Cookie Policy

Preamble

This Cookie Policy explains how the Festari Institute of Professional Studies (FIPS) uses cookies and similar technologies on its website (fips.ac) and on associated online services, what those technologies do, the lawful bases on which they are deployed, and how you, as a visitor or user, may exercise control over them.

This Cookie Policy is a public-facing supplement to the FIPS Privacy Policy and Data Protection Notice (document reference FIPS/GOV/PRV/2026/v1.0), Section 13 of which addresses website, cookies and online services in summary form. Where this Cookie Policy is silent, the parent Privacy Policy applies. Where the two are inconsistent on cookies specifically, this Policy prevails.

FIPS, in its capacity as Data Controller under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) of the Republic of Ghana, is committed to processing personal data and similar information collected through cookies lawfully, transparently and proportionately.

Disclosure of AI-Assisted Drafting: This Policy was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools used as a research, structuring and authoring aid, under the editorial supervision and final approval of the Executive Director, the Registrar and the Institute's Legal Advisor.

For questions or requests relating to cookies, write to dpo@fips.ac.

How to Use this Policy

This Cookie Policy is short by design. It is organised so that any reader can find what they need in under five minutes:

• Visitors who want a quick overview: Read Sections 1 (Introduction), 4 (Categories of Cookies) and 7 (Your Choices).
• Visitors who want detail on a specific cookie: Read Section 5 (Detailed Cookie Register) and Section 6 (Third-Party Cookies).
• Visitors who want to refuse or withdraw consent: Read Section 7 (Your Choices) and Section 8 (Browser Controls).
• Visitors with a complaint: Read Section 10 (Complaints).

Defined terms: Words written with an initial capital letter (e.g. "Cookie", "Data Subject", "Personal Data") carry the meanings assigned in Section 2 (Definitions) or in the parent FIPS Privacy Policy.

Effective date and changes: This Policy is effective on 1 January 2026. Changes are notified through the cookie banner on fips.ac and through the version history at Schedule B.

1. INTRODUCTION

A "cookie" is a small text file that a website places on your device (computer, tablet or mobile phone) when you visit. Cookies are used to remember information about you, your preferences or your activity on a website, so that the website can function properly, work more efficiently or provide insights to its owner.

Similar technologies include web beacons, pixels, local-storage entries and software development kit (SDK) tokens. Throughout this Policy, references to "cookies" should be read as including those similar technologies, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Some cookies are essential for the website to function. Others are optional: they enhance your experience, allow FIPS to measure how the site is used, or, in limited circumstances, support marketing. Optional cookies are placed only with your consent, which you may withdraw at any time.

This Policy applies to:

• The FIPS website at fips.ac and any subdomain operated by FIPS;
• Public-facing pages of the FIPS Learning Management System (LMS), prior to authenticated login;
• Online enquiry, application and contact forms made available by FIPS;
• Any other FIPS-operated online service that references this Policy.

It does not apply to third-party websites that may be linked from fips.ac (such as the websites of iPED UK, the World Safety Organization (WSO), CPD Standards Office or The CPD Group). Each such website has its own cookie policy, which you should consult separately.

2. DEFINITIONS

In this Policy, the following terms have the meanings set out below. Other terms have the meanings ascribed to them by the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) or by the parent FIPS Privacy Policy:

"Cookie" means a small text file placed on a visitor's device by a web browser at the request of a website, used to store information that the website or a third party can later read.

"First-Party Cookie" means a Cookie set by the website domain that the visitor is browsing (here, fips.ac).

"Third-Party Cookie" means a Cookie set by a domain other than the website the visitor is browsing, typically because the website embeds content, scripts or services from that other domain.

"Session Cookie" means a Cookie that is deleted when the browser session ends.

"Persistent Cookie" means a Cookie that remains on the device for a defined retention period, even after the browser is closed, until it expires or is deleted by the user.

"Strictly Necessary Cookie" means a Cookie that is essential to operate the website and provide the services explicitly requested by the visitor. Strictly Necessary Cookies do not require consent.

"Functional Cookie" means a Cookie that remembers visitor preferences (e.g. language, region, accessibility settings) to provide a more personalised experience. Functional Cookies are placed on the basis of consent.

"Analytics Cookie" means a Cookie that collects information about how visitors use a website (pages visited, time on site, source of arrival) for the purpose of measuring and improving performance. Analytics Cookies are placed on the basis of consent.

"Marketing Cookie" means a Cookie that records information about a visitor to deliver content of relevance, including across multiple sites. Marketing Cookies are placed only on the basis of consent.

