Recent headlines clearly suggest that governance issues within local sport remains a serious problem. Sports organisations are run for the common good and collective interests. Those who are elected or appointed to office and act as if public resources belong to them are not working in the best interest of the collective and common good.
Openness and transparency should be the normal operating procedure. Decisions taken must put the best interest of the sport and its stakeholders first, but in so doing seek to find the equilibrium between competing interests. Stakeholders including those elected to serve on executive committees must keep their leaders in check by asking hard probing questions.
The ramifications of poor governance are grave when decisions are made and actions taken without motives being questioned. Passive participation leads to far reaching negative consequences that threaten the existence and financial health of an organisation.
Corruption is the abuse of power or position for private gain. Corruption thrives when the benefit of using public resources for private gain outweighs the likely cost of doing so. The potential rewards in being corrupt are greater than the potential risks of being caught and punished. Private gain is not only monetary; forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, and certain types of patronage, graft and embezzlement.
Transparent and accountable sport governance benefits the public good and the well being of local sport. A commitment to good governance is not something for which you can make excuses, nor is it something you should negotiate or give up on. For a pledge to good governance to be a reality there has to be full commitment. Those who are committed to operate in accord with good governance principles must see past the problems and keep focus on the promises made to stakeholders. Do whatever is necessary to make the pledge a reality.
Take actions immediately don’t put off doing what needs to be done. Now means now rather than a minute from now.
There must be a deep conviction to ensure that transparent and accountable governance is the norm. The only way progress will be made is to challenge traditions and create new ways of doing things refuse to be held prisoner to flawed traditions and culture.
It may be a new and unfamiliar situation but be willing to be uncomfortable, and do what makes other people uncomfortable until transparent and accountable governance becomes the normal operating procedure. Good governance must become part of who you are rather than what you do. Informational transparency including public statements of the reason for taking action or requiring disclosure of information that may have led to a particular decision being made should be the rule rather than the exception to the rule.
Those in charge must be held accountable for their actions and not be allowed to divert attention away from probing and pertinent questions. Efforts to alter the context must be seen for what it is- an attempt to stymie discovery.
Earning public trust and that of sponsors demand nothing less. Sporting organisations require greater resources to generate the needed support trust is critical.
Stronger governance within the sports themselves is an absolute must if the integrity and good name of local sport is to be protected.
Good governance within sport must be the responsibility of national sport organisations itself. Government can give guidance, but it is up to each sport to ensure that there is a commitment to acting with integrity, operating transparently and to having a zero tolerance approach to breaches of trust.
A starting point is the involvement of individuals of unquestionable integrity, a clear conflict of interest policy and executive committee members and stakeholders who are not passive.
Lying and failing to honour a commitment to good governance is stealing from the future. Elected and appointed sport leaders, administrators and managers must live up to their ethical obligations.
-Brian Lewis
Source: www.guardian.co.tt