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Intro

In March 2018 the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (the department) announced the Sport and Recreation Strategic Funding Review.

The purpose of the Strategic Funding Review was to look at the department’s investment into Western Australia’s sport and recreation industry, and to address upcoming opportunities and challenges within the portfolio.

This document has been informed by responses to the consultation period that was held between October and December 2018 with feedback collated into 22 strategic findings and 12 preliminary operational recommendations.

The next stage of consultation will provide a platform for feedback to:

  • ensure the findings accurately reflect what was discussed during the consultation period
  • test the industry’s support towards the proposed recommendations

The feedback process is part of a final round of consultations, which will include further workshops, a survey and an invitation for feedback on this document.

This document was open for comment until Thursday 21 March 2019.

Contents

Executive summary

In March 2018 the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (the department) announced the Sport and Recreation Strategic Funding Review.

The purpose of the Strategic Funding Review was to look at the department’s investment into Western Australia’s sport and recreation industry, and to address upcoming opportunities and challenges within the portfolio.

This document has been informed by responses to the consultation period that was held between October and December 2018 with feedback collated into 22 strategic findings and 12 preliminary operational recommendations [1].

Strategic findings

The strategic findings have been derived from discussions relating to the ‘17 Areas for Further Discussion’, identified in the Common Ground discussion paper. They have been grouped into two themes, with the following key discussion points emerging:

  1. The relationship between the department and the sport and recreation industry.
  • While the department’s programs are making a difference to the industry and community, areas for improvement have been identified.
  • There is a need for the department and the industry to work more collaboratively and have a clearer definition of roles and responsibilities.
  • There is a need for a consistent customised approach from the department to recognise the range of capacities and capabilities of organisations within the industry.
  • There is a need to simplify and consolidate departmental processes.
  1. The wider context and external influences.
  • There is a need to discuss how the sport and recreation industry can engage with the health and education sectors in a more meaningful way.
  • There is a need to address the changing landscape of participation opportunities, especially from a regional perspective.

Operational recommendations

Operational recommendations contained in this document are a result of the consultation process and an internal review of existing funding programs and gaps in current services.  

Key discussion points that have emerged include:  

  • the need to have extended grant terms with the department’s Industry Investment Program.
  • the need to examine and streamline funding opportunities for events, participation and active recreation opportunities.

Next steps

The next stage of consultation will provide a platform for feedback to:   

  1. ensure the findings accurately reflect what was discussed during the consultation period.
  2. test the industry’s support towards the proposed recommendations.

The feedback process is part of a final round of consultations, which will include further workshops, a survey and an invitation for feedback on this document.

This document will be open for comment until Thursday 21 March 2019.

Implementation of the Strategic Funding Review

The findings and recommendations will be incorporated into a final report for endorsement and implementation in the 2019-20 financial year.

It is evident from the consultation process that this is just the start of the conversation. Continual review and engagement with the industry is required to ensure that positive sport and recreation opportunities are available to all members of the community.

The department is committed to resetting its relationship with the sport and recreation industry. It is excited at the prospect of future opportunities and partnerships, with a commitment to being open and transparent.
 

Background

In March 2018, Minister for Sport and Recreation Mick Murray hosted a sport and recreation sector briefing that outlined the successes of the previous 12 months, as well as challenges and priorities identified within the Sport and Recreation portfolio. [2]

Key priorities included:

  • supporting a balanced, value-based distribution of State Government funding to State Sporting Associations
  • promoting the value of a physically active lifestyle as a principal contributor to preventative health
  • promoting and protecting the ground-up nature of Western Australian sport and recreation, reinforcing the importance of grassroots and community-level participation within the wider State and national landscape.

Key challenges identified by the Minister for Sport and Recreation included:

  • The sport and recreation industry faces a challenging financial environment regarding the amount of funding available from all levels of government. State Government funding derived from traditional sources is being challenged by competition in the lotteries and sports wagering marketplaces [3]. “We must understand and focus our financial resources into essential areas that provide sport and recreation with the greatest value.”
  • The sport and recreation industry must adapt to the challenging financial environment and be more independently self-sufficient. “The hand-out culture can no longer be supported by Government.”
  • The commercialisation of sport is challenging the sustainability of smaller sports, as revenues and media exposure becomes increasingly concentrated. “Sport in Western Australia thrives in its diversity and its variety of choice. A greater balance in the funding of, exposure for and promotion of all sports, big and small is required.”

Since the Minister’s sector briefing, the Strategic Funding Review has commenced and has progressed with a series of meetings and workshops with the sport and recreation industry.

The first major step occurred in October 2018 with the release of the Common Ground discussion paper. Common Ground outlined the areas of agreement and areas for further discussion between the sport and recreation industry and the department.

Common Ground was the precursor to a consultation period held in October and November 2018.

This report marks the next major step of the Strategic Funding Review with the publication of the preliminary strategic findings and operational recommendations.

Consultation period

The Common Ground discussion paper, released in October 2018, provided a consolidated response to the areas of agreement between the sport and recreation industry and the department, and identified areas for further discussion.

The industry was invited to provide feedback to the Common Ground document through either a written response and/or by attending a workshop.

Written responses

The industry was invited to provide written responses to Common Ground by Friday 23 November, with extensions being granted to 7 December 2018.

Workshop participants were also encouraged to provide written responses, if they felt that their contributions needed further elaboration or consideration.

Written responses were received from the following 10 organisations:

  • Swimming WA.
  • WA Speedway Commission.
  • Westcycle.
  • Motorcycling WA.
  • Town of Port Headland.
  • Outdoors WA.
  • Parks and Leisure (WA).
  • WA Sports Federation.
  • City of Bunbury.
  • Bushwalking WA.

Workshops and leadership forums

A series of workshops and leadership forums were held across the State between 14 and 30 November 2018. More than 150 participants attended the workshops.

  • Three metropolitan workshops were held, with the WA Sports Federation, Parks and Leisure Australia (WA) and the department each hosting a session.
  • Four regional workshops were hosted by the department in Bunbury, Albany, Geraldton and Broome.
  • The Minister for Sport and Recreation hosted a leadership forum with selected industry representatives.
  • Meetings were held with the Technical Reference Group and Industry Reference Group.

