Terms and conditions

Terms and conditions

Introduction

  1. EvalForward (hereinafter the “CoP” or the “Platform”) is an online Community of Practice platform whose purpose is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience and to strengthen evaluation capacities for agriculture, food security and rural development. The Platform is a joint initiative of the evaluation offices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The Platfrom is hosted by an external provider and managed by FAO (hereinafter also the “CoP Facilitator”).
     
  2. By registering to the CoP, you acknowledge and agree that these Terms and Conditions and other terms that will be displayed to you at the time you first use certain features (as may be amended by the CoP Facilitator from time to time), shall apply, including in connection with the processing of any personal data you may make available through the CoP. If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions, do NOT click “SUBMIT” (or similar).
     
  3. Registered members of the CoP can submit content on the Platform through the online Forum and posting on the Blog section. All submitted material shall be relevant to evaluation and to agriculture, food security and rural development and shall meet the content requirements defined below. Content is accepted in English, French and Spanish.

Definitions

  1. The following definitions shall apply to these Terms and Conditions and any other related document:

    ‘Authorized vendor and/or subcontractor’: a company, organization, institute or other legal entity which may supply goods, works or services to the CoP Facilitator in relation to the CoP, and authorized by the CoP Facilitator to access to and/or process data in accordance with these Terms of Conditions and the rules and policies of the CoP Facilitator.

    ‘Contact data’ means data provided by you when contacting the CoP by any means, including by sending an email or filling a form. The Contact Data comprises: (a) your name and/or surname, (b) your email address; (c) your postal address; (d) your telephone number; (e) the organization or company you are working for, if applicable; (f) any other content or information conveyed by means of your communication to the CoP. The Contact Data may include Personal Data.

    ‘Content requirements’ means the requirements defined by the CoP Facilitator for publication of the content on the Platform. The CoP facilitator reserves the right to edit and/or withhold messages that do contain any of the following: i) Use of foul language or obscene images; ii) Repeated content or unsolicited commercial messages. Such messages are considered spam. Duplicate messages will be deleted or consolidated by the forum moderators; iii) Copyrighted material without authorization or otherwise illegal material.

    ‘Personal data’ means any information relating to a person who is or can be identified either from the data, or from the data in conjunction with other information that is in, or is likely to come into, the possession of  the Cop Facilitator and/or its authorized vendors or subcontractors. Personal data may include but is not limited to, your (a) name and/or surname, (b) photograph, (c) gender, (d) country, (e) personal contacts (e.g. postal address, email address, telephone number etc.), (f) job details.

    ‘Processing of personal data’ means any operation or set of operations which is performed on or using personal data, whether or not by automatic means, such as collection, recording, organization, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, blocking, erasure or destruction.

    ‘Registration data’ means data provided by you when registering on the CoP. The Registration data comprises: (a) your name and/or surname, (b) your photograph; (c) email address; (d) the name of the organization or company you are representing or working for, if applicable; (e) your role and years of experience in evaluation; and (f) any other information that may be required by the CoP Facilitator for purposes of registration. Registration data may include Personal data.

    ‘Third Party(ies)’ means any natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body other than the member, FAO, IFAD or WFP, which may access and process data from the Platform.

  1. The CoP Facilitator reserves the right to verify your eligibility or that of any entry (including your identity and address) and to not publish or remove any member who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, including Content requirements, or who tampers with the entry process. By submitting entries to the CoP, you agree that data, including Personal data, may be processed, shared, and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the CoP and any other purposes outlined in these Terms and Conditions. In particular, the CoP Facilitator reserves the right to use your Personal information, including Personal data to post content received by email on behalf of the member.
     
  2. The CoP Facilitator shall not be responsible for any disruption or malfunctioning of the CoP, temporarily or permanently, including any means of accessing or utilizing it.
     
  3. The CoP Facilitator may at its sole discretion, under any circumstances, for any or no reason whatsoever and with or without prior notice to  members, terminate any member’s access to the CoP, including to any means of accessing or utilizing it.

Responsibility of Member

  1. As a member, you acknowledge and agree that you:
     
    • will comply with all applicable laws, including, without limitation, data protection laws and intellectual property laws;
    • cannot enter data for anyone else other than yourself;
    • cannot create a false identity, or misrepresent your identity, affiliation with a person or entity, past or present, or your current or previous positions and qualifications;
    • are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity and security of the data/information that you provide when accessing or using the CoP, including any Personal data;
    • are responsible for independently verifying the accuracy and completeness of all data, information and contents available on the CoP, and bear the sole responsibility and risk for your registration, access and use of the contents of Third Parties’ information;
    • cannot publicly represent or imply that FAO, IFAD and WFP are participating in, or have sponsored, approved or endorsed the manner or purpose of your use of the Platform.
  1. CoP contains specialized discussion fora and commenting tools. When participating, you agree not to:
     
    • defame, abuse, harass, threaten or otherwise violate the right of others;
    • publish, post, distribute or disseminate defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent or unlawful material;
    • upload or attach files that contain material protected by intellectual property law unless you own or control the rights and have received all necessary permissions;
    • upload, email, transmit or otherwise make available unsolicited advertising of any goods or services, or conduct or forward surveys contests, “spams” or chain letters etc.

