> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.tahua.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.tahua.io/knowledge-base/administrator-help-guides/assessments/conflict-of-interest.md).

# Conflict of Interest

When setting up an Assessment Round, you can enable Conflicts of Interest (COI) so that Assessors are asked to declare whether they have a conflict before assessing an Application. If an Assessor declares that they do, they're required to add a comment explaining it, and you'll be notified so you can review it.

{% hint style="info" %}
Important: declaring a Conflict of Interest is not just informational. It **blocks that Assessor from completing the Assessment** — they can't submit a score, and that Assessment is left out of the round's scoring — until you review and Revoke the conflict.
{% endhint %}

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Enable Conflicts of Interest for an Assessment Round

* When creating (or editing a draft) Assessment Round, go to the **Workflow** step and tick **Would you like the Assessors to be able to declare a Conflict of Interest?**
* Choose what information Assessors see when making that declaration — Application Title, Applicant Name, and/or Collaborator List — and optionally add your own help text.
* This setting can't be changed once the Assessment Round is published.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### What happens when an Assessor declares a conflict

* When an Assessor starts an Assessment, they're asked whether they have a conflict of interest.
* If they answer **Yes**, they must add a comment explaining the conflict before it can be submitted.
* Once submitted, that Assessor immediately loses access to complete, view, or export that Application until the conflict is resolved.
* You (and any other Admin with access to that Funding Round) receive a notification and a dashboard task to review it.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Locate and view the COI comment

* On the **Conflicts of Interest** menu, locate the COI and click **View Comment**.

![View Comment](/files/4f1ce82f043a9691ac232d7470c91f9bfce17115)

This will show the comment the Assessor made regarding their COI.

![COI Comment](/files/a4e077fba8c2b3fcb72da5012a8e3d8a9912add7)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Revoke the COI

* Using the information in the comment, decide whether to revoke the COI by clicking **Revoke**.
* Add your own comment explaining your decision, then click **Confirm**.

Revoking lets the **same** Assessor regain access and continue the Assessment — it doesn't reassign the Application to someone else. The Assessor is automatically notified by email once you revoke it.

![Revoke COI](/files/5ba4bb3100b99b5f7d1cc425d1eb8bbf98dd92dc)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### If you don't revoke the COI

* The Assessment stays blocked indefinitely — the Assessor cannot access, complete, or export that Application, and their Assessment is permanently excluded from the round's scoring.
* There's no automatic reminder or escalation, and no automatic reassignment to a different Assessor. It's on you to review and act on outstanding Conflicts of Interest.
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}