Workshop process

The workshops were facilitated in a consistent manner to ensure streamlined discussions. Notwithstanding, a diversity of responses was received.

On enrolment, participants received a copy of Common Ground and a workshop pack. The workshop pack contained a summary of the ‘17 areas for further discussion’ detailed in Common Ground, and background information on the department’s current funding programs.

Participants were encouraged to review and prepare responses prior to attending the workshop.

The leadership forums and reference group meetings also used the workshop pack to guide conversation.

Each workshop had three sessions, with the discussions that arose through these sessions used to guide the findings and recommendations within this document.

  • Session 1: discussion of the ‘17 areas for further discussion’ (Common Ground).

    As the duration of the workshop would not allow all 17 areas to be explored in detail, a prioritisation process was completed to determine the top five areas of agreement per workshop.

    This was completed first individually, by table and then as a collective workshop. These five agreed areas were then discussed in detail.

    These discussions have been collated into strategic findings for the reflection of the department and industry.

  • Session 2: review of the department’s funding programs.

    This session involved participants reviewing the department’s existing funding programs for their views on relevance, complexity and areas of improvement. Participants in the workshops were able to prioritise the order and duration of discussion on each program.

    These discussions have been collated into operational recommendations for the department’s action and will be tested with the industry.

  • Session 3: discussion of gaps in current service provision.

This session enabled participants to discuss any gaps of programs and services provided by the department.

The department has considered the identified gaps and has recommended new approaches as a response to these gaps. These will be tested with the industry for bearing before implementation.

Review of areas for further discussion

Context

The findings within this section of the report reflect the discussions held between the department and the industry during the consultation period. The findings have expanded upon the ‘17 areas for further discussion’, identified in the Common Ground discussion paper.

The findings have been grouped into two themes:

  1. The relationship between the department and the industry.
  2. The wider context and external influences.

The relationship between the department and Industry

Are the department’s funding programs appropriate[4] to make a difference to the industry?

This topic area was listed in every consultation session, apart from one, as a top five priority and was ranked first in three out of the seven sessions.

Many organisations stated that the department’s funding helps them develop their capacity and capabilities, improve their professionalism and provide sport and recreation opportunities to the community. All would be significantly impacted without funding through the department.

A consistent comment was that the department gathers a significant volume of data through its funding requirements, through the application and acquittal processes. It was consistently expressed that the impacts of this data collation should be shared with the industry and used to advocate for the value of the funding programs.

There was also a high level of conjecture as to whether all sports should be funded, with calls for professional sports[5] to either have reduced or no funding. While this view may be considered subjective, it is consistent with the challenge stated in the Minister for Sport and Recreation’s briefing in March 2018.

A counter-point, however, was that the costs associated with the delivery of international and national competitions to organisations increases the need for financial support.

Comments were also made as to the appropriateness of servicing State-wide outcomes; this expectation needs to be balanced by the capacity and capability of an organisation. This has been further examined in the review of the Industry Investment Program.

Additionally, it was indicated during the consultation process that short funding terms and a focus on delivery of ‘sport’ rather than participation limited organisations’ ability to deliver sustainable change.

Despite the stated challenge of having less funding available and being in a financially challenging environment there were many comments suggesting the amount of funding should be increased.

Findings
  1. The investment in sport and recreation organisations has made a difference to the industry either to ensure that operations continue or to improve the professionalism of an organisation.
  2. There is room for improvement in terms of the tailoring requirements for smaller organisations and continuing to review what core business is.
  3. Further work is required to review the appropriateness of funding programs against the department’s outcomes and State Government priorities.

Define and deliver core business[6]

During the consultation process, industry responses to what they perceive as the department’s core business were relatively consistent among respondents. These included:

  • Strategic direction: provide coordination between the agendas of local, State and Federal Governments, keep abreast of research and current trends and provide direction to the industry.
  • Leadership: provide leadership and best practice support to the industry, build the capacity of service providers, recognising that there is a significant variation in capability and capacity within the industry.
  • Advocacy: advocate for the value of sport and recreation from a social, economic and health perspective. Provide greater advocacy for equitable delivery to Western Australia’s regions.
  • Funding: provide funding sources for the industry to deliver outcomes aligned to the strategic direction of the department and work with the industry to leverage support from other sources.

An area of contention that was frequently raised during the consultation process was the department’s role in service delivery. This was met with mixed feedback, with some respondents noting the value of the department’s service delivery arm for example, industry workshops and advocacy events. Others considered that it was the responsibility of the industry to undertake this role and that the department should be the facilitator, contributing advice, insight and support towards the achievement of outcomes. This will be an area that will continue to be examined by the department, and the department’s role may change depending on needs and priorities emerging within the industry.

There was also a consistent comment from the industry about providing continuity of personnel, with examples of the benefits that department staff provide to organisations through relationship management.

As with the challenge set by the Minister for Sport and Recreation in March 2018 there is a need to review the level of service the department provides to organisations to ensure maximum benefit to the wider industry, particularly those organisations with limited capacity. This issue has been explored with recommended changes to the Industry Investment Program categorisations and level of servicing.

Findings
  1. There are a wide range of expectations of the role of the department in supporting the industry, with a shift of focus towards facilitating outcomes rather than leading the delivery.
  2. The department needs to continue to build the capacity and capability of organisations, recognising there is significant variation within the industry. How this occurs may require a different approach and relationship with the industry, including greater engagement and partnerships.

    The industry was also given the opportunity to assess what it considered to be its core business. It was identified that providing participation opportunities, building the capacity of the sport and ensuring it is well governed were their key duties.

    It was suggested that historically, the industry had not stepped into the gap to provide advocacy for itself, with the onus on the department to do so. Comments also suggested that the industry is task focused, rather than strategic. It was noted that a significant change in thinking would be beneficial in order that individual sports cease acting in competition with each other. This would enable the industry to act as a collective, with peak bodies playing a key role, strengthening the industry. There were some practical suggestions as to what the industry could do more of to improve its role in advocacy, including assisting in coordinating the annual Industry Census, which is currently lead by the department.

    The role of the WA Sports Federation as the peak body for sport was discussed with feedback suggesting WA Sports Federation needs to take an increased leadership role in providing advocacy for the industry.

