Data Privacy & Information Governance
UK GDPR & Data Protection Consultancy
Independent, senior-practitioner support for organisations that need to understand, strengthen or assure how personal information is governed — from complex UK GDPR questions and privacy-by-design decisions to DPIAs, data sharing, international transfers and wider accountability.
For requirements still being defined
For defined scopes, reviews and assurance work
You may need this service when:
- a project, product or transformation raises significant privacy questions;
- your UK GDPR compliance position needs independent review;
- a DPIA or high-risk processing decision needs specialist input;
- personal information will be shared with new organisations or suppliers;
- international data transfers need structured assessment;
- privacy governance has become fragmented or difficult to evidence;
- a regulator, board, customer or procurement team needs greater assurance.
Approach
Practical advice for decisions that carry privacy risk
Data protection requirements often become most difficult when organisations are changing — launching new services, deploying technology, introducing AI, sharing information, appointing suppliers, entering new markets or responding to scrutiny.
IG-Smart provides independent advice that connects legal and regulatory requirements to the operational decisions an organisation actually needs to make. The objective is not simply to produce documentation, but to help clients establish a defensible position, understand material risks and implement proportionate controls. Where AI is involved, this work connects with AI Governance & Assurance.
Core capabilities
What we help with
- UK GDPR & Data Protection Compliance
- Assessing existing arrangements, identifying material gaps and helping organisations translate UK GDPR and wider data-protection requirements into practical governance, controls and evidence.
- Data Protection Impact Assessments
- Supporting DPIA screening, assessment and review for projects, technologies and processing activities, including higher-risk and complex uses of personal information.
- Privacy by Design & Default
- Embedding privacy considerations into products, services, systems and change programmes early enough to influence design rather than attempting to remediate issues after implementation.
- Data Sharing & Information Flows
- Reviewing proposed sharing arrangements, responsibilities, safeguards and governance so that organisations can make better-informed decisions about when and how personal information should be shared.
- International Data Transfers
- Supporting organisations to understand and document transfer arrangements and the relevant safeguards, including assessments and contractual mechanisms where required.
- Policies, Governance & Accountability
- Developing or strengthening the policies, records, responsibilities and evidence required to demonstrate effective data-protection governance.
- Privacy Reviews & Independent Assurance
- Independent assessment of privacy arrangements, projects or areas of processing to identify material exposure, prioritise improvement and provide greater confidence to leadership, customers or other stakeholders.
- Regulatory & Incident Advisory Support
- Senior-practitioner support for significant data-protection questions, incidents and regulatory-facing decisions where independent advice is required.
Choosing the right support
Do you need consultancy support or an outsourced DPO?
UK GDPR & Data Protection Consultancy
Appropriate where the organisation needs:
- specialist advice on a defined issue
- a compliance or maturity review
- a DPIA or project assessment
- privacy-by-design support
- data-sharing or transfer advice
- remediation or governance improvement
- independent assurance
Fractional & Outsourced DPO
Appropriate where the organisation needs:
- an ongoing DPO function
- independent statutory oversight
- sustained monitoring and advice
- board/senior-management reporting
- a continuing point of contact for data-protection matters
- a managed privacy-office capability
Where the appropriate model is unclear, IG-Smart can help determine the proportionate level of support without assuming that a statutory DPO appointment is required. For broader records, information risk and lifecycle governance, see Information Governance.
What an engagement can produce
Decision-ready outputs
Outputs depend on the agreed scope; an engagement will typically include a selection of the following.
- Current-state / gap assessment
- Risk and priority findings
- DPIA review or completed assessment support
- Privacy-governance framework
- Data-sharing or transfer assessment
- Policy and control recommendations
- Prioritised improvement plan
- Board or executive assurance summary
- Implementation roadmap
How we work
Assess → Build → Manage → Assure → Improve
- 01
Assess
Understand the processing, obligations, governance and material exposure.
- 02
Build
Design proportionate policies, controls, documentation and decision frameworks.
- 03
Manage
Support implementation and ongoing privacy-governance requirements where needed.
