What should agencies do when documenting conflicts of interest to maintain ethical integrity?

• A. Keep conflicts private and avoid disclosure.
• B. Document reasoning, disclose conflicts, and seek supervision as needed.
• C. Resolve conflicts without notifying anyone.
• D. Change job duties to avoid conflicts.

Answer: (B)

Documenting conflicts of interest with openness is essential for ethical integrity in agency decisions. Keeping a clear record of what the conflict is, why a decision was made, and how the conflict was addressed creates accountability and shows how potential bias was managed. Disclosing the conflict to the right supervisors or an ethics officer ensures others understand where bias could influence outcomes and provides a necessary check on decisions. Seeking supervision when needed brings in an external perspective to evaluate mitigation steps and ensure standards are met. This combination—documenting the reasoning, disclosing conflicts, and obtaining supervision when appropriate—helps maintain trust, aligns with policy expectations, and reduces the risk of biased or unfair results. Keeping conflicts private, resolving without notification, or relying solely on changing duties without disclosure fails to provide the transparency and oversight that uphold ethical integrity.