For Directors, Officers and Employees
1. Scope. The following policy applies to each member of the management committee, to each officer of Access Arts Inc, and to all persons employed by Access Arts Inc, regardless of position.
2. Responsibility. Directors, officers, and staff serve the public interest and thus have a clear obligation to this concept. All decisions of the management committee, officers, and employees of Access Arts Inc are to be made solely on the basis of a desire to promote the best interests of the organisation and the public good. Individuals inevitably are involved in the affairs of other institutions and organisations. Effective management committees and organisations will include individuals who have relationships and affiliations that may raise questions about perceived conflicts of interest. Although many such potential conflicts are and will be deemed inconsequential, every individual trustee and senior administrator has the responsibility to ensure the entire management committee is made aware of situations that involve personal, familial, or business relationships that could create a real or perceived conflict of interest. Thus, the management committee requires each trustee and institutional officer annually (a) to be familiar with the terms of this policy; (b) to disclose to the management committee chair any possible personal, familial, or business relationships that reasonably might give rise to a conflict involving Access Arts Inc; and (c) to acknowledge by his or her signature that he or she is in accordance with the letter and spirit of this policy.
3. Disclosure of Conflicts With Respect to Potential Financial Transactions. In the event any financial transaction involving Access Arts Inc also involves (a) a director, officer, employee or a member of their extended family, or (b) an organisation with which any director, officer, or employee of Access Arts Inc has any material financial interest, the director, officer, or employee having the affiliation or interest, at the first knowledge of the transaction, shall disclose fully the precise nature of the interest or involvement.
4. Disclosure Statement. Each management committee member, officer, and employee of Access Arts Inc shall be requested annually by Access Arts Inc to submit a disclosure statement listing all organisations with which he or she is affiliated and describing the nature of the affiliation as defined below. In the event there is any material change in the information contained in any disclosure statement, the person who submitted it shall promptly submit written notification of the change.
A director, officer, or employee is deemed to be affiliated with any organisation that may be potentially related to the financial operation of Access Arts Inc (a) of which he or she, or a member of his or her family, is a director, officer, trustee, partner, employee, or agent; or (b) in which he or she or members of his or her family receive direct financial benefit from sales or services; or (c) in which he or she or members of his or her extended family have a 35 percent or greater interest.
The term immediate family shall be deemed to include an individual’s spouse and children (including legally adopted children), and members of that individual’s household.
The term extended family shall be deemed to include an individual’s spouse, children (including legally adopted children), parents, grandparents, great grandparents, siblings (whether by whole or half blood), spouse of that individual’s siblings, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and members of that individual’s household.
In no way should this policy imply that directors, officers, or employees should reveal any political, religious, ethnic, fraternal or civic affiliations.
5 Administration. All disclosures required under this policy and amendments thereto, shall be directed in writing to the president of the management committee. The president of the management committee shall be responsible for the administration of this policy. Information disclosed under this policy shall be held in confidence by the persons authorized to receive and act upon it except where, in the judgment of any such persons, the best interest of the organisation requires further disclosure. This review process shall be reported annually to the management committee by the chair.
6. Restraint on Participation. A director or officer who has declared or has been found to have a conflict-of-interest in any proposed transaction or other matter shall refrain from participating in consideration of the proposed transaction or other matter, unless for special reasons the management committee requests information or interpretation from the person or persons involved. In the case of a director, he or she shall not vote on the matter in question and shall not be present at the time of the vote. With respect to restraint on participation by staff, the president shall take such action as is necessary to assure that the transaction is completed in the best interests of Access Arts Inc without the substantive involvement of the person who has the possible conflict-of interest.
7. Advance Determinations. Any management committee member who is uncertain about possible conflict-of interest in any matter may request the Executive Committee to determine whether a possible conflict exists; the Executive Committee shall resolve the question by majority vote.
Complies with Queensland Disability Service Standards: 8, 10
Update Responsibility: Emma Bennison
Date of last update: 23/06/2009