New online system for recording registers of interest
18 Aug 2016
The online system will be available from October
An online system to assist schools, directorates and units in capturing and maintaining registers of interest will be made available across the University from October 2016, subject to an on-boarding process for each school.
Under the University’s Financial Regulations, staff must declare any personal interest that may compromise or might be reasonably deemed to compromise impartiality, conflict with their duty as an employee, or could potentially result in a conflict of interests leading to private benefit.
Heads of Schools and Directorates are required to maintain a Register of Interests where staff must declare all personal interests. All staff on Grade 6 and above (and any other staff with possible conflicts of interest) must complete an annual return (including nil returns) in each academic year, and update the Register more frequently if their circumstances change. See the guide to registers of interest for more information:
These registers are maintained locally and have, until recently, required the sending out and collection of forms by school, unit and directorate administrators. An internal audit had previously identified low levels of completion in some areas of the University and one of the audit observations proposed the development of an online system to assist areas of the University in bringing forward these returns and raising compliance levels.
The online register of interests
Following a successful pilot last year, the University, with the support of IT Services, will open up the system for use by schools, units and directorates, across the University from October.
The system provides a secure, easy to use, on-line form to capture the interests of staff members and allows users to update their register at any time. Once established within the school, unit or directorate, the system will enable users to build a new return using any of the returns that they have previously filed in the system. If the individual has no interests to declare their return can be completed quickly, in just a few clicks.
Automated reminders and reporting
For administrators, the system makes email contact with relevant staff in the school or unit and sends a number of reminders until a completed return is filed. If no return is provided by the deadline, a list of those who have not yet made a return can be downloaded by the administrator for follow-up.
The lead administrator for any schools, units or directorates seeking to adopt the system should contact the IT Support Centre.
If you have any general queries about the system or about the requirements to maintain a register of interest, then please contact the Project Sponsor, Martin Conway.