Topic Guide: Conflicts of Interest

Conflict of interest: Legislators, ministers and public officials. Carney, G., 1999. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=1258  

Though this report was written nearly 20 years ago, it remains the classic introduction to conflicts of interest and has become a foundation text for much of the subsequent literature. The study had two main purposes. Firstly, to assist legislators, ministers and public officials to identify exactly what constitutes a conflict of interest and how conflict of interests pose ethical dilemmas in the performance of an official's duties and responsibilities. To do this, the study defined a conflict of interest as arising "when the private interests of a politician or official clash or even coincide with the public interest." The second purpose was to suggest various mechanisms either to prevent such a conflict of interest arising, or to resolve the conflict when it does arise. These include disqualification from office, disclosure of personal interests, codes of conduct, lobbyists' registers, post-employment restrictions, ethics training and enforcement mechanisms.  

Conflict of interest and public life: Cross-national perspective. Trost, C., and Gash, A., (eds), 2008. http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/philosophy/political-philosophy/conflict-interest-and-public-life-cross-national-perspectives  

This volume, authored by an international group of scholars and practitioners, provides a comparative account of conflict of interest regulations across four Western democracies: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Italy. The study situates conflict of interest regulations within a broader governance discourse, identifies the structural, political, economic and cultural factors that have contributed to the development of conflict of interest regulations, and assesses the extent to which these efforts have succeeded or failed across and within different branches and systems of government. Chapters of special interest include Conflict of Interest Regulation in Its Institutional Context and Legal Standards and Ethical Norms: Defining the Limits of Conflicts Regulations.  

Sitting on the fence: Conflicts of interest and how to regulate them. Reed, Q., 2008. http://www.cmi.no/publications/publication/?3160=sitting-on-the-fence  

This paper describes the problem of conflict of interest for public officials and the main ways in which it can be tackled, with particular focus on the regulation of elected officials. The paper describes three main types of regulation – prohibitions on activities, declarations of interests and exclusion from decision-making processes – and how these may be best implemented in practice. The author underlines the need for regulation to be realistic, tailored specifically for different categories of officials and to the specific circumstances of the country in which they are to be applied. The author also suggests possibilities for the engagement of the donor community, in line with the implementation of UNCAC.  

Regulating the revolving door. Transparency International Working Paper, 2010. http://www.transparency.org/whatwedo/publication/working_paper_06_2010_regulating_the_revolving_door  

This short working paper offers an introduction to the problem of the revolving door and the associated conflicts of interest which can arise. It goes on to examine the nature of corruption risks and possible remedies.  

Cabs for hire? Fixing the revolving door between government and business. Transparency International UK, 2011. http://www.transparency.org.uk/our-work/publications/10-publications/132-cabs-for-hire-fixing-the-revolving-door-between-government-and-business  

Moving through the revolving door can be beneficial to public officials and business, improving understanding and communication between both sides. However, the revolving door also undermines trust in government, because of the potential for conflicts of interest. This report concludes that the current system of regulating the revolving door in the UK is not working and needs fixing. Recent changes are welcome, but they do not go far enough and are unlikely to restore public confidence. Urgent and comprehensive reforms are needed to reduce the risk of conflicts of interest and make the revolving door work to the benefit of government, the private sector and UK society more broadly. The paper presents 15 recommendations for how the system can be improved.  

Dangerous relations between the public and private sectors. Transparency International Hungary, 2012. http://transparency.hu/Dangero...

A lack of adequate regulation, public officials working in the private sector and business people working in public administration can breed abuses of office, profiteering and undue influence. The study by Transparency International Hungary recounts the reasons for the revolving door phenomenon, the risks of corruption, domestic, foreign and international regulations and the specificities of the Hungarian business sector. It also advances recommendations for certain actors of the public and private sector to solve the issue. The study establishes that the demand of economic enterprises for professionals well-versed in politics arises out of helplessness in the face of politics and fickle legislation.

Conflict of interest in global, public and corporate governance. Peters, A., and Handschin, L. (eds), 2012. http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/law/comparative-law/conflict-interest-global-public-and-corporate-governance

This interdisciplinary handbook provides insight into some of the latest thinking on conflicts of interest at a global level, in both the public and corporate sectors. The edited collection contains contributions from a range of international experts analysing the current worldwide trend towards regulation, which seeks to forestall, prevent and manage conflicts of interest. Particularly relevant chapters include Empirical Research on Conflict of Interest: A Critical Look, Conflict of Interest and the Administration of Public Affairs and Managing Conflict of Interest: Lessons from Multiple Disciplines and Settings.  

How to measure and monitor the revolving door, & pros and cons of regulating the revolving door. Zinnbauer, D., Anti Corruption Research Network, 2014. http://corruptionresearchnetwork.org/acrn-news/blog/how-to-measure-and-monitor-the-revolving-door-data-sources-and-evolving-approaches  

This two-part blog series looks at the most recent literature on the revolving door phenomenon. The first blog post examines some of the main arguments in favour and against the practice of revolving doors and how these arguments are substantiated by the latest empirical studies, finding that downside risks outweigh upside benefits. The second blog post focuses on the research approaches and data that are being used, concluding with some thoughts on promising new data sources and the need for a research methodology relevant for practical policy purposes.  

The open government guide to asset disclosure and conflicts of interest. Open Government Partnership, 2014. http://www.opengovguide.com/topics/assets-disclosureconflicts-of-interest/  

This guide offers a brief introduction to the problem of conflict of interest, a list of expert organisations, sample standards and guidance and country examples of successful conflict of interest mitigation. It also provides six model commitments which can help increase probity in public office.