Module Learning Objective

recognise limits on using organisational assets, access and information

1. Regulatory Concept & Core Standards

Today we will learn to recognise limits on using organisational assets, access and information. Throughout the video, consider the difference between knowing a rule and applying it to a decision. We will work through an example, identify a possible failure and develop a response that can be used at work. A code translates principles into instructions for everyday decisions. Link this course to the code actually applicable to the organisation. Croatia’s 2025 Code of Ethics for Civil Servants and Employees has its own covered population and is not the universal code of all private companies.

Technical ability to access information is not permission to use it for every purpose. Business confidentiality and personal-data rules impose limits. Article 16 of the civil-service code specifically addresses official property and authority used for private purposes. Other organisations must identify their own applicable rules.

Apply the following rule: Article 18 requires a record of every report and preservation in a durable form under national rules on protection and processing of documentation. It does not establish a universal five-year period or justify indefinite processing of all personal data. Determine applicable documentation and archival duties and GDPR purpose and retention limits. Under Article 15, manifestly irrelevant personal data must not be collected and, if collected accidentally, must be deleted without undue delay.

2. Practical Implementation & Procedure

Before using a resource, check purpose and authority. Before sharing, verify recipient and need. Use approved methods and avoid personal accounts where procedures prohibit them. Report mistakes promptly through the proper route. Contain the problem and preserve records rather than conceal it. Before moving on, turn this procedure into a sequence you could explain to a colleague. Identify the first check, the action that depends on its outcome and the record that allows the decision to be reconstructed. Follow the sequence on screen and identify the point where an error would change the result.

3. Case Study & Compliance Action

An employee accesses tender information to help a friend bid. The system permits access, but the purpose falls outside their duties and may compromise equality and confidentiality. Technical permission does not legitimise use. Now read the case carefully. Separate established facts from information you would still need to confirm. Do not add motives or events that have not been described. This distinction matters when choosing a response proportionate to the information available.

The exercise is as follows: If the system allows a document to be opened, may it be used for any purpose? Choose an answer and write one sentence explaining it. During the pause, compare your choice with the criteria we have just considered. Also think about the material you would retain to explain the decision later.

No. Authority depends on role and purpose. Technical permissions are an operational boundary, not unlimited permission. The code and procedures guide legitimate information use.

One mistake to avoid is: confusing technical capability with functional authorisation.

Now apply the national rule to a second decision. The system deletes every case five years after receipt, regardless of the country and any pending proceedings. Is that appropriate?

No. Identify the local rule, starting event and any limits or extensions. A uniform schedule may delete records too early or retain them too long. Document the decision by category, include copies and define who reviews a suspension of deletion, rather than keeping everything indefinitely.

National Legal Framework: Zakon o zaštiti prijavitelja nepravilnosti, transposing Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law.