    Consultation participants commended the department for the level of industry engagement during the Strategic Funding Review. In particular, the early involvement of the sport and recreation industry was cited as a success, enabling industry buy-in and giving it a voice in the development of engagement strategies.

  3. Findings
    1. The industry’s view of itself is to provide participation opportunities, build the capacity of the sport and to ensure it is well governed.
    2. There is a need for the sport and recreation industry to evaluate its relationship with the department in order to ensure the correct roles and responsibilities are in place.
    3. The department and the industry need to reposition relationships to work more collaboratively (as has occurred through this process).
    4. The WA Sports Federation should strengthen its role as the peak advocacy body for sport.
    Customisation of approach[7]

    During the consultation process, the sport and recreation industry had a consistent point of view, stating that a ‘one-size fits all’ approach from the department is not suitable to service the industry. It was suggested that the department should tailor services to the capacity and capability of each organisation.

    It was noted by respondents that administrative processes and the levels of reporting are often inadequately represented across the various funding programs. Some State Sporting Associations gave examples of being required to undertake more administrative processes than some clubs which receive higher funding allocations through a different grant scheme. This anomaly has been further explored through the review of the Industry Investment Program.

    Findings
    1. There is a need to consistently customise the requirements of organisations across all grant programs, to reflect their capacity, capability and reach, and reflect the level of funding.
    2. There should be transparency and accountability in how the funding for the Industry Investment Program is allocated.
    Simplification of process and minimising of effort

    It was initially thought this topic would consider the consolidation of funding programs, but when discussed in the workshops the larger concern was the duplication of effort to secure funding and repeated submission of the same information to the department.

    It was suggested that if the various agreements could be consolidated into a single agreement (especially if outcomes are aligned) this would greatly reduce administrative burden, especially on smaller organisations. The emphasis would then be on the department to work with the organisations to ensure that the local and regional outcomes are delivered and that organisations can plan, at the minimum on an annual basis.

    The overwhelming comment raised, during the consultation process, was for an extension of the funding term from one year to three years for the Industry Investment Program. Many of the examples indicated the operational impacts of single year funding – particularly retention of staff and securing leases for premises. The provision of three-year funding with the tailoring of requirements to reflect an organisation’s capacity and standardisation of applications and acquittals would address many of the comments made. The details of this are provided within the Industry Investment Program section.

    A common issue raised by the industry, especially smaller State Sporting Associations, was a desire for the department to provide best practice resources, including templates, example policies and procedures.

    During the consultation period there were several announcements by Sport Australia relating to their approach to funding National Associations. It is still unknown how these announcements could impact the resourcing and focus for Western Australian State Sporting Associations. This presents an opportunity for Western Australia and will be an ongoing process with communication between the department, WA Sports Federation and Sport Australia.  

    Findings
    1. The department should look at standardising the application and acquittal process for programs with aligned funding outcomes.
    2. The department should progress the development of a consolidated funding agreement with each State Sporting Association and Industry Recognised Organisation.
    3. The department should provide online best practice guidance including templates, policies and procedures for State Sporting Associations.
    4. The department and the industry should work with Sport Australia to assist in the simplification of compliance and industry standards, and for the National Sporting Organisations to assist Western Australian State Sporting Associations.
    The wider context and external influences

    How does the sport and recreation sector engage with the health and education[8] sectors in a more meaningful way?

    It was clear from feedback received during the consultation process that the sport and recreation industry needs a greater level of advocacy about the benefits of sport and recreation to the health sector. Key to this intent is the ability to articulate the value into similar metrics of the health sector.

    To do this successfully, a greater level of investment is needed into research and evaluation. Key areas of research identified by the industry included return on investment and social impact value. It is believed that being able to articulate these measures in a reliable way would advance advocacy efforts for a greater allocation of the State’s budget and may be able to assist the industry in applying for funding programs from outside the department.

    In relation to the establishment of a universal unit of measurement there was support for the concept and agreement that measuring participation would be more meaningful than just membership. It was concluded that this needs to be explored through a separate piece of work.

    It was also noted that the relationship between the industry and the Departments of Health and Education should be strengthened, facilitated with assistance from the department.

    Findings
    1. The department and the industry need to engage more effectively with the health and education sectors.
    2. The department should consider adopting a whole of government language, common to the health and education sectors.
    3. The department should investigate the process of developing a universal unit of measurement for the sport and recreation industry.
    Participation in a changing environment

    While this was not a topic that rated highly in the consultation workshops, when it was discussed, it was discussed at length.

    There was recognition that this is a complex area and that there are challenges and potential changes needed to the traditional delivery model. However, what this may mean for the industry remained unresolved.

    There were comments suggesting that the focus on funding sport needs to be broadened to include active recreation and physical activity. This is in line with the new strategic direction outlined in the National Sports Plan ‘Sport 2030’ by the Federal Government. This is notwithstanding that the industry does not view its core business as engaging the ‘inactive’ population. If the department intends to expand with a physical activity lens, it needs to consider the resource implications for the industry and how broader partners may be engaged.

    There was also concern that the State and Federal governments are disconnected from each other in their strategies and support of sport delivery. It was suggested that the State Government should work with, and advocate to the Federal Government to streamline messaging.

    Further, it was noted that there is a distinct point of difference between the traditional sport servicing model from a metropolitan and regional perspective, with the regions concluding that the level of service is often not reflective of investment. It was suggested that additional delivery models be explored to complement the traditional delivery model. This is considered within the Regional Grants section of this report.  

    Through the consultation it was noted that local government is often the forgotten partner in sport and recreation, and that engagement should occur more regularly.

    There was also a considerable commentary regarding gaps in the current funding programs that the department offers. This included how the department supports events, participation and active recreation opportunities.  

    Findings
    1. The expansion of the definition of sport at a Federal level to include physical activity needs to be reviewed at a State level with a position statement considered.
    2. There is a point of difference between regional and metropolitan participants as to the value of investing in the traditional delivery model.
    3. Local government is a major player in community sport and recreation and needs to be factored into the delivery model.
    4. There are market gaps in how the department supports events, participation and active recreation opportunities.

