Terms and Policies

Public Domain and Copyright Policy

Instructional materials are the intellectual property of the presenter. 

Please contact the presenter directly to request permission to use these materials and a waiver or determination of use and/or distribution fee.

Instructional material and case studies presented by federal employees are in the public domain.

Instructional and case study videos created in partnership with the BLM National Training Center and related podcasts hosted by the USFWS National Conservation Training Center are in the public domain.

Privacy Policy

August 1, 2024

Desmarais Consulting Privacy Notice

Each visitor to any website operated by Desmarais Consulting is encouraged to review this Privacy Notice. By using a website operated by Desmarais Consulting, you are accepting the Privacy Notice. The Privacy Notice cannot be changed or amended by you. If you do not agree to the Privacy Notice, then you may not use a Desmarais Consulting website.

Desmarais Consulting respects your concerns about privacy. This Privacy Notice applies to the Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy (Academy). This notice describes the types of personal data we collect in connection with the Academy, the purposes for which we collect such personal data, the other parties with whom we may share it and the measures we take to protect the security of the data. It also tells you about your rights with respect to your personal data, how you can reach us to update your information or get answers to questions you may have about our privacy practices.

  1. Personal Data the Academy Collects

In connection with your participation in Academy training services, we may collect certain personal data as part of course application and registration. Such personal data includes, but is not limited to, name, title, work location address, email address, office phone number, mobile phone number, scheduling preferences for attending training and other related information. In addition, we may collect individual self-assessment training needs information, course evaluation information, and responses to self-study and homework assignments related to course content. We may also request an individual photo of training participants.

In connection with preparing an invoice for payment of tuition by credit or debit card, we may collect the name, address, email address and phone number of the card holder and the name(s), title, work location address, phone number, email address of the course applicant and other billing details.

  1. How We Use Personal Data We Collect

We may use the personal data we obtain about you to:

  1. Personal Data We Share

We do not sell or otherwise disclose personal data we collect about you, except as described herein or otherwise disclosed to you.

We share individual application and registration information with federal training coordinators for the selection of applicants on scholarship.

We share individual training needs self-assessments and course evaluation results in aggregate with federal training coordinators, representatives of educational institutions, instructors and educational scholars to advance the development of training.

We share course rosters with participants that include name, title and contact information you provide; in the course notebook of the website.

We share individual photos of course participants submitted to the Academy; in the virtual classroom and do not post individual photos at the Academy’s website or social media sites without permission. 

The Academy uses a secure credit card processor and virtual terminal to process credit card transactions through Bank of America, Authorize.Net. We share personal data to perform payment card transactions and to perform the services requested through Authorize.Net. We do not collect or have access to the individual credit or debit card account information provided by individuals. This information is encrypted by Authorize.Net. Tuition payments made with credit and debit cards are processed via online invoice from the Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy administered by Desmarais Consulting.

We also may share data with our service providers who perform services on our behalf. We do not authorize these service providers to use or disclose such data except as necessary to perform certain services on our behalf or comply with legal requirements. We require these service providers to appropriately safeguard the privacy and security of personal data they process on our behalf.

We also may disclose personal data about you (i) if we are required to do so by law or legal process, (ii) to law enforcement authorities or other government officials, or (iii) when we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss, or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual fraudulent or illegal activity or to otherwise preserve our rights or protect our businesses. We also reserve the right to transfer personal data we have about you in the event we sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or assets or in the event of a dissolution or other cessation of our businesses. Should such a sale, transfer or dissolution occur, we will use reasonable efforts to direct the receiving party to use personal data you have provided to us in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Notice. Following such a sale, transfer or dissolution, you may contact the entity to which we transferred your personal information with any inquiries concerning the processing of that information.

  1. How We Protect Personal Data

We restrict access to personal data about you to those employees, contractors, vendors, partners and affiliated parties who need to know that information to provide products or services to you. We maintain reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards that are designed to comply with state and federal regulations to protect the personal data we have about you. We also take measures to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information when there is no longer a business need to keep the information. The type of measures we take vary with the type of information, and how it is collected and stored. However, no system can be absolutely secure. Desmarais Consulting cannot warrant or guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to the site or otherwise maintain by Desmarais Consulting and so you disclose your personal data at your own risk.

