Independence and conflicts
The value of The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI) depends on its neutrality. Funders, sponsors, members, hosts and technology providers all contribute to the programme, and none of them can buy a finding, a ranking, an appointment, consent, a procurement advantage or the suppression of a limitation. This page sets out how sponsor neutrality, provider independence and role conflicts are managed, and how to raise a concern. It is part of trust and accountability.
- 01In briefThe short answer
- 02Three rulesNeutral by design
- 03Provider independenceTechnology providers compete on evidence
- 04Key termsTerms used on this page
- 05Role conflictsWhen one person or organization holds more than one role
GCRI · Institution · service level R0
The short answer.
Independence and conflicts at GCRI is the set of rules that keep funders, sponsors, members, hosts and technology providers from buying a finding, a ranking, an appointment, consent, a procurement advantage or the suppression of a limitation. The page explains sponsor neutrality, provider independence and how role conflicts are declared and managed.
Report to outcome.
Fig.How a reported error is reviewed and corrected. Design, not a record.
People and services in Kenya.
Where people live and how far each division sits from a large city's services, shown for Kenya as an example geography for this subject.
Neutral by design.
The rules apply to every form of support, whether money, data, infrastructure, hosting or expertise.
Support buys nothing
No support buys a finding, a ranking, an appointment, consent, procurement advantage or the suppression of a limitation.
Funding disclosed
Funding and review are disclosed with each publication, and sponsorship has no say in a test result.
Interests declared
Reviewers and leaders declare their interests. A reviewer with a declared conflict does not sign the acceptance it concerns.
Technology providers compete on evidence.
- 01
Selection on documented criteria
Testbed participants are selected through documented decisions, not by level of contribution.
- 02
No exclusivity by default
Contributing technology or capacity does not make a provider the programme's supplier.
- 03
Testing is not endorsement
A test result describes what was tested. It is not accreditation, certification or a recommendation to buy.
- 04
Competition safeguards
Precompetitive work is designed so that competitors' confidential information is not exchanged.
Terms used on this page.
Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Conflict of interest | A situation in which financial, professional or personal interests could compromise, or appear to compromise, judgement in research or review. |
| Sponsor neutrality | The principle that a campaign's funder does not control its findings, claims or editorial decisions. |
| Recusal | Withdrawing from a decision or task because of a conflict of interest. |
| Declaration of interests | A written statement in which an expert or participant discloses financial, professional and personal interests that could constitute a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest, so that others can judge and manage it; WHO uses this procedure for its experts. |
When one person or organization holds more than one role.
A person may be a researcher, a reviewer and a member of a council at different times. Where roles meet on the same matter, the conflict is declared and the person steps back from the decision. Institutional influence cannot decide a scientific conclusion. Review practice is set out under scientific and editorial integrity and research integrity.
The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) publishes its own rules at GRA conflicts, sponsors and neutrality.
Questions and answers.
Can a sponsor review a report before release?
Does contributing more give more influence?
How are conflicts of GCRI staff handled?
How do I report a suspected conflict?
Do GCRI's statuses and memberships create conflicts?
Around GCRI.
Start with an enquiry.
The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.