Draft policy for owner and legal review before public release.
What the principle means
A consultant’s responsibilities should be clear to the people relying on the work. iPol’s operating principle is designed to avoid simultaneous representation of opposing candidates in the same defined contest.
The relevant constituency, election or assignment, service scope and period must be recorded in the engagement. The principle is not a claim of permanent exclusivity across all elections or all work involving a geography.
How a conflict review works
An initial inquiry provides enough context to check the proposed assignment against existing commitments. The review should consider candidates, constituencies, services, timing and access to confidential information.
- Review overlapping Assembly and Parliamentary assignments.
- Consider advisory, field and communication work together.
- Identify other material professional or commercial relationships.
- Resolve the issue before accepting work or sharing sensitive information.
What an application does not do
Submitting a form, opening WhatsApp or holding an introductory discussion does not reserve a constituency or establish a client relationship. No public seat-availability counter is used here. Acceptance depends on conflict review, suitability and available delivery capacity.
If an assignment changes, the conflict assessment may also need to change. Team members should bring potential conflicts forward promptly rather than assume an earlier review covers new circumstances.
Confidentiality during review
Conflict checks should use only the information necessary for the decision. We should not disclose one prospect’s confidential plans to another in order to explain a decline. Ask the team if you need to understand the proposed scope before supplying sensitive details.