    WA challenges

    It was generally accepted during the consultation process that Western Australia faces challenges based on its geographical size and dispersed population.

    Many of the examples provided during the consultation were specific to the respondent’s circumstances, regarding funding equity and the cost of providing services in Western Australia. Specifically, this refers to regional and remote Western Australia compared to the East Coast of Australia.

    It was acknowledged that the impact of Sport Australia’s national programs and expanded funding framework implementation remains unknown.

Review of department’s current funding programs

Context

The recommendations within this section of the report have been derived from internal reflections and through industry consultation.

The department will test the preliminary recommendations for support in the next stage of consultation.

A consolidation of the discussions and recommendations for the individual programs are summarised as below.

Industry Investment Program

The importance of the Industry Investment Program was consistently reiterated throughout the consultation period, with some organisations noting that the program is integral for them to maintain their core business.

As stated earlier in this report, it was strongly advocated that the Industry Investment Program should be funded on a three yearly basis instead of the current one year funding schedule. Concerns included that an annual funding agreement impacts on some organisations’ capacity to enter leases for office accommodation and/or to secure and retain suitable staff. Reinstating a three year funding period would provide greater certainty and stability for organisations. It is therefore recommended that the Industry Investment Program returns to a three year funding period.

The other key topic discussed in relation to the Industry Investment Program was the additional grant agreements organisations enter into, which deliver on similar outcomes within their Industry Investment Program allocation. The most consistently mentioned program was the regional grants scheme. It was discussed that there should be a review process to reduce the duplication of services and reduce the administrative burden for organisations. It is therefore recommended that Regional Servicing Grants and Regional Organisation Grants will be consolidated within the Industry Investment Program.

To achieve these recommendations, a review of the Industry Investment Program categorisations was required. The department has drafted new categorisation criteria, Appendix B, for feedback from the industry before implementation in the 2019/2020 financial year.

As an overview, proposed changes to the categorisation process include:

  • Funding categories will be endorsed collectively by the sport and recreation industry and the department (noting the funding bands within the categories will be based on a confirmed appropriation to the department).
  • Categories will outline eligibility for funding programs as well as policy requirements and reach.
  • Each funding band will have incremental stages that an organisation can progress through in their category, for example category 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.
  • The annual baseline review will continue, and the results will be the basis for any recommended incremental changes. Recommendations from the review may be endorsed through a panel, who will recommend adjustments to the Minister for Sport and Recreation.
  • The determination of how approved funding is to be allocated will be through a discussion between the department and the organisation and will be reflected within the Annual Key Results Schedule. A focus on the organisation’s strategic plan and its other key outcomes include but are not limited to regional servicing, targeted participation and club development will be considered.

    It is proposed that new categorisation criteria be adopted, with organisations’ funding level aligned with their allocated category. This will address instances where elements that have been historically added have resulted in organisations within the same category having different base levels of funding. It should be noted in instances where State Sporting Associations’ new funding allocations result in a decrease of funding, a 12 month transition period will be implemented.

    Previously funded Industry Representation Organisations will evolve to be either a Peak Body or a Sport and Recreation Agent. Further consultation is required with impacted organisations to either confirm their status as a peak body or to assist in the recognition process for a Sport and Recreation Agent. This process will be announced following the next round of the Strategic Funding Review.

    It should also be noted that in November 2018 the Minister for Sport and Recreation wrote to all State Sporting Associations notifying them of the introduction of a target of 50 per cent female representation on sport and recreation boards. The department has agreed to work in partnership with the industry to develop a staged implementation plan. This will be considered further in the next stage of the Strategic Funding Review and with the Gender Diversity Advisory Group, with the staged implementation plan reflected in the final categorisation tables.

    There will be an ongoing review process with the industry to examine the criteria and the ability of the industry to make recommendations for changes. It is also proposed that the values of the categories and increments be reviewed prior to the next three year funding block (2022/2023 to 2024/2025).

    The current categorisation criteria are provided in Appendix B. It is recommended that the industry provides comment of the criteria in the next round of the Strategic Funding Review consultation.

    Recommendations
  1. The department to publish the Industry Investment Program categorisation criteria for State Sporting Associations (Appendix B) for review by the industry before implementation in 2019/2020 – this will include the category’s eligibility to apply for other funding programs and will outline other policy requirements i.e. gender targets.
  2. The Industry Investment Program to have three year funding blocks, with an annual assessment. Each organisation will be determined to fit a category based on their capability and capacity.
  3. All organisations’ Industry Investment Program allocation for the 2019/20 financial year will be reset to the base funding level of the category. There will be a 12 month transition period until new funding allocations are implemented where changes result in a decrease of funding.
  4. Regional Organisation Grants and Regional Servicing Grants will be consolidated within the Industry Investment Program.

    Targeted Participation Program

    The Targeted Participation Program was reviewed in 2018, commencing a funding partnership with Healthway. The revised program is a consolidation of three smaller grant programs; Community Participation Fund, Youth Engagement Scheme and the previous Targeted Participation Program.

    At the time of the Strategic Funding Review consultation process, the announcements of the 2018 funding round had not been made. As a result, the feedback to the program was mixed. During the workshops it was explained that part of the funding partnership is a comprehensive evaluation process.

    Based on the changes from the previous programs and an understanding that there is an evaluation process to be undertaken, the conclusion from the workshops was that it is too soon to determine effectiveness and value. It is proposed that any recommendations for change will be associated with the findings of the program’s evaluation.

    This is notwithstanding that initial feedback about the program included the comments:  

  • There is a need for greater promotion of the process for the determination of the priority geographical areas and targeted populations.
  • Consideration of the Category 3 program being open year-round should be part of the inputs into the evaluation.
  • The program should be broadened to general participation (noting this is not the purpose of Targeted Participation Program funding). Participation funding is being considered within the next round of consultation.
  • The purpose of the funding is for the delivery of new projects and not for the delivery of core business or outcomes that are funded through the Industry Investment Program.

    These comments will be considered within the program’s evaluation.

    Recommendations

    Changes to the Targeted Participation Program will be considered as part of the evaluation process to be undertaken in 2019.

    Every Club

    The Every Club program was launched in 2018 after a comprehensive review of the department’s previous Club Development Officer Scheme.

