Singapore has unveiled a competency framework and training roadmap to highlight core competencies it thinks data protection officers need to better support a digital economy. Its efforts here will include a year-long pilot training programme, based on the new framework, to train more than 500 such officers in its first intake.
The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), which oversees the country’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), said its competency framework and training roadmap would provide “clarity” on the types of competencies and proficiencies data protection officers needed.
Under the PDPA, organisations in Singapore are required to appoint at least one individual as their data protection officer to ensure their organisation’s compliance with the legislation.
Noting that data was a critical resource for enterprises, the PDPC said the establishment of robust data protection practices would support business innovation and growth, with data protection officers playing an integral role in ensuring the responsible use of data and to drive data innovation.