Data Sharing Agreements Explained

Posted by Danny Jones on 16/09/2022

What is a data sharing agreement and why do you need one?

A data sharing agreement is an agreement between two or more parties that helps to build trust between those parties and can be a powerful tool to achieve shared goals.

An agreement provides a set of common rules for sharing so each parties knows their role and responsibilities, the purpose of the sharing both practically and legally, it describes how the data will be handled and used and sets standards and expectations for parties to agree and abide by.

They are not mandatory under UK GDPR and don’t provide immunity from breaching the law or the consequences. The ICO see an agreement as good practice that they will take into account the existence of agreement when assessing any complaints commissioner. What it does is help you justify your sharing and demonstrate you mindful of and documented, the relevant compliance issues and your accountability obligations under UK GDPR.

Drafting a data sharing agreement can be daunting, but it is important to remember that there is no set format and depend on the scale and complexity of the sharing taking place. The key thing is to be clear about each party’s role, have a clear, concise justification purpose and details of the data flow and handling.

The good news is that there is now a simple solution: “The Information Sharing Gateway”. A digital platform created by IG professionals to support creating, recording, managing and approving Data Sharing Agreements between parties.

This easy-to-use platform offers standardised templates that make it quick and easy to create a data sharing agreement from simple to more complex sharing, documenting purpose, legal basis, and associated data flows. With the gateway, there's no need to worry about the complexities of drafting documents. Sharing data has never been so simple!

Check out our latest feature tour here!

Test the full functionality for free on our sandpit site!

If you have any questions about the information sharing gateway or how to create a digital DSA, please contact our central admin team. We would be happy to help you navigate this process.