    Like the Targeted Participation Program, the overall feedback was that it was too soon to know the impact of the program.

    In developing the Every Club program there was an extensive research process undertaken by the department. One of key the issues explored was the responsibility for sport and recreation club development. It was concluded that responsibility for club development should be that of the department, State Sporting Associations and local governments alike. A variety of support should be provided to clubs based on their priorities, ability and capacity. Through the Strategic Funding Review consultation process, it is apparent that this is still a pertinent issue for the sport and recreation industry. There is a need for ongoing communication and coordination to reduce duplication and identify gaps. It is therefore recommended to review this scope of works and continue to work with the industry and local governments to determine the roles and responsibilities in club development. It is recommended the department hosts a session between the industry and local governments to discuss this issue further.

    The consultation process revealed that there are questions about whether the Every Club program should be refined to reflect differences between the capacity and capability of clubs in regional and metropolitan Western Australia. Also to be taken into consideration is the capacity of local government to deliver and support clubs.

    The Every Club program will commence year two of funding in 2019/2020, with this there is the potential to undertake a health-check of the funded programs to identify areas for improvement.

    Recommendations
  1. The department undertakes a health check of the Every Club program to make refinements for any future funding rounds.
  2. The department develops an implementation strategy (including stakeholder consultation and communications plan) based on the previous work undertaken by the department which examined the roles and responsibilities for club development in Western Australia.
  3. The department to host a leadership forum between local governments and State Sporting Associations to discuss the roles and responsibilities of club development.

    KidSport

    The KidSport program was acknowledged as being highly relevant and needed by the industry. It was acknowledged that the recent review has seen a simplification of processes from an administrative standpoint.

    It was suggested however, that there is a need to review the delivery mechanism for regional and remote communities where access to on-line registration, club structure and documents including the Health Care Card are difficult. The department has progressed with this recommendation and is currently looking to pilot a new initiative in selected regional communities. It should be noted that this will not be part of the KidSport program. It will be a further support to facilitate participation in regional and remote communities in Western Australia.

    Other feedback was related to policy changes that were enforced in 2017 and 2018, in particular, a desire to return to $200 per annum and reintroducing equipment and uniform as eligible items. The department has committed to examining the impacts of these changes through a review in 2019/2020.

    Recommendations
  4. The department will implement a pilot to trial alternative models of support for kids to access sport in targeted regional and remote locations where the KidSport model is not suitable.
  5. The department will undertake a review of the program in 2019/2020 to examine the impact of policy changes that were enforced in 2017 and 2018.

    Regional Based Grants

    The department currently has a range of funding programs that support the delivery of sport and recreation opportunities in regional and remote communities. It was identified through the consultation that the current regional funding programs face a range of challenges and have potential areas for improvement.

    The Regional Servicing Grants, which provide funding to State Sporting Associations to service regional areas, were noted as valuable, however it was clear there were numerous administrative challenges. The program has resulted in the duplication of services with some organisations having to make multiple applications and having multiple funding agreements. It is proposed that it is integrated with the Industry Investment Program, due to the level of cross over. Benefits of this recommendation include:

  • Organisations that are funded through the Industry Investment Program to service regional Western Australia won’t be required to apply for further regional servicing allocations.
  • The department will be able to allocate additional investment into State Sporting Associations when growth is identified through their strategic plan and regional servicing.

Similarly, the Regional Organisation Grants program should be monitored so organisations that are required to deliver to regions via their Industry Investment Program funding do so. They are then not seeking additional funding to meet this core function.

The role of the Country Sport Enrichment Program was not discussed at length during the consultation process. However, there were suggestions that funding for large regional sporting carnivals could occur through this program. This will be further explored in the next round of consultation with the department proposing the establishment of a mid-tier events funding program.

The Active Regional Community Grants program was noted during the consultation process as a relevant program, enabling a localised response to community initiatives. It was suggested that promotion of this program needs to be increased. It has been recommended that this program remains as it is and is promoted more broadly.

The Regional Athlete Travel Subsidy Scheme was also considered to be relevant, however there were requests that the eligibility of the program be extended to include coaches and officials, as well as the potential for club-based equipment to be included. The Regional Athlete Travel Subsidy Scheme is currently funded through Royalties for Regions until June 2020. A review of the eligibility is not currently being considered, however may be reconsidered in any future project proposals.

Recommendations
  1. The Active Regional Community Grants program to be more widely promoted and an increase in funding to the pool is being considered.

Note: Recommendation 4. Within the Industry Investment Program - Consolidate Regional Organisation and Regional Servicing grants within the Industry Investment Program.

Infrastructure Grants[9]

The Community Sport and Recreation Facility Fund is a well established program, and its value was extensively discussed through the workshops. The main areas of improvement discussed related to the size of the funding pool, views of the eligibility and potential funding split between metropolitan and regional locations.

The State Sporting Infrastructure Fund is well understood by recipients of the program, however not widely known outside of the metropolitan area. When explained that its purpose is to assist in the operation of State level sporting infrastructure managed by State Sporting Associations, there was general acceptance that it would not be a widely known program.

Recommendations

Separate processes will occur in 2019 in relation to the State Sporting Facilities Plan and the Community Sport and Recreation Facility Fund.

Gaps in current service provision

Through the development of the Common Ground document and through the consultation process there were suggestions as to areas where the department may have a current gap in service delivery or funding.

Key areas that have been identified for possible action include the following:

  • Development of a mid-tier events funding program. This would assist with:
    • supporting national and international events in Perth that deliver tourism and sport development outcomes.
    • supporting State Sporting Associations in tendering for sporting events when applying through a competitive bidding process.
    • supporting the attraction of regional events that deliver regional tourism and sport development outcomes.
    • supporting the development of an economic value measurement of mid-tier events.
  • Development of a mechanism to respond to innovation or ideas outside of existing funding programs. This would assist with:
  • supporting industry lead solutions to challenges or trends.
  • supporting the diversification of the industry.

The department will consider how these gaps could be mitigated in the 2019/2020 financial year and will be further explored through the next consultation process.

