The Task Team for a Safe ISBA will regularly identify conflicts of interest and evaluate them to make all team members aware of any potential biases that may affect the Task Team, in order to manage them openly within the team.
The Task Team recognizes that given the size of ISBA, relationships, both professional and personal, will exist along a spectrum from very close to distant, and it can be particularly difficult to avoid conflicts of interest in a relatively small field.
The protocol of the Task Team will be to self-disclose all real, perceived, and potential conflicts among the group of Task Team members. Conflicts will be discussed by the team in situations in which a decision is pending that places one or more team members in a position of real, perceived, or potential future conflict. As new conflicts arise, they will be disclosed to the team members at the next opportunity, before the team member participates in any relevant discussions or activities. Recusal may be necessary in some cases, though the Task Team’s charge is primarily to develop procedure and protocol, rather than to arbitrate individual cases. Should the Task Team fail to reach consensus on management of an identified conflict, the Task Team lead will make the final decision.