School Council – Conduct and Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest

Conflicts of interest that are not effectively identified or managed:

• put the school council and the school’s reputation at risk
• jeopardise the public’s confidence in the school and school council

A conflict of interest occurs when a school councillor’s personal interests may influence, or may be seen to influence, their public duty.

A personal interest may arise from a member’s:

• personal preference
• relationship
• connection
• bias
• property
• hobby
• or a desire to help family and friends

Personal interests can also be pecuniary (financial) or non-pecuniary.

Some examples of conflict of interest risks may arise when a school council undertakes the following activities, or in the following areas:

• recruitment and selection activities
• procurement activities
• funding allocation activities
• previous associations
• gifts, benefits and hospitality

Recruitment

Conflicts of interest in recruitment might include:

• family relationships or friendships with an applicant
• close working relationship with an applicant
• a hostile relationship with any applicant

If councillors are involved in any type of recruitment or selection process, each person must:

• consider whether they have a real, potential or perceived conflict of interest

If so, or if unsure, each person must:

• declare the conflict of interest to the school council at the earliest possible stage

Procurement or funding allocations

Conflicts of interest in procurement or funding allocations might include:

• gifts, benefits or hospitality being offered to employees involved in the procurement process
• family relationships or friendships with a supplier
• close working relationships as a result of regular business with a supplier

Conflict of interest risks can affect any stage of procurement. Regardless of the monetary value, these risks must be proactively managed throughout the life of a procurement project.

Other areas where conflict of interest might arise

Other interests and associations that may result in potential, perceived or real conflicts of interest are:

• external consulting
• other (external employment)
• private tutoring
• out-of-hours sporting or community activities
• using contractors for private works
• personal relationships with employees
• group affiliations
• other public duties (member of local council or political party)
• family and other relationships