Board Skills for Sport

Session 2

The role of National Governing Bodies

Aims

• Role of National Governing Bodies (NGBs)• Sporting pyramid • Governance and accountability

National Governing Bodies

• UK Athletics– As the national governing body for athletics, UK

Athletics oversees the development and management of the nation’s favourite Olympic and Paralympic sport, from grassroots right through to podium. Since its inception in 1999, UK Athletics has developed to become the most successful and robust athletics governing body in the world

• British Swimming– British Swimming is the National Governing Body for

Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain. It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport

– The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (ASA), Scotland (Scottish Swimming) and Wales (Swim Wales)

– British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games

NGB Priorities

• Increased participation/membership• Elite performance• Corporate Governance• Facilities and access• School sport• Coaches and teachers• Volunteers

Performance Pyramid

Excellence

Performance

Participation

Foundation

Sport

and Recreation Allianc

e

Youth

Sport

Trust

Institutes of

Sport

Other

organisations

Sport

England

etc.

BOA

NGBs

Clubs BPA

International

Federations

Schools,

Colleges,

Universities

Commonwealth Game

s Association

s

IOC/

IPC

UK Sport

County Sport

Partnerships

Excellence

Performance

Participation

Foundation

Governance

• Corporate Governance• Public Funding (Lottery & Exchequer)• Accountability• Appropriately skilled board

UK Sport Investment PrinciplesUK Sport will scrutinise the governance and leadership of all sports in which it invests to ensure that organisations are run both professionally and efficiently, with a commitment to achieving the highest standards of corporate governance and financial management with systemic excellence at all levels. Sports must be able to evidence that equality and ethical standards are visibly integrated into their structures and operations.Implications• UK Sport will not invest in an organisation where it perceives the governance of that

sport puts at risk the delivery of its long-term performance objectives• UK Sport will seek evidence that the leadership team within the sport has the

appropriate skills to develop and guide the organisation’s strategic direction, with a commitment to drive continuous improvement. UK Sport will embed these required standards in its funding agreements, holding sports to account for their delivery

• Performance reviews will focus on excellence in system development and management as well as results

• Consistent failure to meet the required standards will result in the withholding or withdrawal of funding

UK Sport & Sport England

• NGB and Funded Partner Assurance Programme – Annual self assurance – Independent review – Governance, finance & control framework– RAG rating – Fit to receive and manage public funds– On-line tools

SRA Code

Voluntary Code of Good Governance for the Sport and Recreation Sector• Integrity: acting as guardians of the sport, recreation,

activity or area• Defining and evaluating the role of the board• Delivery of vision, mission and purpose• Objectivity: balanced, inclusive and skilled board• Standards, systems and controls• Accountability and transparency• Understanding and engaging with the sporting landscape