 

  1. By registering and submitting information to CoP, you agree that FAO, IFAD and WFP may reproduce, distribute, display and create derivate works, without any further consent, notice and/or compensation to you or others, of the information provided in the Platform, including your Contact, Registration data and Personal data, in connection with the use  of the Platform and the promotion of FAO’s, IFAD's and WFP's institutional purposes, in, among others:
     
    • the CoP;
    • FAO, IFAD and WFP corporate websites: www.fao.org; www.ifad.org; www.wfp.org
    • Corporate videos or digital recordings to illustrate the work of FAO, IFAD and WFP;
    • Printed FAO, IFAD and WFP publications or brochures;
    • Social media channels;
    • Any other media used by FAO, IFAD and WFP in their communications.
  1. As a registered member, you acknowledge and agree that your photograph that you provided at the time of registration to the CoP, may be displayed publicly as part of the Platform and may be used by FAO, IFAD and WFP for institutional purposes strictly related to the use of the Platform.

Responsibility of the CoP Facilitator

  1. The CoP Facilitator shall process all data/information in accordance with its rules, policies and practice, to the exclusion of any single national system of law. Authorized vendors and subcontractors of the CoP Facilitator may be required to treat such information/data in compliance with any additional national rules, policies and practice, as applicable to them.

Intellectual Property Rights and Copyright

  1. FAO, IFAD and WFP share joint copyright over the Platform.
     
  2. Copyright over the information displayed or contained in the Platform and any part thereof remains with the member that provided the information, including third-party information.

Disclaimer and Liability

  1. Content posted on the CoP represents the personal views of members, which do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO, IFAD and/or WFP nor implies an endorsement of FAO, IFAD and/or WFP. Neither FAO, IFAD nor WFP shall be liable in respect of any such views, irrespective of whether they are aware or ought to be aware of them.
     
  2. The designations employed and the presentation of information in the Platform do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO, IFAD and/or WFP concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO, IFAD and/or WFP in preference of others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
     
  3. The CoP Facilitator shall not be responsible for any entries that are not received due to internet or software failures. In no event shall the CoP Facilitator nor its authorized vendor or subcontractors, or any of their respective agents or employees, be liable to members or users for any inaccuracy, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, alterations or for use of any content of the CoP, or for its timeliness or completeness, nor shall they be liable for any failure of performance, computer virus or communication line failures, regardless of the cause.
     
  4. FAO, IFAD and WFP do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any data, information or other material provided by any member of CoP. FAO, IFAD and WFP explicitly disclaim any responsibility for the content of such data, information and materials provided or processed through the CoP to any member, user or Third Parties for any misrepresentation, inaccuracy, error, omission, deletion, defect, alteration of any content of the CoP, or for its timeliness or completeness.
     
  5. Links to other websites are provided for the members’ and users’ convenience only and do not constitute endorsement by FAO, IFAD and/or WFP of material at those sites, or any associated organization, product or service.
     
  6. FAO, IFAD and/or WFP shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from, or directly or indirectly connected to, the use of, reference to, or reliance on any information contained in the Platform, including, but not limited to, any liability arising from any intentional or negligent misuse, errors, disclosure, undue transfer, loss or destruction of data that may occur.

Use of FAO, IFAD and WFP emblems or logos

  1. The official emblems or logos of FAO, IFAD and WFP, shall not be used, under any circumstances, without FAO's, IFAD's or WFP's prior written consent respectively.

Data deletion and retention

  1. At any time, you can delete, review, correct or update your Registration data, and/or Contact Data, including Personal data, by accessing the appropriate features in the CoP.

Privileges and Immunities

  1. Nothing contained in or related to these Terms and Conditions shall be deemed a waiver, express or implied, of the privileges and immunities of FAO, IFAD and WFP or as their acceptance of the jurisdiction of the courts of any country over disputes arising out of these Terms and Conditions or documents related thereto.

Acceptance

  1. By submitting entries into the CoP, you confirm that you read, understood and agree to these Terms and Conditions, as set out above.