  1. Additional Disclosures and Information

This Privacy Notice does not apply to any information you may disclose publicly in any chat rooms, message boards, or similar web pages, including those hosted on or linked to any of our sites or by Desmarais Consulting or the Academy. You should keep in mind that whenever you publicly disclose information about yourself online – for example, via message boards or chat rooms – that information could be collected and used by people who you do not know. In addition, certain message boards and similar user forums may display IP addresses along with the message poster’s name and message. Desmarais Consulting bears no responsibility for any action or policies of any third parties, who collect any information users may disclose on the message boards, chat areas or other user forums, if any, on this site.

For your convenience, this site may contain links to other websites of interest that are not owned, controlled or managed by Desmarais Consulting, including social media sites. These websites are not subject to this Privacy Notice, and Desmarais Consulting is not responsible for their privacy policies. You are encouraged to review the privacy policy of each website you visit.

When you visit our website, Desmarais Consulting does not automatically collect personal information from you or about you (such as your name or mailing address). However, our site may place small files called “cookies” on your computer to automatically collect and store certain types of data from the computer that you use to access the website. This information includes but is not limited to the following: browser and platform type; the Internet Service Provider, or “ISP”; the Internet Protocol (IP) address unique to the computer, the number and length of visits; the pages visited; the click through data; and the referral source (e.g.. Google) and search terms that led to the Site page. Desmarais Consulting uses this computer information to assess interest in the website and its pages, and for other internal business purposes.

Desmarais Consulting does not track its site users over time and across third party websites to provide targeted advertising and therefore does not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals.

This site is not directed at children 13 years of age or younger. Desmarais Consulting, therefore, will not intentionally collect information about anyone under the age of 13, and requests that no such information be submitted to us.

  1. Updates to Our Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice may be updated periodically and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our personal information practices. It is the responsibility of users of this site to periodically review this Privacy Notice for changes. When changes are made, the “revised” date at the top of the Privacy Notice will be amended accordingly. Your continued use of the site after an amendment constitutes your acceptance of the amendment.

  1. How to Contact Us

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to request access to and receive information about the personal data we maintain about you, update and correct inaccuracies in your personal data, and have the information blocked or deleted, as appropriate. The right to access personal data may be limited in some circumstances by local law requirements. To update your preferences, ask us to remove your data from our mailing lists or submit an access request, please contact us as specified below. If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Notice or if you would like us to update the data we have about you or your preferences, please contact info@partnership-academy.net.

Refund Policy

Credit and Debit Card: Refund or Chargeback 

The Academy uses a secure credit card processor and virtual terminal to process credit card transactions through Bank of America, Authorize.Net. Tuition payments made with credit and debit cards are processed via online invoice from the Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy administered by Desmarais Consulting.

A refund occurs when Desmarais Consulting returns an amount to a customer; a chargeback is initiated by a customer’s card issuer on the customer’s behalf.

Credit card tuition payments submitted within 30 calendar days prior to the start date of a training course are not eligible for a refund or chargeback. In coordination with Desmarais Consulting, the individual or organization may transfer the tuition payment to benefit another individual or receive an Academy tuition registration payment credit valid for one year. Any tuition payment credit not used within one calendar year will be forfeited.

The request of a refund or chargeback made prior to 30 days from the start of a training course will be honored; less an administrative fee equal to 10 percent of the tuition cost. Refund and chargeback requestors also have the option to transfer the tuition payment to benefit another individual or receive an Academy tuition registration payment credit valid for one year, in coordination with Desmarais Consulting. Any tuition payment credits not used within one calendar year will be forfeited.

SF-182 Payment Refund Policy

Federal cohost agencies fund tuition via SF-182 Authorization, Agreement and Certification of Training.  Cohost agency tuition invoices are submitted with the agency’s course roster, at the start of each course. Refund of tuition fees are not available once the course begins.

Tuition Invoice Refund Policy 

All other participating agencies and organizations will receive a tuition invoice within 30-days of the start of a course. Should a participant’s availability to attend the course change, the individual or organization, in consultation with the Academy, may transfer the tuition payment to benefit another individual or receive an Academy tuition registration payment credit, valid for one year. Any tuition payment credit not used within one calendar year will be forfeited.

To request a refund, contact Anne Desmarais by email at anne@partnership-academy.net.