- 04
Assure
Test whether arrangements are operating as intended and evidence the position.
- 05
Improve
Prioritise changes as regulation, technology and organisational risk evolve.
Improvement feeds the next assessment cycle, so evidence stays current rather than being rebuilt.
Regulatory context
UK data protection requirements in a changing regulatory environment
UK organisations operate within a data-protection framework that includes the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) also apply where electronic marketing, cookies or similar technologies are involved. Regulatory guidance continues to evolve following legislative change.
The ICO expects organisations to integrate appropriate data-protection measures into processing from design through the lifecycle, to carry out a DPIA where processing is likely to result in a high risk to individuals, and to be able to demonstrate compliance. IG-Smart therefore treats privacy compliance as an ongoing governance requirement rather than a one-off documentation exercise.
Privacy support for regulated and complex organisations
Sectors we support:NHS, Health & HealthTech →Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals →Financial Services & Insurance →Retail & Consumer →
For organisations outside these sectors, requirements can be discussed directly where IG-Smart's expertise is relevant.
Relevant evidence
Relevant client and programme evidence
Selected engagements covering GDPR implementation, data protection by design and international data transfers.
Retail / Consumer, Data Privacy & DPO
AIMIA Loyalty Solutions
Global GDPR implementation and privacy-by-design for a loyalty-solutions business
A cross-border loyalty-solutions business needed one consistent GDPR standard across diverse international operations.
Client leadership reported GDPR readiness was reached efficiently and on time.
Read the case studyFinancial Services, Data Privacy & DPO · Cyber Governance & Assurance
DAG Global (now Greengage)
Data protection by design for a start-up digital merchant bank
A start-up digital merchant bank, pursuing a UK banking licence at the time, needed data protection built into its platform before launch.
The CEO reports the advice and training helped embed robust controls into the business.
Read the case studyLife Sciences / Pharmaceutical, Data Privacy & DPO
A US-headquartered global pharmaceutical company with international operations
Harmonising international data transfers for a global pharmaceutical company
A global pharmaceutical company needed a defensible, documented approach to moving clinical and operational data across regions.
Read the case study
Senior practitioner involvement
IG-Smart's data-protection and privacy engagements are led by experienced practitioners, with senior involvement in substantive advisory and assurance work. Michael Abtar brings legal, privacy and information-governance experience across regulated, public-sector and international environments.
Engagement & investment
Engage IG-Smart at the level the requirement needs
Defined engagement
For a specific review, assessment, DPIA, project or governance requirement.
Starting investment: £7,500 + VAT
Managed / retained support
Where ongoing privacy or information-governance support is required without appointing IG-Smart as statutory DPO.
Scoped to the support required — see Investment & Pricing.
Complex programme
For multi-workstream, international or transformation requirements.
Starting investment: £25,000 + VAT
The exact fee is confirmed after scoping. How engagements and investment work · Trust Centre
Questions buyers ask
What is the difference between a data protection consultant and a DPO?
Consultancy addresses defined compliance, project, governance or assurance requirements. A formal Data Protection Officer has specific tasks under Article 39 of UK GDPR, together with requirements on position, independence and resourcing, where an appointment is required or made voluntarily.
Can IG-Smart review an existing GDPR compliance programme?
Yes. Scope can range from a focused review of a particular processing activity or control area to a broader assessment of governance and accountability arrangements.
Can you support DPIAs?
Yes. Support can include screening, facilitation, review and advice on high-risk or complex processing, with the exact scope agreed for the engagement.
Do you provide ongoing support?
Yes. Defined consultancy can be supplemented by retained support where an organisation needs continuing access to specialist privacy and information-governance expertise.
What if we actually need a DPO?
IG-Smart also provides Fractional & Outsourced DPO services. Where the appropriate model is unclear, the requirement can be scoped before an engagement route is selected.
Need a defensible answer to a data protection requirement?
Discuss the requirement with a senior practitioner. We can help establish the issue, appropriate scope and most proportionate route forward.
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