# Privacy Program Roadmap

> **Document Version:** 1.0  
> **Document Owner:** Acme Inc  
> **Next Review Date:** 2027-03-19


**Organization:** Acme Inc
**Generated:** 2026-03-19
**Detected Services:** 8 across 7 categories
**Current Maturity Level:** Optimizing (Level 5/5)

---

## Executive Summary

This 12-month roadmap provides a structured plan to build and mature Acme Inc's privacy program from its current state (**Level 5: Optimizing**) toward full compliance maturity.

### Current Maturity Assessment

```
Current Level: █████ 5/5
Target (6mo):  █████ 5/5
Target (12mo): █████ 5/5
```

**Current state:** Continuous improvement. Privacy by design culture.

### Roadmap at a Glance

| Quarter | Focus | Key Milestones |
|---------|-------|----------------|
| Q1 (Months 1-3) | Foundation | Privacy policy, consent, breach procedures |
| Q2 (Months 4-6) | Operationalize | Vendor management, training, DSAR process |
| Q3 (Months 7-9) | Mature | Automation, metrics, audit readiness |
| Q4 (Months 10-12) | Optimize | Continuous improvement, certification prep |

---

## Q1: Build the Foundation

### Month 1: Privacy Governance & Core Documents

**Theme:** Establish governance and publish essential documents.

#### Week 1-2: Governance Setup

- [ ] **Appoint a privacy lead** — Current: Jane Mueller
- [ ] **Define privacy program scope** — Document which systems, data, and teams are in scope
- [ ] **Conduct initial data inventory** — Map all 8 detected services and their data flows
- [ ] **Establish privacy team** — Identify stakeholders from Legal, Engineering, Product, and Security

#### Week 3-4: Core Document Review & Publication

- [ ] **Review and publish Privacy Policy** — Verify all 8 services are listed
- [ ] **Review and publish Terms of Service** — Customize for your business model
- [ ] **Publish Security Policy** — Include responsible disclosure contact
- [ ] **Publish AI Disclosure** — EU AI Act Art. 50 transparency requirement
- [ ] **Deploy cookie consent mechanism** — ePrivacy Directive compliance
- [ ] **Publish Refund Policy** — EU consumer rights compliance

#### Month 1 Deliverables

| Deliverable | Status | Owner | Deadline |
|------------|--------|-------|----------|
| Privacy lead appointed | ☐ | Executive team | Week 1 |
| Data inventory complete | ☐ | Privacy lead | Week 2 |
| Privacy Policy published | ☐ | Legal/Privacy | Week 3 |
| Terms of Service published | ☐ | Legal | Week 3 |
| Security Policy published | ☐ | Engineering | Week 4 |

### Month 2: Data Protection & Incident Readiness

**Theme:** Establish breach response and data protection procedures.

#### Week 5-6: Incident Response

- [ ] **Finalize Incident Response Plan** — Define roles, escalation paths, and timelines
- [ ] **Set up breach notification templates** — Pre-draft notifications for regulators and users
- [ ] **Establish incident communication channels** — On-call rotation, dedicated Slack/Teams channel
- [ ] **Conduct first tabletop exercise** — Simulate a breach scenario with the response team
- [ ] **GDPR 72-hour notification procedure** — Document the process to notify supervisory authority

#### Week 7-8: Data Protection

- [ ] **Document data retention periods** — Define retention for each of the 7 data categories
- [ ] **Implement automated deletion** — Set up cron jobs or TTLs for data that exceeds retention periods
- [ ] **Review Data Processing Agreements** — Ensure DPAs are in place with all 8 sub-processors
- [ ] **Database encryption audit** — Verify encryption at rest for all database services

#### Month 2 Deliverables

| Deliverable | Status | Owner | Deadline |
|------------|--------|-------|----------|
| Incident Response Plan | ☐ | Security | Week 5 |
| Tabletop exercise complete | ☐ | Security | Week 6 |
| Data retention schedule | ☐ | Privacy lead | Week 7 |
| DPAs collected | ☐ | Legal | Week 8 |

### Month 3: Consent & Rights Management

**Theme:** Implement data subject rights and consent management.

#### Week 9-10: Consent Architecture

- [ ] **Cookie consent audit** — Verify all cookies are categorized and consent is collected before non-essential cookies
- [ ] **Consent banner testing** — Test across browsers, devices, and regions
- [ ] **Consent record keeping** — Implement logging for all consent events (who, when, what, how)
- [ ] **Privacy preference center** — Build or configure a page where users can manage their preferences
- [ ] **Consent withdrawal mechanism** — Ensure users can easily withdraw consent

#### Week 11-12: Data Subject Rights

- [ ] **DSAR handling process** — Document the end-to-end process for data subject access requests
- [ ] **Data export capability** — Build or verify the ability to export user data in a portable format
- [ ] **Account deletion flow** — Implement self-service account deletion (GDPR Art. 17)
- [ ] **Right to rectification** — Enable users to correct their personal data
- [ ] **Response time SLA** — Commit to responding to DSARs within 30 days