3. LAWFUL BASES FOR USE OF COOKIES

FIPS deploys cookies only where a lawful basis applies. The principal bases under section 20 of the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), read together with the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772), are:

• Legitimate interest: for Strictly Necessary Cookies, FIPS relies on its legitimate interest in delivering a functional website and protecting that website and its users from misuse. The visitor's rights are respected because Strictly Necessary Cookies do not track behaviour beyond the immediate session.
• Consent: for Functional, Analytics and Marketing Cookies, FIPS relies on the visitor's freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous consent, signified by an affirmative action on the cookie banner. Consent may be withdrawn at any time through the preferences centre or by clearing cookies in the browser.
• Performance of contract or pre-contractual steps: for cookies necessary to deliver a service the visitor has requested (e.g. completing an online application), to the extent such cookies are also Strictly Necessary.

FIPS does not place optional cookies before consent is given. Until the visitor interacts with the cookie banner, only Strictly Necessary Cookies are set, and the banner remains visible.

4. CATEGORIES OF COOKIES USED BY FIPS

FIPS classifies cookies into four functional categories. The detailed register, including individual cookie names, durations and providers, is at Schedule A.

4.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookies are essential to enable basic site functions. They include cookies that:

• Maintain session continuity as the visitor moves from one page to another;
• Authenticate users who have logged in to a secured area of the site;
• Remember the visitor's decision on the cookie banner so that the banner is not displayed on every page;
• Provide protection against cross-site request forgery and other security threats;
• Balance load on the website infrastructure.

Strictly Necessary Cookies do not collect information used for advertising or for tracking the visitor across other websites. They are placed without consent and cannot be refused without disabling the function of the website. Their lawful basis is legitimate interest.

4.2 Functional Cookies

Functional Cookies allow the website to remember choices that the visitor has made, in order to provide a more personalised experience. They include cookies that:

• Remember the visitor's language preference;
• Remember accessibility preferences (such as font size and high-contrast mode);
• Remember whether the visitor has dismissed an informational notice.

Functional Cookies are placed only after the visitor has given consent. Their lawful basis is consent.

4.3 Analytics Cookies

Analytics Cookies enable FIPS to measure how the website is used in aggregate. They include cookies that:

• Count visits and identify popular pages;
• Measure the source from which visitors arrive (search engine, social media, direct, referral);
• Detect technical errors and broken links;
• Provide aggregated reports about geography, device and browser of visitors.

Analytics Cookies are placed only after the visitor has given consent. Where possible, FIPS configures analytics tools to anonymise IP addresses and to disable cross-site tracking features. Their lawful basis is consent.

4.4 Marketing Cookies

Marketing Cookies are used to deliver content of relevance to the visitor, potentially across multiple websites. At the effective date of this Policy, FIPS does not deploy any first-party marketing cookies. Marketing-style identifiers may be set by third parties through embedded content (see Section 6). Where FIPS adopts marketing cookies in future, the cookie banner and Schedule A will be updated accordingly. Their lawful basis is consent.

5. DETAILED COOKIE REGISTER

The full, current register of cookies deployed on fips.ac is set out at Schedule A. The register is reviewed at least quarterly and on each significant change to the website. The register includes, for each cookie:

• The cookie name;
• Whether it is a first-party or third-party cookie;
• The category (Strictly Necessary, Functional, Analytics or Marketing);
• The purpose of the cookie;
• The duration (whether it is a Session Cookie or a Persistent Cookie, and if persistent, the retention period);
• The provider, where the cookie is set by a third party.

Where a cookie is added, removed or its purpose changes, Schedule A is updated and the version history at Schedule B records the change.

6. THIRD-PARTY COOKIES, EMBEDS AND PIXELS

Some pages of fips.ac embed content or services from third parties. When you view a page that contains such embedded content, the third party may set cookies on your device directly. FIPS does not control those cookies, but it discloses them in this Policy and in Schedule A.

6.1 Embedded Video and Audio Content

Pages that embed video content (for example, programme overviews or testimonials) may use a third-party video platform. The third party may set cookies for the purpose of:

• Remembering playback preferences (volume, captions, playback speed);
• Measuring video performance and providing analytics to the platform;
• In some configurations, supporting advertising on the platform.

Where the video platform offers a "no-cookie" or privacy-enhanced mode, FIPS configures its embeds to use that mode by default, so that no advertising-related cookies are set unless the visitor interacts with the video.

6.2 Embedded Fonts and Web Components

FIPS may use third-party font and web-component providers. Where such providers process IP addresses or set cookies, they are disclosed in Schedule A. Where a privacy-friendly alternative is available (such as self-hosted fonts), FIPS prefers it.

6.3 Social Media Buttons and Sharing Widgets

FIPS may include buttons that allow visitors to share content on social media platforms. Where used, such buttons are implemented as static links by default, so that no cookies are set by the social media platform unless the visitor clicks the link. Where a dynamic (cookie-setting) widget is used, it is disclosed in Schedule A and requires consent.

