Conflict of Interest Policy

1.Scope and meaning

This policy applies to board members, staff, volunteers, editors, reviewers, and advisers when they act for World Wide. Relevant interests can be financial, professional, institutional, academic, family, or personal and include benefits to a connected person or organisation. The test is whether a reasonable observer could doubt the independence of the decision.

2.Disclosure

Disclose a relevant interest before discussion or decision and update it if circumstances change. For editorial or moderation work, disclose relationships with the submitter, subject, employer, funder, or competitor. If unsure, disclose enough for an uninvolved decision maker to assess it.

3.Management

• record the interest and who assessed it;
• limit access to sensitive material where appropriate;
• seek a second independent review;
• exclude the person from discussion, recommendation, or vote; or
• decline or revisit the decision if no proportionate mitigation works.

4.Records and concerns

Material disclosures and mitigations are documented with access limited to those who need them. Personal information is retained only as long as the governance or legal purpose requires. Raise a concern through the contact below; identify the decision and interest as precisely as possible. Retaliation for a good-faith report is not acceptable.