Think Afara expert terms and participation policy

For members applying to or participating in Think Afara hereto referred to as Afara

1. Scope and relationship

These terms govern an expert’s Afara application, profile, review, introductions and participation. Afara is a Think Africa activity, not a separate contracting entity. Think Africa ry is the operator. Contact: info@thinkafrica.fi.

Afara starts with an organisation’s Africa-related business problem or blocked decision. It supports diagnosis, a decision about the next step and, where justified, a defined expert assignment. A case may end after diagnosis without a paid assignment.

These terms supplement the applicable Think Africa membership terms and registered rules. They do not change membership fees, membership categories, renewal arrangements or rights under the association’s rules. A signed assignment agreement governs any particular project; these participation terms alone do not commission work.

2. Eligibility and applications

For the member registration pathway, standard Think Africa membership is required. Afara participation and a Members Business Directory listing are independently optional additions. Selecting one does not select the other.

An application, invitation, membership payment or profile submission is not acceptance as an expert, approval for publication or an offer of paid work. Applicants must complete the applicable review process and provide accurate information relevant to their expertise.

A member whose current-year payment was made directly to Think Africa must have that payment reconciled through the existing membership process rather than pay the same membership fee again. Recording that payment does not create consent to Afara, publication or marketing. An account-specific invitation must not be shared or used for another person.

3. Accuracy and verification

Describe qualifications, experience, language ability, availability, rates, professional boundaries and work examples honestly. Distinguish work you personally performed from work performed by a team. Do not upload confidential client material or third-party personal data without a lawful and authorised reason.

Think Africa may request relevant clarification or evidence. A verification statement must identify the check actually completed. An approved profile is not a professional licence, a guarantee of competence in every subject, or a guarantee of future performance. Tell Think Africa when information materially changes.

4. Matching and introductions

Suitability must be assessed against the company’s defined need, documented experience, availability, relevant market knowledge, professional restrictions and conflicts of interest. Software-generated scores or suggestions support review; they are not an assignment decision or an entitlement to priority.

The matching route covered by these draft terms uses approved published profiles as its candidate pool. An unpublished application may remain available for private review but is not included in that route. Public participation is optional and declining publication does not end ordinary membership. The actual matching route must be checked before these terms are issued.

Think Africa must confirm the company’s interest and the expert’s willingness before an introduction progresses to an assignment. The expert may decline an opportunity. No assignment, income, employment, investment, client contract or commercial result is guaranteed.

Before a specific introduction, identify the company, purpose and information to be shared. Share only what is needed for that introduction. A public-profile choice does not authorise disclosure of a private CV, evidence file, bank details, references or unrestricted contact records.

5. Publication and use of profile material

Public publication requires a separate informed choice covering the stated public fields. Application review and public publication are different activities. The Afara Expert Privacy Notice explains these uses and the effect of withdrawal.

You retain rights in material you provide. You authorise Think Africa to use it only as necessary to administer the requested participation and, for public material, to display the authorised profile. This does not give Think Africa a general right to sell the material, train an external AI system on it or use it in unrelated promotion.

6. Professional conduct and fair work

Work within your competence, disclose conflicts before accepting an introduction, treat others respectfully and do not falsify evidence, discriminate unlawfully, harass, bribe or misuse confidential information. A regulated task must not be undertaken without the required qualification or authorisation.

An introductory discussion must not become substantial unpaid analysis, project design or a client deliverable. Any substantive work requires a written scope and an explicit paid, funded or genuinely voluntary arrangement before it starts. Membership or participation is not permission to use an expert’s unpaid work.

Participation is non-exclusive unless a separate lawful agreement expressly says otherwise. These terms impose no hidden referral fee, commission, non-compete restriction or automatic penalty for later contact.

7. Projects, payment and working status

Before project work starts, the relevant parties must sign the Afara Assignment Agreement and complete the shared Project Schedule. These identify the contracting model, supplier, expert, payer, scope, milestones, fees, taxes, payment dates, acceptance criteria, confidentiality, data roles, intellectual property and termination rules.

No fee percentage, deposit, payment release rule, payroll classification or platform deduction is established by these participation terms. A volunteer or marketing role does not give authority to sign contracts, agree a price, approve payment or guarantee work.

Expert participation alone does not create an employment relationship. The actual working arrangement must nevertheless be assessed before an assignment: calling someone an independent expert or volunteer cannot remove mandatory employment rights.

8. Confidentiality and information security

Use non-public company, expert and project information only for the agreed activity. Share it only with authorised people who need it and are subject to suitable confidentiality obligations. Keep access credentials private and report suspected loss, misuse or unauthorised disclosure promptly to Think Africa.

Do not send project personal data or another party’s confidential material to an external AI provider. Any local analytical tool used on such material must be authorised for that task and subject to the project’s data and security requirements. Do not claim human verification of unchecked machine output.

9. Concerns, restrictions and review

Send concerns to info@thinkafrica.fi, identifying the relevant profile, introduction or project and the issue. Avoid sending unnecessary sensitive documents. Think Africa will identify an appropriate reviewer, request relevant information and explain the decision and available review route.

A profile or participation may be restricted where eligibility is no longer met, information is materially false, a serious conflict is unresolved, a confidentiality or safety risk exists, or these terms are materially breached. Restrictions must be proportionate. Except where urgent protection or law prevents it, explain the grounds and give an opportunity to respond. A person with a material conflict should not determine the review.

A participation decision is not automatically an expulsion from the association, termination of a separate project, forfeiture of earned fees or a refusal of data rights. Those matters follow their own applicable terms and procedures.

10. Withdrawal, changes and legal rights

You may stop seeking new opportunities or request profile unpublication by contacting Think Africa or using the verified controls offered. Existing project obligations and payments remain governed by their agreement. Publication withdrawal, account closure, membership resignation and cancellation of renewal are separate actions.

Material changes to these terms must be notified before they take effect with a reasonable opportunity to consider them. They do not retrospectively change an existing project or create new consent. Finnish law applies subject to mandatory rights and applicable conflict-of-law rules. No clause excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or prevents access to a competent court.