Recommendations

  1. A mid-tier events strategy will be developed to fund metropolitan and regional sporting events.
  2. An innovation funding pool will be explored to provide responsive funding to challenges and trends. This will be progressed through a Request for Proposal process in response to developing trends and initiatives.

Next steps

Consultation process

The department is seeking a final round of feedback from the sport and recreation industry. This will enable the industry to comment on the recommendations proposed in this report, and ensure it accurately reflects feedback from the consultation period.

This process will include further workshops, a survey and an invitation for comments on this report.

Workshops

There will be a series of workshops will be held for sport and recreation organisations to attend between February and March 2019.

  • Thursday 21 February 2019, hosted by the department in Geraldton
  • Wednesday 27 February 2019, hosted by Parks and Leisure Australia (WA)
  • Thursday 28 February 2019, hosted by WA Sports Federation
  • Friday 1 March 2019, hosted by the department in Bunbury

Survey

A survey will be disseminated to participants who attended the initial workshops requesting their views of the findings and the recommendations.

A survey will also be sent to all organisations that receive funding through the Industry Investment Program.

The survey will be used to measure the level of support for the recommendations. It will also provide the opportunity for comments.

Written responses

The industry is encouraged to respond to the findings via a written submission.

This document will be open for industry comment until Thursday 21 March 2019.

Implementation of the Strategic Funding Review

The findings and recommendations will be incorporated into a final report for endorsement and implementation in the 2019/20 financial year.

An implementation strategy document will be developed in parallel with the development of the finalisation of the Strategic Funding Review.

Appendix A: Findings and Recommendations

Findings

Are the department’s funding programs appropriate to make a difference to the industry?

  1. The investment in sport and recreation organisations has made a difference to the industry either to ensure that operations continue, or to improve the professionalism of an organisation.
  2. There is room for improvement in terms of the tailoring requirements for smaller organisations and continuing to review what core business is.
  3. Further work is required to review the appropriateness of funding programs against the department’s outcomes and State Government priorities.

Define and deliver core business

Industry view of the department
  1. There are a wide range of expectations of the role of the department in supporting the industry, with a shift of focus towards facilitating outcomes rather than leading the delivery.
  2. The department needs to continue to build the capacity and capability of organisations, recognising there is significant variation within the industry. How this occurs may require a different approach and relationship with the industry, including greater engagement and partnerships.
Industry view of themselves
  1. The industry’s view of itself is to provide participation opportunities, build the capacity of the sport and to ensure it is well governed.
  2. There is a need for the sport and recreation industry to evaluate its relationship with the department in order to ensure the correct roles and responsibilities are in place.
  3. The department and the industry need to reposition relationships to work more collaboratively (as has occurred through this process).
  4. The WA Sports Federation should strengthen its role as the peak advocacy body for sport.

Customisation of approach

  1. There is a need to consistently customise the requirements of organisations across all grant programs, to reflect their capacity, capability and reach, and reflect the level of funding.
  2. There should be transparency and accountability in how the funding for the Industry Investment Program is allocated.

Simplification of the process and minimising effort

  1. The department should look at standardising the application and acquittal process for programs with aligned funding outcomes.
  2. The department should progress the development of a consolidated funding agreement with each State Sporting Association and Industry Recognised Organisation.
  3. The department should provide online best practice guidance including templates, policies and procedures for State Sporting Associations.
  4. The department and the industry should work with Sport Australia to assist in the simplification of compliance and industry standards, and for the National Sporting Organisations to assist Western Australian State Sporting Associations.

How does the sport and recreation sector engage with the health and education sectors in a more meaningful way?

  1. The department and the industry need to engage more effectively with the health and education sectors.
  2. The department should consider adopting a whole of government language, common to the health and education sectors.
  3. The department should investigate the process of developing a universal unit of measurement for the sport and recreation industry.

Participation in a changing environment

  1. The expansion of the definition of sport at a Federal level to include physical activity needs to be reviewed at a State level with a position statement considered.
  2. There is a point of difference between regional and metropolitan participants as to the value of investing in the traditional delivery model.
  3. Local government is a major player in community sport and recreation and needs to be factored into the delivery model.
  4. There are market gaps in how the department supports events, participation and active recreation opportunities.

Recommendations

Industry Investment Program

  1. The department to publish the Industry Investment Program categorisation criteria for State Sporting Associations (Appendix B) for review by the industry before implementation in 2019/2020 – this will include the category’s eligibility to apply for other funding programs and will outline other policy requirements i.e. gender targets.
  1. The Industry Investment Program to have three year funding blocks, with an annual assessment. Each organisation will be determined to fit a category based on their capability and capacity.
  2. All organisations’ Industry Investment Program allocation for the 2019/20 financial year will be reset to the base funding level of the category. There will be a 12 month transition period until new funding allocations are implemented where changes result in a decrease of funding.
  3. Regional Organisation Grants and Regional Servicing Grants will be consolidated within the Industry Investment Program.

Targeted Participation Program

  1. Changes to the Targeted Participation Program will be considered as part of the evaluation process to be undertaken in 2019.

Every Club

  1. The department undertakes a health check of the Every Club program to make refinements for any future funding rounds.
  2. The department develops an implementation strategy (including stakeholder consultation and communications plan) based on the previous work undertaken by the department which examined the roles and responsibilities for club development in Western Australia.
  3. The department to host a leadership forum between local governments and State Sporting Associations to discuss the roles and responsibilities of club development.

Kid Sport

  1. The department will implement a pilot to trial alternative models of support for kids to access sport in targeted regional and remote locations where the KidSport model is not suitable.
  2. The department will undertake a review of the program in 2019/2020 to examine the impact of policy changes that were enforced in 2017 and 2018.

Regional Based Grants

  1. The Active Regional Community Grants program to be more widely promoted and an increase in funding to the pool is being considered.

Infrastructure Grants

  1. Separate processes will occur in 2019 in relation to the State Sporting Facilities Plan and the Community Sport and Recreation Facility Fund.

Gaps in Current Service Provision

  1. A mid-tier events strategy will be developed to fund metropolitan and regional sporting events.
  2. An innovation funding pool will be explored to provide responsive funding to challenges and trends. This will be progressed through a Request for Proposal process in response to developing trends and initiatives.

