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Conflict of Interest Policy
This policy applies to:
- conference directors and core organisers
- team leads and deputy leads (e.g. Safety, Programme, A/V, Sponsorship)
- members of the Safety team or any team that handles code of conduct reports
- anyone with authority to commit conference funds
All other volunteers are encouraged to follow the spirit of this policy and raise concerns if they see undisclosed conflicts.
A conflict of interest is when your personal interests or relationships could — or could reasonably look like they could — influence your judgment on behalf of the conference.
They don't have to involve money, and they don't have to be intentional. Here are some common examples:
- Relationships within a team. You and your partner, close family member, or housemate are both on the Safety team.
- Power dynamics. You have authority over someone you're in a significant personal relationship with — or the other way around.
- Financial interests. You're involved in choosing a vendor, venue, or sponsor and you (or someone close to you) would benefit from the decision.
- Dual roles. You hold a role with a sponsor, a competing event, or Linux Australia Council, and decisions in one role could affect the other.
- Complaints involving people you know. You're on the Safety team and a complaint comes in involving a close friend, partner, family member, or someone you're in significant conflict with.
Having a conflict of interest isn't wrongdoing. It's a situation to be managed openly.
Tell the conference directors about any actual, potential, or perceived conflict as soon as you become aware of it. If a conference director is the one with the conflict, tell the other director(s) and/or the Linux Australia Council liaison.
If your conflict is something ongoing — like being in a relationship with someone on your team — disclose it when you join the team or at the start of the planning cycle, whichever is earlier.
If you have a conflict that's directly relevant to a decision, you must not:
- vote or make a unilateral decision on the matter
- be the sole decision-maker or handler
- access confidential information related to the matter, unless the conference directors have assessed the situation and decided it's appropriate
You don't have to be certain something is a conflict before raising it. If you're unsure, tell the conference directors and let them assess it.
The Safety team handles code of conduct complaints and exercises significant authority during the conference, so conflicts here need particular care.
If two Safety team members are in a romantic relationship, are close family, or share a household, this must be disclosed to the conference directors before the conference. We will then make sure:
- both people are never the only two handling the same complaint or incident
- where practical, rostering ensures at least one uninvolved team member is always available alongside either of them
- if one of them is the subject of a complaint, the other is fully excluded from handling, discussing, or being briefed on that complaint
If a complaint comes in and any party is a close friend, partner, family member, someone you're in significant conflict with, or any other person that could be considered a conflict of interest: inform the Safety lead immediately.
If you are the Safety lead, or the Safety lead is unavailable, inform the conference directors.
Until the Safety lead or the conference directors (as appropriate) determines otherwise you must step aside from the complaint entirely, and not access notes, communications or decisions made about the matter.
The conference directors will keep a simple register of disclosed conflicts, including names, the nature of the conflict, the date disclosed, and any actions taken.
This register is confidential to the conference directors.
Failing to disclose a known conflict, or ignoring a direction given under this policy, may result in:
- removal from the relevant team or role
- removal from the conference organising group
- exclusion from the conference venue and any online spaces
The conference directors will determine the appropriate response, consulting with affected parties where needed.
If you're not sure about anything you've just read, contact the conference directors at contact@pycon.org.au. Note: This is a shared inbox, please do not disclose confidential or personal information on your initial email.