#### Q1 Checkpoint

At the end of Q1, you should have:

- ✅ Published core legal documents
- ✅ Incident response plan tested
- ✅ DPAs with all sub-processors
- ✅ Consent management operational
- ✅ DSAR handling process live

**Expected maturity:** Level 5 (Managed)

---

## Q2: Operationalize Privacy

### Month 4: Vendor & Third-Party Management

**Theme:** Systematic vendor risk management.

- [ ] **Complete vendor risk assessment** — Evaluate each of the 8 detected services
- [ ] **Vendor security questionnaire** — Send SIG Lite questionnaire to all sub-processors
- [ ] **Vendor onboarding process** — Define approval workflow for new third-party services
- [ ] **Sub-processor list publication** — Publish and maintain a public list of sub-processors
- [ ] **Vendor exit planning** — Document migration strategies for critical services
- [ ] **Sub-processor change notification** — Set up process to notify users of sub-processor changes

### Month 5: Privacy Training & Awareness

**Theme:** Build a privacy-aware culture.

- [ ] **Privacy training program** — Develop role-specific training materials
  - Engineering: secure coding, data minimization, privacy by design
  - Product: privacy impact assessment, consent UX patterns
  - Support: DSAR handling, data breach identification
  - Management: regulatory landscape, liability, compliance budgeting
- [ ] **Training records** — Implement a system to track training completion
- [ ] **Privacy champions network** — Appoint privacy champions in each team
- [ ] **Privacy newsletter** — Launch an internal monthly privacy update
- [ ] **Phishing simulation** — Run a baseline phishing awareness test

### Month 6: Privacy Impact Assessments

**Theme:** Systematic risk identification.

- [ ] **PIA/DPIA process** — Document when and how privacy impact assessments are conducted
- [ ] **AI impact assessment** — DPIA for AI-based processing activities (GDPR Art. 35)
- [ ] **Privacy by design checklist** — Integrate privacy checks into the product development lifecycle
- [ ] **Risk register update** — Update the risk register with findings from all assessments
- [ ] **Transfer impact assessment** — Evaluate all international data transfers (Schrems II)
- [ ] **Lawful basis review** — Confirm the lawful basis for each processing activity

#### Q2 Checkpoint

At the end of Q2, you should have:

- ✅ Vendor management program operational
- ✅ Privacy training delivered to all staff
- ✅ PIAs completed for high-risk processing
- ✅ International transfer safeguards in place

**Expected maturity:** Level 5 (Optimizing)

---

## Q3: Mature the Program

### Month 7: Automation & Monitoring

**Theme:** Reduce manual effort, increase consistency.

- [ ] **CI/CD compliance checks** — Integrate Codepliant into your CI/CD pipeline
  ```yaml
  # .github/workflows/compliance.yml
  - uses: joechensmartz/codepliant@v410
    with:
      fail-on-missing: true
  ```
- [ ] **Pre-commit hook** — Install compliance pre-commit hook
  ```bash
  npx codepliant hook install
  ```
- [ ] **Automated dependency scanning** — Weekly vulnerability scans
- [ ] **Consent analytics dashboard** — Track consent rates, opt-out rates, DSAR volumes
- [ ] **Security event alerting** — Configure alerts for suspicious patterns in monitoring data
- [ ] **Scheduled re-scans** — Weekly automated compliance scans
  ```bash
  npx codepliant schedule install --frequency weekly
  ```

### Month 8: Metrics & Reporting

**Theme:** Measure what matters.

- [ ] **Define compliance KPIs** — Establish key performance indicators:
  - DSAR response time (target: <30 days)
  - Consent rate (target: >80%)
  - Training completion rate (target: 100%)
  - Vendor DPA coverage (target: 100%)
  - Incident response time (target: <24 hours)
  - Document freshness (target: updated within 90 days)
- [ ] **Executive dashboard** — Monthly compliance report for leadership
- [ ] **Compliance maturity score** — Track progress toward target maturity level
- [ ] **Regulatory readiness scorecard** — Per-regulation compliance status
- [ ] **Budget tracking** — Monitor compliance program spend vs. budget

### Month 9: Audit Readiness

**Theme:** Prepare for external audit or certification.

- [ ] **SOC 2 gap analysis** — Identify gaps against Trust Service Criteria
- [ ] **ISO 27001 readiness** — Map controls to Annex A requirements
- [ ] **Evidence collection** — Gather evidence for all implemented controls
- [ ] **Internal audit** — Conduct a pre-audit internal review
- [ ] **Record of processing activities** — Verify GDPR Art. 30 documentation is complete
- [ ] **Policy review cycle** — Review and update all policies published in Q1

#### Q3 Checkpoint

At the end of Q3, you should have:

