Managing Conflict Of Interest To Promote Public Sector Integrity

Conflict of interest in the public sector is a contemporary problem of democratic societies and at the very core of the abuse of public office. A conflict of interest arises when the personal interest of the public official is in conflict with the public interests. Regardless of the broad and narrow definition of the official's private interest, the public sector needs to implement proper tools and controls for managing conflict of interest. Ensuring that civil servants and public officials perform their public duties for the public good, requires understanding of the sources and types of conflict of interest that could lead to corruptive behaviour. The aim of this review paper is to give insight into system for recognizing and managing conflict of interest in the public sector. The activities and the measures of the government for regulating public officials conduct are necessary for ensuring the integrity of public sector institutions. Therefore, the focus of this paper is on identifying conflict of interest, implementation of strategies for resolving conflicts of interest, and the regulatory framework for managing conflict of interest in the public sector.