Abstract
Background
While materials designed to support improving governance of commercial interactions, relationships and influence show promise, uptake is suboptimal and research is lacking on their use at local level, particularly in addressing public-private sector conflicts of interest (COI).
Methods
A survey (n=20) and follow-up interviews (n=6) were conducted online in March–November 2025 with local authority (LA) actors (e.g. public health remit) across England, exploring how COI manifest, and are managed, at the local level, and the potential for good governance tools to help address COI (e.g. The Good Governance Toolkit). Participants were asked whether they found good governance tools useful, how such tools could be improved, and their experiences of engaging with the private sector and potential COI locally.
Results
Participants recommended using explicit examples of COI to help develop discernment regarding potentially harmful partnerships, awareness-raising activities, and training to improve access to, and use of, good governance tools. LAs discussed navigating trade-offs between immediate economic benefits (e.g. jobs) and longer-term health/environmental harms, particularly where economic ambitions create ongoing tensions with public health priorities. Some participants felt they lacked the necessary awareness and skills to identify and manage COI, often relying on personal discernment and knowledge, highlighting the need to improve governance tools.
Conclusions
Tools to better identify, and manage, public-private sector COI deserve further attention, particularly given the complex interplay between local government and the private sector, where most decision-making is left to LA actors who often feel unequipped and lacking appropriate guidance. Awareness-raising and practical training within local government are critical to improve understanding of COI and tools, empowering local public health teams to manage commercial interactions more effectively.
Key messages
• Tools to support local authorities manage public-private sector conflicts of interest need greater attention, particularly given the complex interplay between local government and the private sector.
• Good governance tools need improvements to effectively develop local authority discernment regarding potentially harmful partnerships, alongside training to help improve accessibility and usability.