Okuzeka
Public Administration vocabulary · Transparency, Audit and Ethics

Conflict of interest

Meaning in public administration, with examples

nounCommon term

In public administration, conflict of interest means: A situation in which an official's personal interests, such as family, business or financial links, could affect, or seem to affect, the way they carry out their public duties.

In Turkish: çıkar çatışması, menfaat çatışması

How it is used

Officials must declare, disclose, avoid or manage conflicts of interest, and may have to withdraw from a decision (recuse themselves). Even a perceived or potential conflict of interest can damage public trust. Common in procurement and recruitment rules.

Example sentences

  1. She left the evaluation committee because her brother works for one of the bidders, which was a clear conflict of interest.

  2. All committee members must sign a conflict of interest declaration before reviewing the bids.

Common collocations

  • declare a conflict of interest
  • potential conflict of interest
  • conflict of interest declaration
  • avoid conflicts of interest
  • code of conductA written set of rules and principles describing how the members of an organization are expected to behave, for example on gifts, neutrality and the use of information.
  • corruptionThe dishonest use of public power or position for private gain, such as taking bribes, favouring relatives or stealing public funds.
  • public officialAny person who holds a position in a public body and acts with its authority, including civil servants, appointed heads of institutions and elected office holders.
  • transparencyThe principle that public bodies should act openly, so that citizens can see how decisions are made, how money is spent and who is responsible.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Transparency, Audit and Ethics

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