1. Introduction

The Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website [Insert Website URL], apply for membership, register for events, or engage with our services.

We process your personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2020 (The "Act") of Jamaica and other applicable privacy laws. By using our website or services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

 

2. Who is the Data Controller?

For the purposes of the Act, the Jamaica Institution of Engineers is the Data Controller. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data.

Registered Office:

9 Leinster Road, Kingston 5

Jamaica, W.I.

 

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal data to facilitate professional engineering standards, membership services, and public advocacy. The types of data we collect may include:

 

A. Personal Information

• Identity Data: Name, date of birth, gender, and photograph.

• Contact Data: Mailing address, email address, and telephone numbers.

• Professional Data: Engineering discipline, academic qualifications, employment history, résumé/CV, and professional registration status (e.g., PERB registration number).

• Membership Data: Membership grade (e.g., Fellow, Member, Graduate), application details, and payment history.

 

B. Financial Information

If you pay for membership dues or events via our website, we may collect payment details.

• Note: We typically use third-party payment processors (Fygaro, local bank gateways) and do not store full credit card details on our servers.

 

C. Technical & Usage Data

• IP address, browser type, time zone setting, and operating system.

• Information about how you use our website (e.g., pages visited, time spent).

 

4. How We Use Your Information (Purpose and Legal Basis)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Under the Act, we must have a lawful basis for processing your data. We use your data for the following purposes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

 

 

​

​

​​​​

5. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share your information with:

• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who provide IT support, website hosting, payment processing, and event management services. These parties are bound by confidentiality agreements.

• Regulatory Bodies: We may share relevant professional status data with the Professional Engineers Registration Board (PERB) as required for regulatory alignment.

• Legal Requirements: If required by law, a court order, or governmental authority in Jamaica.

 

6. International Data Transfers

Your personal data is primarily processed within Jamaica. However, some of our service providers (e.g., cloud storage or email marketing platforms) may process data outside of Jamaica.

In such cases, we ensure that:

1. The destination country has adequate data protection laws; or

2. We have appropriate safeguards in place, such as standard contractual clauses, to ensure your data remains protected in accordance with the Jamaican Data Protection Act.

 

7. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorized way. This includes:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for our website.

• Access controls restricting data access to authorized JIE staff and council members only.

• Regular reviews of our data collection, storage, and processing practices.

 

8. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

• Members: Data is retained for the duration of membership plus a limitation period following cessation of membership.

• Non-Members/Applicants: Data is retained for a reasonable period to address inquiries or re-applications.

 

9. Your Rights Under the Data Protection Act

Under Jamaica’s Data Protection Act, you have specific rights regarding your personal data:

1. Right to be Informed: You have the right to know how your data is being used (as detailed in this policy).

2. Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

3. Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data.

4. Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You can ask us to delete your data where there is no good reason for us to continue processing it.

5. Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to suspend the processing of your data in certain scenarios.

6. Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your data for direct marketing or where we rely on "legitimate interest."

7. Rights regarding Automated Decision Making: We generally do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects concerning you.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.

 

10. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance user experience. A cookie is a small file placed on your device's hard drive.

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Required for the operation of the website (e.g., logging into the member portal).

• Analytical Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the site.

You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect the functionality of the website.

 

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our privacy team or Data Protection Officer (if appointed).

Jamaica Institution of Engineers

• Attention: The Honorary Secretary / Data Protection Representative

• 9 Leinster Road, Kingston 5, Jamaica W.I.

• Email: jie@jiejamaica.org

• Phone: 876-754-4679

Complaints:

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) in Jamaica regarding data protection issues. We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the OIC, so please contact us in the first instance.

​