Integrity PART III A fair appointment and promotion policy will assist in maintaining the integrity of the institution. The minority ombudsman institution must have integrity. Integrity is closely related to independence, and independence, both institutional and of its membership and staff, will greatly assist the integrity of the institution. However, integrity goes beyond independence; it also relates to competence and to moral standards. The integrity of the institution can be best fostered through its hiring and promotions policy. Job competition should be based on a clear description of the position and skills required, and should be based on a selection process that is open and free from bias. Primacy in selection should be based on competence, as measured by demonstrable and assessable criteria. Ideally, all interview panels should have an independent assessor, for example a human resources consultant from outside the institution and the civil service, to attest to the fairness of the process. Finally, there should be a clear policy on nepotism that is rigorously applied. The appointment of those who share a business or other significant financial or professional interest with board members, officers or senior staff, or with their relatives, should be disqualified from appointment. The aforementioned principles are important for all appointments, but are particularly relevant to appointments of senior officers and staff. There should be no question that any appointment has been made on the basis of political connections, business or professional, significant social or family ties. The integrity of the institution can also be fostered through the elimination of any conflicts of interest, real or perceived. There should also, however, be no doubt about the moral integrity of officers of staff. Thus, persons who have been convicted of serious criminal offences should not be considered for appointment, and should be subject to dismissal, if already appointed. Moral Standing The minority ombudsman institution needs the trust of minority communities and the wider majority community if it is to be effective. A minority ombudsman institution will be most effective when it has developed a reputation for being trustworthy. If it does not have the trust of the minority members themselves, it will have greater difficulty in working with those communities: members of those communities will be less likely to bring complaints, particularly serious ones, to the attention of the institution; fieldwork, information gathering and 56