Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa NPC (FPI) and its employees, volunteers, and contractors understand the importance of impartiality and the consideration of any potential conflict of interests in carrying out its certification activities. Certification of individuals is based on objective evidence obtained by FPI through a fair, valid and reliable assessment, and is not influenced by other interests or other parties.

FPI will identify and assess risks in all relationships which may result in a conflict of interest or pose a threat to impartiality. Threats to impartiality include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Selt-interest threats: threats that arise from a person or body acting in its own interest to benefit itself;
• Subjectivity threats: threats that arise when personal bias overrules objective evidence;
• Familiarity threats: threats that arise from a person being familiar with or trusting of another person, e.g. an examiner or certification body personnel developing a relationship with a candidate that affects the ability to reach an objective judgement;
• Intimidation threats: threats that prevent a certification body or its personnel from acting objectively due to fear of a candidate or other interested party;
• Financial threats: the source of revenue for a certification body can be a threat to impartiality.

The Governing Board is responsible for ensuring that threats to impartiality and conflicts of interest are effectively managed and reviewed regularly.

Conflict of interest and objectivity is addressed further through binding agreements to ensure that all activities undertaken throughout the certification process are conducted in an independent and impartial manner.

FPI aims to inspire confidence in its certification by:

• being impartial,
• employing competent personnel,
• being responsive to complaints,
• providing access to relevant information gathered as per the FPI’s PAIA Manual,
• fairness,
• transparency of processes, and
• maintaining confidentiality as per the FPI’s Privacy Policy and Security Policy.