Building your intake process in TerraTrue

As discussed in the previous articles, the core components of a TerraTrue launch are:

1. Intake
   • Screener (Launch Creation Workflows)
   • The Data Spec: 
2. Review
   • The Privacy Worksheet
   • Additional Evaluations (Launch Summary Workflows)

In this article, we’ll dive a little deeper into the intake process which includes the screener and data spec and how they can be used in your privacy-by-design workflow.

Screener

What happens if your business users aren’t sure whether their launch – a feature, campaign, or initiative that uses personal data – requires a full review? This is where Screeners come in.

Screeners are custom launch creation workflows that appear after a launch is created but before the Data Spec is displayed. They ask targeted questions to determine if a review is necessary. For example:

• Basic Screener Question: Does this launch involve personal data?
• Advanced Screener: A series of 20+ questions to assess the level of risk.

These questions are configured in Workflows > Launch Creation Workflows and can be tailored to your organization’s needs.

Benefits of Screeners

Screeners aren’t just a helpful tool for triaging launches—they’re also a powerful way to save time and focus on what matters most. You can make these customizations in the workflow builder of each Launch Creation Workflows using custom actions. Here’s how:

1. Mark a Data Spec as Not Required:
   • Example: A business user indicates the feature uses previously reviewed data types. A trigger automatically marks the Data Spec as unnecessary.

2. Mark a Review as Not Needed:
   • Example: A new product involves no new data types but requires a code change. A trigger could exempt the privacy team from reviewing, while notifying the security team to assess the code change.

By using triggers in your custom workflows, you can automate decisions and reduce unnecessary work.

Screeners + Jira Integration

You can further enhance efficiency by integrating Screeners with Jira:

• Launches auto-created from Jira: Business users can initiate launches directly from Jira.
• Pre-populated screening questions: Answers to screener questions can be pulled directly from Jira.
• No need to leave Jira: If no Data Spec or review is required, users can stay in Jira while TerraTrue maintains visibility.

We explore the Jira integration in more detail here.

Data Spec

The Data Spec is a vital part of the intake process. It includes pre-defined taxonomy questions that collect structured data for reviews and reporting. These questions are standard and cannot be removed, but you can add custom questions to gather any additional context necessary for your reviews and add custom actions similar to the screener via the workflow builder in Workflows > Data Spec. 

Typically, the business user (e.g., a Product Manager) fills out the Data Spec. For example, if a Product Manager is building a new feature that processes data differently, they would:

1. Create a launch in TerraTrue.
2. Fill out the Data Spec to provide the necessary details for reviewers.

This step ensures reviewers have all the information they need to assess potential risks or concerns.

💡 Note: The process of creating a launch and completing the Data Spec forms your intake process. The intake process is complete when a user:

1. Creates a Launch: Ensure a launch contains all the basic details like title, description, and links.
2. (Optional) Screener: Use of custom workflows to assess risk and determine if further review is needed.
3. Data Spec: Collect structured data and add custom questions to ensure thorough reviews.

Once intake is complete, reviewers take over. We’ll cover the review process in the next article.