7. YOUR CHOICES: CONSENT, PREFERENCES AND WITHDRAWAL

FIPS gives you control over the optional cookies set on your device. The principal mechanisms are:

• The cookie banner: on your first visit to fips.ac, and after any material change to this Policy, a banner is displayed. You may "Accept all", "Reject all" optional cookies or "Customise" your preferences by category. No optional cookies are placed before you make a choice.
• The preferences centre: a "Cookie Preferences" link is available in the website footer at all times. You may use it to review your current choices, change them or withdraw consent. Changes take effect immediately for the device and browser on which you make them.
• Per-category control: you may give or refuse consent independently for each of Functional, Analytics and Marketing categories. Strictly Necessary Cookies cannot be refused without disabling the site.
• Withdrawing consent: withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal. After withdrawal, the cookies are no longer used to collect information, and FIPS instructs its processors to cease processing accordingly.

FIPS does not use techniques designed to make refusal more difficult than acceptance. The "Reject all" option is as easy to use as "Accept all". FIPS does not interpret continued use of the website as consent.

8. BROWSER CONTROLS

Independently of the cookie banner on fips.ac, you can control cookies through your browser settings. Most modern browsers allow you to:

• View the cookies currently stored;
• Delete some or all cookies;
• Block all cookies or block third-party cookies only;
• Configure the browser to ask before accepting a cookie;
• Enable a "Do Not Track" or "Global Privacy Control" signal.

The following links lead to the official cookie-control instructions for the most widely used browsers:

• Google Chrome: support.google.com/chrome (search "Clear, allow and manage cookies in Chrome");
• Mozilla Firefox: support.mozilla.org (search "Clear cookies and site data in Firefox");
• Apple Safari: support.apple.com (search "Manage cookies and website data in Safari");
• Microsoft Edge: support.microsoft.com (search "Microsoft Edge, browsing data, and privacy");
• Opera: help.opera.com (search "Web preferences cookies").

Where your browser exposes a Global Privacy Control or "Do Not Track" signal, FIPS reads that signal as a refusal of consent for Functional, Analytics and Marketing Cookies, in addition to any choice you may make on the cookie banner. Disabling cookies in your browser may also affect your experience on websites other than fips.ac.

9. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

FIPS reviews this Cookie Policy at least once a year, and whenever it adds, removes or materially changes a cookie or a class of cookies on the website. The current version is identified on the cover page and at Schedule B.

Where a change is material (for example, the addition of a new analytics tool or marketing cookie), FIPS will:

• Update Schedule A and Schedule B;
• Re-display the cookie banner on the next visit to fips.ac, so that you may give or refuse consent to the new category;
• Where you have an account with FIPS, send a notification through the appropriate channel.

Non-material changes (such as wording clarifications) may be made without notification.

10. COMPLAINTS AND CONTACT

Questions, complaints or requests about cookies on fips.ac should be addressed to:

A visitor who is dissatisfied with FIPS's response, or who wishes to bypass internal escalation, has the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Data Protection Commission of Ghana, whose current address, telephone and email are published on its official website. Nothing in this Policy limits a visitor's right to seek a judicial remedy in the courts of Ghana.

SCHEDULE A: DETAILED COOKIE REGISTER

This Schedule sets out the cookies and similar technologies in use on fips.ac as at the effective date of this Policy. The register is reviewed at least quarterly and on each significant change to the website. Where a cookie is added, removed or its purpose changes, this Schedule is updated and the change recorded in Schedule B.

A.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies (First-Party)

A.2 Functional Cookies (First-Party)

A.3 Analytics Cookies (First-Party and Third-Party)

FIPS prefers self-hosted analytics for aggregated reporting. Where a third-party analytics tool is used, IP anonymisation is enabled and cross-site tracking features are disabled by configuration.

A.4 Marketing Cookies

At the effective date of this Policy, FIPS does not deploy any first-party marketing cookies. This Schedule will be updated and consent re-obtained if marketing cookies are introduced.

A.5 Third-Party Cookies via Embedded Content

Note: cookie names that include "*" are wildcards; the actual cookie name appended by the provider may include a property identifier.

SCHEDULE B: VERSION HISTORY AND APPROVAL

Version History

Document Control

Approval

The persons named below have, by their signatures, approved this Policy for issue with effect from the Effective Date stated above:

Issued by the Office of the Executive Director, Festari Institute of Professional Studies (FIPS), Tarkwa, Western Region, Ghana. © Festari Institute of Professional Studies, 2026. Copyright Act 2005 (Act 690) of the Republic of Ghana applies.