The Role of The Data Protection Officer In Local Governments: An Exploratory Study

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires the appointment of data protection officers in local governments. In this article, we systematize information about the role of the data protection officer in a local authority, assess to what extent the legal obligation to publish their contacts is duly met in the case of the Intermunicipal Community of the Region of Aveiro (CIRA), and reflect on the sufficiency of his or her appointment to fulfill the functions envisaged. The study has an exploratory nature and is based on document analysis. The analysis carried out revealed that the eleven municipalities have privacy policies on their websites, but only two publish the contact details of their data protection officers. In addition, as a result of the critical reflection, it is proposed to set up multidisciplinary teams to support and/or develop the functions envisaged for data protection officers in local governments. Future work is also identified.