Appendix B: Industry Investment Program — Categorisation

Categories

Most State Sporting Associations will have attributes across the various categories. The determination of the categorisation is based on a mean score across all criteria.

Self-sustaining

Workforce
  • More than 75 Staff or FTE equivalents

 

 

Governance
  • Strong governance and management:
  • >145 rating against governance checklist
  • Policy:
    • Developed and implemented Policy Framework – (All 7 policies -Member Protection, Alcohol, Drugs in Sport, Sports Betting, Match Fixing, Privacy, Inclusion)
  • Gender Targets are met: Commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F= 3 year [10]
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Finance
  • Level of maturity:
    • Meets or exceeds financial criteria and has reached a level of organisational maturity and developed sufficient revenue streams to establish themselves as a viable ongoing concern.
      • Total revenue more than $15million (not including benevolent fundraising or donations)
      • Funding from National Sporting Organisation more than 10% of total revenue
      • Industry Investment program funding being less than 2% of total revenue
      • Accumulated funds/equity more than $10,000,000
Planning
  • Strong planning culture:
    • 3-5-year strategic plan supported by a financial and resourcing plan
    • Annual operational plan
    • Annual budget
    • Risk Management Framework
    • Asset Management Plan

Category A

Participation/membership
  • Large participation base >60,000
  • Large membership >40,000
High performance/pathways
  • Significant talent development pathways:
    • WAIS/winning edge
    • Olympic/Paralympic/CTH/World Championships
    • International Major event hosting
    • National championships participation – open and junior
    • National event hosting (open)
    • National event hosting (juniors)
    • Junior and senior base
    • Coach/official
Regional
  • Significant affiliated regional representation in 10 regions of WA
Community reach/programming
  • Significant reach into the WA community:
    • National product delivered in schools
    • Recreational/social focus and organised sport
    • Participation events
    • Inclusive sport (meets all 6 principles: female, youth, Aboriginal, CaLD, disabled, aged)
  • Club Development:
    • Club Development Plan developed and implemented
Governance
  • Strong governance and management:
    • >145 rating against governance checklist
    • Policy: developed and implemented Policy Framework – (All 7 policies -Member Protection, Alcohol, Drugs in Sport, Sports Betting, Match Fixing, Privacy, Inclusion) (Mandatory)
  • Gender Targets are met: Commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F= 3 year
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Finance
  • Strong annual total revenue between $5 million to $10 million
Planning
  • Strong planning culture:
    • 3-5-year strategic plan supported by a financial and resourcing plan
    • Annual operational plan
    • Annual budget
    • Risk management framework and plan
    • Asset management plan
    • Workforce development plan linked to strategic plan
    • Marketing and communications plan
    • ICT strategy and plan

Category B

Participation/membership
  • High participation base >40,000
  • High membership >20,000
High performance/pathways
  • Strong talent development pathways:
    • WAIS/Winning Edge
    • Olympic/Paralympic/Cth/World Champs
    • National Championships participation – open and junior
    • National event hosting (open)
    • National event hosting (juniors)
    • Junior/senior base
    • Coach/official
Regional delivery
  • Very good affiliated regional representation in 9 regions
Community reach/programming
  • Strong reach into the WA community:
    • National product delivered in schools
    • Recreational/social focus and organised sport
    • Participation events
    • Inclusive sport (meets at least 3 principles: female, youth, Aboriginal, CaLD, disabled, aged)
  • Club development:
    • Club development plan developed and implemented
Governance
  • Very good governance and management:
    • >135 rating against governance checklist
  • Policy:
    • Developed and implemented policies – (at least 6 of 7 policies: member protection, alcohol, drugs in sport, sports betting, match fixing, privacy, inclusion) (mandatory)
  • Gender Targets are met: Commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F= 3 year
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Finance
  • High annual total revenue between $1 million and $5 million
Planning
  • Very good planning culture:
    • 3-5-year strategic plan supported by a financial plan
    • Annual operational plan
    • Annual budget
    • Risk management plan
    • Asset management plan
    • Workforce development plan
    • Marketing and communications plan

Category C

Participation/membership
  • Medium to high participation base >20,000
  • Medium to high membership >15,000
High performance/pathways
  • Medium talent development pathways:
    • National event hosting (open)
    • National event hosting (juniors)
    • National championships participation – open and junior
    • Junior/senior base
    • Coach/official
Regional delivery
  • Medium affiliated regional representation in 7 to 8 regions
Community reach/programming
  • Medium reach into the WA community:
    • National product delivered in schools
    • Recreational/social focus and organised sport
    • Participation events
    • Inclusive sport (meets at least 1 principle: female, youth, Aboriginal, CaLD, disabled, aged)
Finance
  • Good annual total revenue between $750,000 to $1 million
Governance
  • Good governance and management:
    • >125 rating against governance checklist
  • Policy: developed and implemented policies – (at least 5 of 7 policies: member protection, alcohol, drugs in sport, sports betting, match fixing, privacy, inclusion) (mandatory)
  • Gender targets are met: Commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F= 3 year
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Planning
  • Good planning culture:
    • 3-year strategic plan
    • Annual operational plan
    • Annual budget
    • Risk management plan
    • Asset register
    • Volunteer management plan
    • Marketing or communications plan

Category D

Participation/membership
  • Medium participation base >10,000
  • Medium membership >5,000
High performance/pathways
  • Medium-low talent development pathways:
    • National event hosting (open)
    • National event hosting (juniors)
    • National championships participation – open and junior
    • Junior/senior base
    • Coach/official
Regional delivery
  • Medium-low affiliated regional representation in 5 to 6 regions
Community reach/programming
  • Medium-low reach into the WA community:
    • Sport engagement program/product
    • Schools programs
    • Recreational/social focus and competitive sport
    • Participation events
Finance
  • Reasonable annual total revenue between $500,000 to $750,000
Governance
  • Reasonable governance structures:
    • >115 rating against governance checklist
  • Policy: developed and implemented policies – (at least 4 of 7 policies -Member Protection, Alcohol, Drugs in Sport, Sports Betting, Match Fixing, Privacy, Inclusion) (Mandatory)
  • Gender Targets are met: Commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F= 3 year
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Planning
  • Reasonable planning culture:
    • 3-year strategic plan
    • Annual operational plan
    • Annual budget
    • Risk register
    • Asset register
    • Volunteer management plan
    • Communication initiatives

