All staff, volunteers and management of Kartoza (the Organisation) will strive to avoid any conflict of interest between the interests of the Organisation on the one hand and personal, professional and business interests on the other. This includes avoiding actual conflicts of interest as well as the perception of conflicts of interest.

The purposes of this policy is to protect the integrity of the Organisation’s decision-making process, to enable our stakeholders to have confidence in our integrity, and to protect the integrity and reputation of volunteers and staff.

Examples of conflicts of interest include:

1. A staff member who is a friend of a client and must decide whether fees fom users should be increased.
2. A staff member is related to another member of staff and there is decision to be taken on staff pay or conditions.
3. A staff member who is associated with another organisation that is competing for the same funding.
4. A staff member who has shares in a business that may be awarded a contract to do work or provide services for the organisation.

Upon appointment each staff member will make a full, written disclosure of interests, such as relationships and posts held, that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. This written disclosure will be kept on file and will be updated as appropriate.

In the course of meetings or activities, staff members will disclose any interests in a transaction or decision where there may be a conflict between the Organisation's best interests and the staff member's best interests or a conflict between the best interests of two organisations that the staff member is involved with.

*Option 1: After disclosure, I understand that I may be asked to leave the room for the discussion and may not be able to take part in the decision depending on the judgment of the other staff members present at the time.

*Option 2: After disclosure, I understand that I will be asked to leave the room for the discussion and will not be able to take part in the decision.

Any such disclosure and the subsequent actions taken will be noted in the minutes.

This policy is meant to supplement good judgment and staff, volunteers and management should respect its spirit as well as its wording.