Conflicts of interest

If you work in the public sector, there is a good chance that you will have a conflict of interest at some point in your working life – regardless of what your role is or how senior you are.

Having a conflict of interest does not mean that you have done anything wrong. The conflict does not have to be a problem if it is handled well. Managing the risks associated with conflicts of interest is an essential part of public sector decision-making.

Comprehensive guide

Our guide on managing conflicts of interest contains a wealth of useful information. Much of the summarised information in this section is drawn from the guide.

Scenarios: Conflicts in procurement

Public sector procurement bridges the boundaries between the public, private, and voluntary sectors. Concerns about conflicts of interest in procurement often arise because procurement decisions involve these different sectors interacting. Each sector might have different ideas about what is appropriate.

We've prepared six common scenarios that explain why the scenario represents a conflict of interest, how it might affect trust and confidence, and why some proposed mitigations may not fully address the risk.

The scenarios also set out some ways to help avoid, mitigate, or manage the conflicts.

Guidance on one page!

You can also print a useful one-page guide (PDF, A3, one page).

Animated videos

We have created short engaging videos about:

Presentation slides and notes

Download a set of slides and presenter notes to explain what a conflict of interest is, and how to manage it.

Try our quiz in Integrity Town

As well as the above resources, we've got something more interactive. Try our quiz, and feel free to use it as a training resource for staff. Click on the Integrity Town image to get started.

See a list of all our content that covers conflicts of interest.