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WSET Conflict of Interest Policy

As a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Approved Program Provider (APP), the Independent Wine Education Guild (IWEG) is required to identify to WSET and assist in managing or monitoring actual, potential, and perceived conflicts of interest (‘conflicts of interest’) involving both APP staff and students.

This policy complements WSET’s conflicts of interest policy and works to safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications and promote confidence in WSET and IWEG’s processes and procedures.

This policy applies to all IWEG staff, instructors, and students and to any individual acting on behalf of IWEG..

A conflict of interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity, or loyalty to WSET or IWEG when conducting activities associated with WSET qualifications.

Examples of conflicts of interest include:

• The assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;
• The moderation of assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;
• The undertaking of a WSET qualification by any individual employed by an APP;
• The employment by an APP of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programs or in the role of internal assessor in another APP; and
• The investigation of a non-compliance incident by someone who is unable to act impartially.

Some of these conflicts of interest are manageable and therefore acceptable. For example, if a family member of one of the IWEG educators or APP staff takes a qualification and exam through IWEG, or when an employee of IWEG, or of WSET, takes a WSET qualification through IWEG, we can notify WSET in advance and work with them to put in place measures to maintain the integrity of the exam.

Some conflicts of interest are not manageable and are not acceptable. For example, no mitigation efforts overcome the conflict created when a single individual serves as the educator and exam officer of an exam for a family member where an external invigilator is not available.

Any staff member, instructor, or student of who becomes aware of a conflict of interest must inform the Executive Director at director@iweg.org as soon as possible. IWEG’s Executive Director will inform WSET of the possible conflict of interest and will work with WSET to put any protective or mitigating measures in place to manage the conflict on a case-by-case basis. If WSET and IWEG determine the conflict is not manageable, the Executive Director will inform any impacted APP staff or students.

Please note that the failure to declare a conflict of interest may have consequences for the student or IWEG because we are required to report conflicts to WSET.