The Rational Project cares about protecting your personal data. This policy explains what data we collect when you apply to become an Architect and when you browse the site, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and what rights you can exercise.
1. Who is responsible for your data
The Rational Project, represented by its Direction, is responsible for processing the data collected through the registration form. For any question regarding your data, contact us at legal@therationalproject.com.
2. What data we collect
When you apply, we collect the following information, across four steps:
Step 1 — Account
- Name or preferred name (how you'd like to be called)
- Email address
- Phone number (optional)
- Password
Step 2 — Profile
- How you heard about the project (social media, recommendation, press/article, event, other)
- Country of residence
- Your main qualities (free text)
Step 3 — Expertise and motivation
- Area(s) of expertise (project management, data/analysis, economics, ecology, web development, public policy, design, marketing/communication, UI/UX, social media, research/monitoring, other)
- Why you want to join the project (free text)
Step 4 — Confirmation
No additional data is collected at this step. It informs you that your account will be created and that a Pole will be manually assigned to you by the administration, with a response by email within 72 hours.
Your password is stored securely and is never accessible in plain text, including by our own teams.
3. Why we collect this data
We use this data to:
- create and secure your account (email, password);
- contact you about your application and your assignment to a Pole (email, phone);
- assess your application and direct you to the Pole best suited to your profile (qualities, area of expertise, motivation);
- measure the geographic origin of our members and understand how they discover the project (country, discovery channel), for strictly internal organizational purposes.
Your phone number, if you choose to provide it, is used to facilitate contact and coordination once you are assigned to a Pole, in particular for time-sensitive exchanges where email is not practical.
4. Legal basis for processing
Processing of your data is primarily based on your consent, given when you voluntarily submit the application form. You may withdraw this consent at any time by contacting us, which will result in the deletion of your account and associated data.
5. Who has access to your data
Your data is accessible only to members of the Direction and to the referent(s) of the Pole to which you are assigned, to the extent necessary to manage your application and your involvement in the project. We do not sell or share your data with third parties for commercial purposes.
6. Hosting and data transfer
Our site and database are hosted via Firebase (Google), in the European region eur3 (Belgium/Netherlands). Your data therefore remains stored within the European Union, with no transfer to a third country as far as storage is concerned.
7. Website analytics
Separately from the application data described above, and only if you consent through the cookie banner shown on your first visit, we use Google Analytics 4 (via Firebase, operated by Google Ireland Limited) to measure how the site is used — pages viewed, navigation paths, approximate geographic origin, and device type — in aggregate, pseudonymized form. This data is not linked to your name, email address, or Architect account, and cannot be used to identify you individually.
This processing relies on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), given or withdrawn independently of the consent described in section 4. Full details — which cookies are involved, how long they're kept, and how to change your choice at any time — are in our Cookie Policy.
8. Retention period
- If your application is not accepted or is left without follow-up, your data is kept for 12 months and then deleted.
- If you become an Architect, your data is kept for the duration of your active involvement, then deleted within 12 months of your departure, unless a longer retention period is legally required.
- You may request deletion of your data at any time, without waiting for these periods.
9. Your rights
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the following rights over your data:
- Right of access: obtain a copy of the data we hold about you;
- Right to rectification: correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- Right to erasure: request deletion of your data;
- Right to restriction of processing;
- Right to object;
- Right to data portability.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at legal@therationalproject.com. We commit to responding within one month.
If you believe your rights are not being respected, you may file a complaint with the CNIL (www.cnil.fr).
10. Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your data against unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure, including through password encryption and restricted internal access to data.
11. Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated to reflect changes in our practices or in applicable regulation. The date of the last update appears at the top of this page. In the event of a significant change, we will inform Architects already registered.