How conflicts of interest are managed
A conflict of interest is a situation in which an individual has competing interests or loyalties that could influence their decision making. It is to be expected that conflicts of interest will arise from time to time when working on the CGF. This is because of the locally focused nature of the fund and the fact that panel members may have connections to projects that are applying for money.
If a panel member has any private or personal interest in an application that is due to be discussed, they must declare it in writing prior to attending. This should be done using the form supplied by the CGF officer when the redacted applications are sent out.
The panel member will be expected to fully withdraw from discussions about the application in question. Depending on the nature of the conflict, they may be asked not to attend the panel meeting at all. Alternatively, Council officers may ask panel members to leave the meeting for the full duration of the discussion related to that application. This also applies to any follow-up discussions that occur when agreeing on final recommendations. The officer will advise on how best to manage conflicts of interest that arise and will ensure the guidance around this is followed.