Regular monitoring and evaluation help ensure the approach to managing the risks of conflicts of interest is sound.
Internal audits can help as can reviews of centralised registers of declarations; management plans; gifts, benefits and hospitality registers; disciplinary matters; and stakeholder complaints. This information can be used to analyse the:
- number, frequency, types and locations of declared interests
- timeliness of declarations
- completeness or gaps in declarations
- management strategies applied, potential effectiveness and inconsistencies.
Results can inform leaders/executives of the effectiveness of the existing approach to identifying, declaring and managing conflicts of interest, trends and areas for improvement and further training.
Having regard for confidentiality, practical examples of how the authority transparently manages conflicts of interest can be shared with officers for education purposes.
