A conflict of interest occurs when, by act or omission, a staff member’s personal interests interfere with the performance of her or his official duties and responsibilities or with the integrity, independence, or impartiality required by the staff member’s status.
Staff shall not engage in any outside paid occupation or employment without the prior approval by the Secretary General.
The WSB understands the need for potential conflict of interest to be recognised and disclosed, and appropriate steps taken to prevent influence or favouritism. The reputation and credibility of the WSB rests on its ability to make fair, objective, and impartial decisions in accordance with carefully defined criteria. Consequently, it is essential to avoid situations where a conflict of interest may influence or appear to influence the decision-making process.
Determining conflict of interest
A conflict of interest arises when one’s personal activities and relationships interfere, or appear to interfere, with one’s ability to act or make decisions in the best interest of the WSB.
In any potential conflict of interest situations staff should ask themselves:
- Do my personal interests interfere with those of the WSB?
- Do I have an existing personal or business relationship with a key stakeholder of the subject matter being considered by the WSB?
- Do I have an existing relationship or business interest with a vendor or individual during the bidding, procurement or recruitment process?
- Could it appear as an interference to others, either inside or outside of the WSB?
- If the answer is “yes” to either of these questions, it is likely that a conflict of interest exists. Staff are encouraged to seek advice from coi@scout.org when there is a potential for conflict of interest.
Declaring conflict of interest
When an actual or perceived conflict of interest does arise, the conflict should be disclosed by staff member to his or her line manager or local human resources office. Any actual or perceived conflict of interest shall be promptly declared by the staff by using the conflict-of-interest form. This form needs to be submitted via email to a staff member’s line manager and to coi@scout.org.
While volunteering for Scouting at the local and national level is encouraged, serving on a National Board or as an International Commissioner with a National Scout Organization is considered a conflict of interest with a World Scout Bureau staff role.
Members of the Senior Management Team are required to annually update their records in the WSB’s conflict of interest registry or immediately as they become aware of any possibility that their personal or wider interest could influence their decision making.
Dealing with conflict of interest
In case of an actual or perceived conflict of interest, a review will be conducted by the staff member’s line manager and human resources to recommend how to appropriately deal with and resolve the conflict of interest. The recommendation will be assessed by the Secretary General or the person(s) she/he delegates to deal with the conflict of interest.