> This is the Markdown of a Backed Help Centre page, https://admin.backed.giving/help/news/2026/2026-11-08-independence-rules-and-structured-conflicts.md. Every page is listed at https://admin.backed.giving/help/llms.txt.

## What's new

- **Independence rules.** Under `Settings > Organisation > Independence rules`, add rules that
  recuse an assessor automatically when they share an email domain with the applicant (public email
  domains are ignored) or are named in a tagged field. See
  [Independence rules](/administrator/organisation/independence-rules).
- **COI Recused.** A conflict a rule made shows `COI Recused` and the rule's name on
  `Conflicts of interest`, and beside `Declared Conflict` on the assessment lists and pages. Every
  conflict shows its recusal period, and `Independence rule matches` lists every match.
- **Management actions.** `Record management action` records whether a declared or confirmed
  conflict was recused, sent for secondary review, escalated or needed no action, with a note.
- **Structured declarations.** When a round asks, assessors choose the relationship, its direction
  and how serious it is when declaring a conflict, and can select `Declare a conflict` while
  assessing. The answers show in `View Comment`.