Collection
Minimum necessary fields, explicit purpose statements and documented consent for research data.
Trust & security
Data governance and security
This page is maintained by AAHRED to answer the security and privacy questions donors, ministries and partners ask during due diligence. It describes controls we operate today — it is not an independent audit report or a certification.
Principles
Ministry-owned data, least-privilege access, auditable decisions
Programme data is generated with and belongs to national institutions. Our architecture is designed so that ownership survives the end of any single grant, and so that every privileged action leaves a trace.
Least privilege
Access is granted by role, reviewed on change of duties and revoked on departure.
Data minimisation
We collect the smallest set of fields that makes the service work.
Defence in depth
Authorisation is enforced in the application and again in the database.
Screened uploads
Attachments are scanned and rejected before they reach durable storage.
Controls in force
What is actually enabled on this platform
Only controls currently operating are listed. Where a control is a self-declared alignment rather than an audited certification, that is stated.
| Control | State | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Access control | Role-based, least privilege | Administrative data is reachable only through authenticated, role-checked server functions; roles are held in a dedicated table separate from user profiles. |
| Row-level authorisation | Enforced in the database | Every table carries row-level security policies; enquiry records are readable only by accounts holding the administrator role. |
| Attachment handling | Private storage, signed links | Uploaded documents are stored in a private bucket and released only through short-lived signed URLs issued after a role check. |
| Malware screening | Enabled on upload | Attachments are screened for known signatures, macro-enabled office containers and executable markers before storage; unsafe files are rejected. |
| Spam and abuse protection | Server-verified challenge | The contact form uses a signed server-side challenge and a hidden honeypot field to block automated submissions. |
| Transport security | HTTPS everywhere | All traffic is served over TLS; the application issues no mixed-content requests. |
| Secret management | Server-side only | Service credentials are held as server environment secrets, are never shipped to the browser and are never written to logs. |
| Audit trail | Retained | Enquiry records retain a reference number, submission timestamp, scan result and delivery state for accountability. |
Data lifecycle
From collection to deletion
Transmission
Encrypted in transit; attachments screened before they reach durable storage.
Storage
Managed cloud storage with row-level authorisation and private buckets for documents.
Use
Access limited to named roles; research analysis uses de-identified extracts wherever identification is not required.
Sharing
Ministry data remains ministry-owned; onward sharing requires a documented agreement and purpose limitation.
Retention & deletion
Category-specific schedules with deletion on request where no statutory duty to retain applies.
Donor standards
Alignment reviewers ask about
Statements below describe AAHRED's own posture. Certification-style claims are made only where an external body has issued an opinion, which is noted explicitly.
| Standard or framework | Posture | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) | Systems mapped | Cost allocation, procurement and sub-recipient monitoring documented for federal and bilateral awards. |
| IFRS-aligned reporting | In force | Accrual accounting with restricted and unrestricted fund segregation, externally audited annually. |
| GDPR (EU 2016/679) | Aligned | Lawful-basis register, data-subject rights workflow and processor agreements maintained by the secretariat. |
| Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 | Registered controller | Processing notified, retention schedule documented and transfers assessed before sharing. |
| CCPA / CPRA | Aligned | No sale or cross-context sharing of personal information; rights requests handled through the privacy contact route. |
| ISO 27001 principles | Referenced framework | Control design references the standard's domains. This is a self-declared alignment, not a certification. |
| IFC Performance Standards 1–8 | Applied in screening | Environmental and social risk screening for blended-finance and SME capital facilities. |
| OECD DAC aid effectiveness | Operating model | Country-systems delivery, ministry data ownership and joint results reporting. |
Incident response
What happens if something goes wrong
Detect
Error monitoring, delivery logs and enquiry audit trails surface anomalies; staff are required to report suspected incidents immediately.
Contain
Affected credentials are rotated, the impacted access path is disabled and the scope of exposure is bounded before any remediation is attempted.
Assess
Data categories, individuals and jurisdictions in scope are identified, and notification duties assessed against applicable law.
Notify
Where a notifiable personal-data breach is confirmed, the competent authority and affected individuals are informed without undue delay.
Remediate & learn
Root cause is documented, controls are changed, and the Audit & Risk Committee reviews the incident at its next sitting.
Shared responsibility
Who is accountable for what
Platform layer
Hosting, managed database, storage and authentication services provide encrypted transport, managed patching and regional data residency for the infrastructure this site runs on.
AAHRED secretariat
We are accountable for the data we collect, the roles we grant, the retention schedules we apply, the agreements we sign with ministries and the training our staff complete.
Partners and customers
Ministries and partners remain the owners of their programme data and control onward use; users of this site are responsible for the accuracy of what they submit to us.
Reporting a vulnerability
Report suspected vulnerabilities or data-handling concerns through the secretariat contact form, marking the subject as a security report. Please include reproduction steps and avoid accessing or altering data that is not yours. We acknowledge reports with a reference number and do not pursue action against good-faith researchers.