DPO-as-a-Service: hiring an external DPO
Pragmatic, independent and directly deployable for healthcare, municipalities, life sciences and other organizations with complex data processing.
Privacy advice tailored to your organization
End-to-end expertise in AI Governance and Data Privacy
Proactive monitoring of privacy risks
Decisive advice with ownership
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Is your organization facing a challenge regarding privacy or data protection? Let's look into it together.
We will identify the core of the issue, discuss a solution that fits your situation, and determine the right next steps together.
Hiring an external Data Protection Officer
Does your organization need to appoint an external Data Protection Officer (DPO), or do you want to organize privacy supervision professionally and independently? With DPO Consultancy's DPO-as-a-Service, you outsource the role of DPO to an experienced specialist. This way, you comply with the GDPR, prevent internal role conflicts and get direct access to broad privacy expertise. Appoint an independent and experienced Data Protection Officer without internal role conflicts. DPO Consultancy helps organizations with supervision, advice, preparation for audits, awareness and a fixed point of contact for privacy issues.
Why choose DPO-as-a-Service?
A good DPO must be expert and independent. That is precisely why many organizations choose to hire an external officer. You avoid double hats, ensure objectivity and immediately get up-to-date knowledge. DPO Consultancy is fully specialized in privacy and GDPR compliance, works with scalable solutions and already supports more than 100 customers worldwide.
Outsourcing a DPO at DPO Consultancy, you can achieve:
- Independent supervision without conflict of interest
- Direct access to specialist knowledge
- Scalable and flexible
- Guaranteed continuity
- Objective sparring partner for governance
- Faster mature privacy oversight
Over 100 clients worldwide trust DPO Consultancy!
Is a Data Protection Officer mandatory for your organization?
According to the GDPR, a DPO is mandatory if:
- you are a government agency or public organization
- you monitor people on a large scale
- you process special personal data on a large scale
If you are unsure whether that applies to your organization, good substantiation is essential. We help you make that decision quickly and sharply.
We draw on our broad expertise to fill the crucial role of DPO for companies professionally.
What do you achieve by outsourcing a DPO?
With DPO-as-a-Service, you get a grip on obligations, an independent interlocutor for governance and compliance, more peace of mind during audits and incidents, and a privacy function that remains workable in daily practice. This is in line with how DPO Consultancy supports organizations: clear, human, pragmatic and without noise.
- Clarity about obligations and priorities
- Independent supervision without internal conflict of interest
- Better prepared for audits, questions and incidents
- More control over governance, legal, IT and compliance
- Privacy that remains workable in daily practice
- Fewer risks
- Workable privacy processes
- Stakeholder trust
What does an external DPO do?
An external DPO monitors compliance with the GDPR, advises governance and management, supports privacy risks and DPIAs, increases awareness within the organization and acts as an independent point of contact for both the Data Protection Authority and stakeholders. At DPO Consultancy, you not only get one expert, but also access to a specialized team.
An external Data Protection Officer supports your organization with:
- GDPR compliance monitoring
- Advice to the board and management
- Advice on DPIAs and risk issues
- Employee awareness and training
- Contact person for the Data Protection Authority
- Contact point for stakeholders and internal escalations
This is how DPO-as-a-Service works
- Introduction and intake
- Assessment of obligations, scope and risks
- Structure of role, governance and contact lines
- Start supervision, advice and reporting
- Structural assurance and further development
Data Protection Officer (DPO) vs. Privacy Officer (PO)
It is also important to remember that there are distinct differences between the roles of a Data Protection Officer (DPO) and a Privacy Officer (PO). A Privacy Officer has an active role in the company's GDPR implementation (such as drafting policies and procedures), whereas the Data Protection Officer has a supervisory and advisory role (such as providing advice and feedback on those policies and procedures).
Data Protection Officer (DPO)
- Supervisory and advisory
- Independently positioned
- Contact person for the DPA and data subjects
- Assesses and monitors
- Active at a strategic level, with direct involvement with the C-suite
Privacy Officer (PO)
- Executive and coordinating
- Helps draft policies and processes
- Supports implementation
- Works operationally on privacy management
Clear monthly structure, suited to your organization
The investment depends on the size, complexity and desired commitment. You choose an appropriate monthly capacity, with room to combine DPO-as-a-Service with additional support such as PO-as-a-Service, assessments or training courses.
FAQ: DPO-as-a-service
When is a DPO mandatory?
A DPO is mandatory for government organizations, in cases of large-scale monitoring, or when processing sensitive personal data on a large scale. Unsure? If you don't appoint a DPO, it is important to have a well-founded assessment in place to mitigate risks.
Can a DPO be external?
Yes, a DPO can be an external role. In fact, this is often desirable due to the independence required by law and the need for specialized knowledge. Both internal and external DPOs must be able to perform their duties independently and must not hold a position that leads to a conflict of interest. In practice, an external DPO can make it easier to maintain independence because they remain outside the organization's operational decision-making process. More important than whether the role is internal or external is its positioning: the DPO must have sufficient autonomy, expertise, and access to the board and management to provide effective oversight.
What does DPO-as-a-Service cost?
Costs depend on the size, complexity, and monthly level of engagement. We typically work with a flexible monthly structure that scales with your organization.
What is the difference between a DPO and a Privacy Officer?
The DPO provides independent oversight and advice, while the Privacy Officer executes and implements privacy measures. Together, they ensure both compliance and operational execution.
A major client is asking if we have a Data Protection Officer. What exactly are they expecting, and how can I arrange this quickly?
A client may be asking this to verify how privacy oversight is organized within your company. Whether a Data Protection Officer is actually mandatory, however, depends on the nature and scope of your data processing activities. It is therefore important to first determine whether a DPO is legally required or strategically desirable. If a DPO is needed, the role can be filled externally. DPO Consultancy can assess your obligations and subsequently set up the external DPO role, governance, and lines of communication.
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