Consent Workflow

In DataGuard CPM, managing consent effectively relies on understanding two key components: Permissions and Transactions. These two elements work together to ensure that changes to a Citizen's consent are accurately recorded and maintained over time. This page provides an overview of Permissions and Transactions, explaining the distinction between them and how they interact to support compliance and communication strategies.

What Are Permissions?

Permissions represent the current state of a Citizen's consent for specific Consent Purposes. Each Permission reflects whether a Citizen has granted or withdrawn consent to a particular use of their data, such as marketing communications or data sharing.

Permissions are dynamic, meaning they can change over time based on the Citizen's choices. They only relate to consent and do not include Preferences, which are managed separately. Permissions allow organisations to keep track of which communications or actions are permitted for each Citizen according to their latest consent decisions.

Example:

If a Citizen consents to receive marketing emails but later withdraws that consent, their Permission for that particular Consent Purpose will be updated accordingly. The Permission always represents the most recent state of consent.

What Are Transactions?

Transactions are the actions that change the state of a Permission. Each time a Citizen grants or withdraws consent, a Transaction occurs, and the system updates the associated Permission accordingly. Transactions act as a historical log of consent changes, providing transparency and a clear audit trail. This ensures that any adjustments to Permissions are properly tracked and can be reviewed if necessary.

How Transactions Work:

When a Citizen opts in to receive emails, a Transaction is created that updates the Permission to reflect this consent.
If that same Citizen later withdraws consent, another Transaction is created to record the change and update the Permission status.

Interaction Between Permissions and Transactions

Permissions and Transactions work hand-in-hand. Permissions provide the current state of consent, while Transactions provide the history of how that state has evolved over time. This interaction ensures that organisations not only know the latest consent state but also have a complete record of every change that led to that state.

Key Points:

Permissions are the current state of a Citizen’s consent for different Consent Purposes.
Transactions are the actions that change the Permission status over time.
Both are essential for maintaining a compliant and transparent consent management process.

Next Steps

To continue with the Overview, go to the Form Builder page

For in depth information about Permissions and Transactions, go to the Handbook section: