Identify the conflict
Many people have conflicts of interest during the course of their employment.
Having a conflict is not in itself a sign of wrongdoing.
Part of supporting a culture of integrity is for your organisation to support you to raise any conflicts of interest you may have.
If you have a conflict of interest and do not declare it, this could cause issues about whether you are performing your job properly, with fairness and impartiality.
Key actions to identify a conflict of interest
You must avoid conflicts of interest where possible. But it is common for them to arise.
If you have a conflict of interest you must:
- identify it
- declare it on the form your organisation provides
- make your declaration within the time your organisation’s policy specifies. For example, as soon as practicable, usually within 5 working days.
If you are unsure whether a conflict exists:
- consider the information we provide below
- discuss the matter with your manager (or any other person your organisation’s policy specifies as an alternative).
Follow your organisation’s policy
The guidance below is based on the model conflict of interest policy we offer, which most public sector organisations use or adapt. Always check and follow your organisation’s policy.
Useful questions to ask
To help identify a conflict of interest, some useful questions are:
- Does my private interest intersect with my role? If so, could this create a perception of bias or favouritism in the exercise of my duties?
- What would a fair-minded member of the public make of the situation?
- Could my involvement in this matter cast doubt on my integrity or that of the organisation?
- If I saw someone else in this situation, would I think they have a conflict of interest?
- If my actions were covered by the media, could it embarrass me or the organisation?
- In other words, does it pass the public perception test (the ‘pub’ test)?
What will happen when you declare a conflict of interest
When you declare a conflict of interest, your organisation will develop a plan to manage the conflict in the public interest.
Having a conflict of interest does not automatically exclude you from undertaking work duties such as making certain decisions.
The plan that’s developed will be proportionate to the risk level posed by the conflict of interest.
Check for conflicts
Check regularly for conflicts of interest. They’re most likely to occur in areas where you:
- have the power to make or influence decisions that can benefit others
- have private interests that may conflict with your work duties.
It can help you identify conflicts to review our list of typical high risk areas of conflict of interest (noting conflicts can also occur in low risk areas).