Guidance for employees and managers
Published
In the course of your APS career, you may be asked to participate in or lead activities that carry a higher risk of potential conflict of interest.
This guide is structured around the three professional relationships that are a central part of work in the public service: relationships with the Government and the Parliament; with the public; and with public service colleagues.
This guide identifies common conflicts of interest themes that can arise for APS employees in connection with their work.
The purpose of this toolkit is to explore common types of conflicts of interest that can arise for APS employees, and provide practical examples of how to manage them.
This guidance sets out that agency heads and SES employees are required to declare in writing, at least annually, their own and their immediate family's financial and other interests that could cause a real or apparent conflict of interest.
Managers at all levels have a duty—in addition to declaring and managing their own conflicts—to ensure that their staff avoid conflicts of interest, or declare and manage conflicts effectively on an ongoing basis.
A conflict of interest exists when a public official or other person has a personal interest, or another duty, that could affect or be affected by how the public official or person performs their public or official functions or duties.
Your conflict of interest declaration and management obligations continue after you commence employment, and your initial declaration and plan should be reviewed at regular intervals.
Conflicts of interest can arise when APS employees choose to leave the APS and accept employment or establish a business in a non-government sector. Employees and agencies each have a role in ensuring such conflicts are declared and appropriately managed prior to separation.
Secondary employment (sometimes called ‘outside employment’) is any work undertaken by an APS employee outside of their primary job in the APS.