Lindsay Fusfeld, archivist and INED’s DPD in charge of data protection and the Institute’s person in charge of access to administrative documents or PRADA

Lindsay Fusfeld works as an archivist at INED; she is also INED’s Data Protection Officer and the institute’s person in charge of access to administrative documents (PRADA).

(Interview conducted in February 2022)

What path brought you to INED?

© Ined

After studying history at Oberlin College, I came to France and received a Master’s degree in Archival Studies at Paris 8 University. I first worked with the archives mission of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. I arrived at INED in late 2017, initially in the archivist role. 

What is your role at INED?

Since 2019, in addition to my work as an archivist, I’ve taken on the role of Data Protection Officer (DPO) and completed a one-year training program at Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University to acquire further legal knowledge required for this position. I’m also the “PRADA”, or the person in charge of access to administrative documents. The three missions are rather complementary. 
As an archivist I’m in charge of setting up archival and records management policy —that is, determining how long documents are preserved at INED, how to dispose of them if necessary when that period is over, within what timeframe documents can be rendered publicly accessible, etc.—and applying regulatory procedures for public records. I’m in charge of preserving the institute’s active records and of processing documents of historical value, which involves sorting, classifying, describing, and transferring to the French National Archives. 
As DPO I provide assist teams working with personal data, ensuring compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and regulations specific to France (French data protection act of 1978) and completing the legal formalities involved in data processing. I also set up institutional procedures related to data protection at INED.
And as PRADA—a more occasional role—I receive and process requests for access to administrative documents or reuse of public data. 

What would you say is specific about INED? What do you appreciate most about working at the Institute?

I enjoy the fact that INED is a relatively small institution on a single geographical site. Everybody knows each other, which makes interactions simpler and more pleasant on a daily basis. Despite its small size, INED processes a large amount of data, and often sensitive data, which consistently brings new and stimulating challenges. My position as an archivist is enriching as well. Research archives are known to pose particular questions and challenges, especially regarding the boundary between public and private records. At INED, a public institute, researchers’ archives are considered public archives, but the daily reality of accrual is not always so straightforward, which makes my position and interactions with records creators quite interesting. 
Moreover, INED research subjects are of real interest to me, and my different positions at the institute allow me to follow various aspects of research projects and to exchange with nearly all INED departments.