- ✅ Automated compliance checks in CI/CD
- ✅ KPI dashboard operational
- ✅ Internal audit completed
- ✅ All policies reviewed and updated

**Expected maturity:** Level 5

---

## Q4: Optimize & Sustain

### Month 10: Continuous Improvement

**Theme:** Embed privacy into daily operations.

- [ ] **Privacy by design in SDLC** — Mandatory privacy review for all new features
- [ ] **Automated PIA triggers** — Auto-trigger PIA when new services are added to codebase
- [ ] **Privacy debt tracking** — Track and prioritize privacy improvements alongside tech debt
- [ ] **Cross-functional privacy reviews** — Monthly meetings with Engineering, Product, Legal
- [ ] **Industry benchmarking** — Compare your program against industry peers

### Month 11: Advanced Compliance

**Theme:** Address specialized requirements.

- [ ] **EU AI Act compliance** — Complete AI governance framework implementation
  - AI risk classification for all AI features
  - Human oversight procedures for high-risk AI
  - AI system logging and monitoring
  - Conformity assessment documentation
- [ ] **International compliance** — Expand coverage to additional jurisdictions
- [ ] **Data breach drill** — Conduct annual breach response exercise
- [ ] **Vendor re-assessment** — Annual review of all sub-processor security
- [ ] **Privacy program charter review** — Annual review and update of program charter

### Month 12: Annual Review & Year 2 Planning

**Theme:** Reflect, report, and plan ahead.

- [ ] **Annual compliance review** — Complete the Annual Review Checklist
- [ ] **Compliance certificate** — Generate updated compliance attestation
- [ ] **Annual report** — Publish transparency report with DSAR/breach statistics
- [ ] **Maturity re-assessment** — Re-assess maturity level and document progress
- [ ] **Year 2 roadmap** — Plan next year's privacy program priorities based on:
  - Regulatory changes (new laws, enforcement trends)
  - Business changes (new products, markets, acquisitions)
  - Technology changes (new services, AI capabilities)
  - Audit findings and improvement opportunities
- [ ] **Budget proposal** — Submit compliance budget for next fiscal year

#### Q4 Checkpoint

At the end of Q4, you should have:

- ✅ Privacy embedded in development lifecycle
- ✅ Certification-ready documentation
- ✅ Annual review completed
- ✅ Year 2 roadmap approved

**Target maturity:** Level 5 (Optimizing)

---

## Resource Planning

### Estimated Effort by Quarter

| Quarter | Engineering | Legal | Management | Total Hours/Week |
|---------|------------|-------|------------|-----------------|
| Q1 | 8-12 hrs/wk | 6-10 hrs/wk | 2-4 hrs/wk | 16-26 |
| Q2 | 4-8 hrs/wk | 4-8 hrs/wk | 2-4 hrs/wk | 10-20 |
| Q3 | 6-10 hrs/wk | 2-4 hrs/wk | 2-4 hrs/wk | 10-18 |
| Q4 | 4-6 hrs/wk | 4-6 hrs/wk | 4-6 hrs/wk | 12-18 |

### Recommended Tools

| Tool | Purpose | Priority |
|------|---------|----------|
| Codepliant | Automated compliance doc generation | **Essential** |
| Cookie consent platform | Cookie consent management | **Essential** |
| DSAR management tool | Data subject request tracking | High |
| Vendor management platform | Third-party risk management | Medium |
| Training platform | Privacy training delivery | Medium |

### Budget Estimate (Annual)

| Category | Estimated Cost | Notes |
|----------|---------------|-------|
| Tools & Software | $5,000-$20,000 | Compliance automation, consent management |
| Legal Review | $10,000-$30,000 | External counsel for policy review |
| Training | $2,000-$8,000 | Training platform and materials |
| Audit & Certification | $15,000-$50,000 | SOC 2 or ISO 27001 (if pursuing) |
| Personnel | Varies | Fractional DPO or dedicated privacy hire |
| **Total** | **$32,000-$108,000** | Varies significantly by company size |

## Success Criteria

### 12-Month Targets

| Metric | Target | Measurement |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| Privacy maturity level | Level 5 | Codepliant maturity assessment |
| Document coverage | 100% recommended docs | `codepliant completeness` |
| DSAR response time | < 30 days | DSAR tracking system |
| Consent rate | > 80% | Cookie consent analytics |
| Training completion | 100% of staff | Training record system |
| Vendor DPA coverage | 100% | Vendor management tracker |
| Incident response time | < 4 hours to triage | Incident response logs |
| Policy freshness | All updated within 90 days | `codepliant lint` |

---

## Contact

**Privacy Program Lead:** Jane Mueller
**Email:** legal@acme.com
**DPO Email:** dpo@acme-saas.com

---

*This Privacy Program Roadmap was generated by [Codepliant](https://github.com/joechensmartz/codepliant) based on automated analysis of 8 detected services at maturity level 5 (Optimizing). It should be reviewed and customized by a qualified compliance professional.*