGN) – Privacy Notice
Last updated: 09/03/2026
Who we are
The UK Open Government Network (UK OGN) is a coalition of individuals and civil society organisations committed to ensuring the government serves people better and to restoring public trust through open government.
Open government is a culture of governance grounded in transparency, accountability, integrity and meaningful public participation in support of democracy and inclusive growth (OECD).
The UK OGN is the lead civil society contact for the UK government and Open Government Partnership, and has co-ordinated civil society input into all UK National Action Plans for Open Government, connecting reformers inside and outside the government.
The UK OGN also participates in the UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Open Government (MSF). This is a joint forum of government and civil society that promotes open government and oversees the development and implementation of National Action Plans for Open Government.
As UK OGN is not a legal entity, it operates with the support of a fiscal host organisation (currently Involve). Involve (The Involve Foundation, registered charity no. 1130568) acts as the data controller for personal information processed through UK OGN activity.
This notice explains how we use personal information when you engage with UK OGN. It should be read alongside Involve’s Privacy Policy.
What personal information we collect
Depending on how you engage with UK OGN, we may collect:
- your name and contact details (for example, email address)
- your organisation and role, where relevant
- communications with you, including emails and messages
- event registration details, including access requirements if you choose to share them
- if you apply for opportunities, your application materials, such as a CV, covering letter, references, and details of your skills, experience and qualifications
- if relevant to recruitment, contracting or payment, information relating to right to work, financial details, and related correspondence
How we use your information
We use personal information to:
- run and support UK OGN network activities, including events and communications
- support the development, implementation and monitoring of the UK National Action Plans for Open Government
- respond to enquiries and manage relationships with members, participants and stakeholders
- assess suitability for freelance, consultancy or other opportunities
- communicate with applicants and contractors during recruitment or selection processes
- set up and manage contracts, payments and related administration where relevant
- meet legal, financial and governance obligations, including record-keeping.
Lawful basis for processing
Under UK data protection law, we rely on:
- legitimate interests, to coordinate the network and communicate with members, applicants and stakeholders
- consent, where you sign up to receive communications or choose to provide optional information, such as access requirements
- contract / pre-contract steps, where processing is needed to take steps before entering into a contract or to manage a contract
- legal obligation, where we must keep records for legal, regulatory, charity or accounting purposes.
Sharing and storage
We keep personal information secure and limit access to those who need it for UK OGN purposes, for example authorised Involve staff and UK OGN project team members. Personal information may be stored using Involve’s systems, including its cloud systems. We may also share information with trusted service providers used to operate UK OGN, such as email, file storage, event administration, payroll or accounting services, where necessary. We do not sell personal data.
How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected and then delete it or anonymise it. We do not keep personal data just in case.
If you apply for a role or contracting opportunity through UK OGN and you are unsuccessful, we usually keep application information for up to six months after the recruitment process ends, unless you ask us to keep your details on file for future opportunities.
Where we need to keep records for legal, regulatory or accounting purposes, for example invoices and payments, we will retain them for the period required by law. The existing UK OGN recruitment notice states that unsuccessful application materials are retained for no longer than six months.
Your rights
You have rights under UK data protection law, including the right to:
- access your personal data
- ask for inaccurate personal data to be corrected
- request deletion of your personal data, where applicable
- object to or restrict processing, in some circumstances
- withdraw consent, where we rely on consent.
How to contact us
For UK OGN-related data queries, please contact: [email protected]
Because Involve is the data controller, you can also contact Involve directly at: [email protected].
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how your information has been handled, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – the UK data protection regulator.
Changes to this notice
We may update this notice from time to time.
The previous version is available to view here.