New good governance workshop series for sports organisations
A series of good governance workshops kicked off this week, aimed at empowering representatives from International Federations to implement governance reforms within their internal structures. Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), one of the IPACS founding partners, this initiative builds on the success of similar webinars organised last year but takes a more practice-oriented approach. The concept enables small-group interactions, with participants also discussing specific challenges they are facing in the field of governance.
Once again, this workshop series has been mainly designed for IOC-recognised sports organisations.
Turning theory into action
IOC Deputy Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Giuseppe Deleonardis explained: “We’d like the participants to consolidate and apply the knowledge they acquired last year about the updated Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance within the Olympic Movement [BUPGG], as well as the IPACS Sports Governance Benchmark. It’s about empowering them to take the next step and turn theory into action in their specific environments.”
The first edition of the new series took place virtually on 16 June and brought together 30 representatives from over 20 International Federations. The topic in focus was “How to secure buy-in for good governance”.
Initiating positive change
“Leadership buy-in for good governance measures is a key success factor for sustainable, positive change and an important indicator of a supportive culture within the organisation,” said Deleonardis. “However, change doesn’t always come easy. This specific workshop concentrated on how to advocate governance reforms and develop a speak-up culture to promote transparency and accountability in internal structures.”
Participants were engaged through specific case studies where they had to apply certain concepts and tools. They also shared real-life scenarios from their own organisations and discussed possible solutions in smaller breakout groups.
Francesca Falsoni, Vice-President of the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations (WAKO), had this to say about her participation in the workshop: “Participating in the IOC Good Governance Webinar was a truly enriching experience. The insightful discussions and practical exercises provided valuable perspectives that I am eager to bring to WAKO. I appreciated the opportunity to engage with fellow participants and deepen my understanding of best practices in good governance within the IOC. I am confident that the knowledge gained will be concretely applied to strengthen and develop good governance within our International Federation.”
The subsequent workshops scheduled for October and December will address conflicts of interest and promoting gender equality and diversity in and through sport.
Background information
As part of the implementation of Recommendation 14 of Olympic Agenda 2020+5, in September 2022 the IOC Executive Board approved the updated version of the Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance within the Olympic Movement. These principles are an implementing provision of the IOC Code of Ethics. Another key guide for good governance within sports organisations is the IPACS Sports Governance Benchmark.