Managing project information - privacy and corrections

This FAQ refers to the Public Disclosure Requirements for Project Documentation

• How can project developers ensure that project documents remain private when submitted to the Gold Standard assurance platform?
• How can project developers change a previously submitted document from public to private?
• How can project developers request a correction to project information on the Gold Standard assurance platform / Impact Registry?

How can project developers ensure that project documents remain private when submitted to the Gold Standard assurance platform?

The rule clarification: Public Disclosure Requirements for Project Documentation, specifies the information and documentation that needs to be made publicly available in the Gold Standard Impact Registry.  If a document that should be public contains confidential information:

• Project developers can follow the process outlined in Section 1.2 of the above mentioned rule clarification, whereby they submit two versions of the document, a version containing all information and a version where all confidential information is redacted

• Documentation that contains sensitive information and should therefore remain confidential needs to include the word “CONFIDENTIAL” in the file name. To support the team in making an efficient assessment, the document to remain private should be uploaded before the public version. 

• The Gold Standard Assurance Review Management (ARM) team will apply the relevant privacy settings to the documents.

How can project developers change a previously submitted document from public to private?

If a document has previously been submitted to Gold Standard and requires to be made private due to the inclusion of confidential / sensitive information, project developers should firstly check the Public Disclosure Requirements for Project Documentation to determine if the document type requires to be made publicly available. 

If the documents are not required to be made public as per the rule clarification: Public Disclosure Requirements for Project Documentation:

• Project developers can submit a request via the Gold Standard helpdesk at help@goldstandard.org to update the privacy setting for a publicly available document that contains sensitive/confidential information. 

• The email request must include information on which documents need to be made private and the reason for this.  
• The request will be reviewed and the change made within the assurance platform.

If the document is required to be made public as per the list in the rule clarification: Public Disclosure Requirements for Project Documentation, 

• Project developers should submit a ‘Manage Project Information’ request on the Gold Standard assurance platform. 
• The request should contain a second version of the document where all confidential information is redacted
• Once submitted the request requires review and approval by the relevant VVB. 
• On approval by the VVB, Gold Standard will make the change within the assurance platform

How can project developers request a correction to project information on the Gold Standard assurance platform / Impact Registry?

• Project developers can submit a request to correct project information at anytime using the ‘Manage Project Information’ request within the Assurance Platform

• Submissions should be in the form of a signed letter on company letterhead, with a clear description of the change required and why it is currently incorrect

• Unless critical, the request for the change will be updated at the next review
• If critical, please additionally email help@goldstandard.org including the project GSID giving a detailed reason why it is critical for the team to priortise the request internally.

If you have further questions please contact us at help@goldstandard.org