Category E

Participation/membership
  • Small participation base >2,000
    Small member base >2,000
High performance/pathways
  • Low talent development pathways:
    • National event hosting
    • National event hosting juniors
    • National championships participation – open or junior
    • Junior/senior base
    • Coach/official
Regional delivery
  • Low affiliated regional representation in 3 to 4 regions
Community reach/programming
  • Low reach into the WA community
    • Sport engagement product/program
    • Competitive sport
    • Recreational/social focus
Finance
  • Baseline annual total revenue $150,000 to $500,000
Governance
  • Baseline governance structures:
  • >105 rating against governance checklist
  • Policy: member protection policy, alcohol, drugs in sport developed and implemented (others as applicable e.g. sports betting, match fixing, privacy, inclusion)
  • Gender targets are met: commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F= 3 year
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Planning
  • Reasonable planning culture:
    • 3-year strategic plan
    • Annual operational plan
    • Annual budget
    • Risk register
    • Asset register
    • Volunteer management plan
    • Communication initiatives

Category F

Participation/membership
  • Low participation base >1000
  • Low member base >500
High performance/pathways
  • Limited talent development pathways:
    • Junior and/or senior base
    • National championships participation – open or junior
    • Coach/official
Regional delivery
  • Affiliated regional representation in 2 regions
Community reach/programming
  • Limited  reach into the WA community:
    • Recreational/social focus and participation sport
    • Competition/events for participants
Finance
  • Basic annual total revenue $50,000 to $150,000
Governance
  • Basic governance structures:
    • >95 rating against governance checklist
  • Policy: member protection policy, alcohol, drugs in sport developed and implemented (others as applicable e.g. sports betting, match fixing, privacy, inclusion)
  • Gender targets are met: commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F= 3 year
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Planning
  • Basic planning culture:
    • Working towards a 3 year plan aimed at growing the sport
    • Annual operational plan
    • Annual calendar of events
    • Event/programs risk register
    • Asset register
    • Communication initiatives

Provisional

Participation/membership
  • Very low participation base <1000
  • Very low member base <500
High performance/pathways
  • National championships participation – open or junior
  • Junior and/or senior base
Regional delivery
  • Affiliated regional representation in 1 region
Community reach/programming
  • Singular access point to the activity or
  • Recreational/social access only or
  • Competitive access only
Finance
  • Low annual total revenue <$50,000
Governance
  • Low-basic governance structures:
    • >85 rating against governance checklist
  • Policy: member protection policy, alcohol, drugs in sport developed and implemented (others as applicable e.g. sports betting, match fixing, privacy, inclusion)
  • Gender targets are met: commercial to E = 2 year implementation, F to P= 3 year
    • Meets board gender target >= 50% female
    • Below board gender target < 50% female
    • No gender diversity on board
Planning
  • Low-basic planning culture:
    • Annual calendar of events
    • Annual operational plan
    • Event/programs risk register
    • Newsletter

Category descriptors

Participation/membership

Participation base

Program based
Participants who have access to a limited range of programs and services offered by the organisation or their affiliated club or association as a participant. This type of participant typically pays a lesser registration fee and participates in programs and services rather than regular competitions.  For example, Rec Footy, AFL 9s, Cardio Tennis, Barefoot bowls
Events
Participants who pay a fee per event to participate in the activity and receive Iimited other services (e.g. newsletter) from the organisation. For example: come and try events, lightning carnivals, representative teams, university programs This type of participant pays no formal membership fee and may not have access to programs and service of state organisation.  
School participants
Participants involved in events, competitions or programs organised primarily by schools which are not directly affiliated with state organisations.
For example, Associated Catholic Colleges of WA, School Sport WA
or
Participants involved in events, competitions or programs organised primarily by state organisations which may be at school facilities. For example, Eagles Cup

Membership

Full active members
Members who have access to the full range of programs and services offered by the organisation or their affiliated club or association, as a participant, coach or official. This type of member typically pays full registration fees and participates actively in programs and services. This is further broken down into entry-Ievel products, junior and/or youth competition, senior competitions, masters competitions, coaches and officials.

High performance/pathways

WAIS/Winning Edge
Sport is has a WAIS program or WAIS provides individual scholarships or services and/or the National Sporting Organisation receives high performance funding from Sport Australia.
Olympic/Paralympic/Commonwealth:
Sport competes at one or all these events. Develop and implement a high performance plan with clear systems, pathways and programs for athletes, coaches and officials who have the potential to achieve sporting excellence.
World championship/cup
Sport competes at a world championship/cup
International major event hosting
Sport hosts international major event annually/bi-annually
National championship participation
Sport participates at all levels of national championship events and provides pathways for athletes.
National event hosting (open and juniors)
Sport has capacity and hosts both/either open or junior national events
Junior and senior base
Sport provides pathways for both junior and senior participants that align with National Sporting Organisation.
Coach/official
Sport provides pathways for coaches and officials that align with National Sporting Organisation

Regional delivery

Regional services
Organisation has regional representation through affiliated clubs (refer to category matrix). A regional development plan and/or regional servicing plan has been developed/implemented that is aligned to state and national direction and meets local needs.

Community reach/programming

National product delivered in schools
The NSO has a national program/commercialised product that is delivered through SSAs, across the country i.e. Auskick, Net Set Go, Cricket Blast, ALDI Miniroos
Focus/reach
Organisation has access points for the sport and capacity to deliver competitive, recreational, organised sport and social participation initiatives (refer to category matrix).
Participation events
Organisation delivers participation events to increase membership and/or participation in the sport, and the initiatives provide inclusive and physical activity outcomes. i.e. Come-and-try days, open water swims, community triathlons
Club development
A club development plan is developed and implemented which aims to build the capacity and capability of the governance, management, planning, marketing and membership services of the organisations club network.
Service of inclusive sport principles (female, youth, Aboriginal, CaLD, disabled and aged)
Organisation meets the required inclusive sports principles (refer to category matrix) and delivers programs and initiatives to the identified cohorts.

Governance and finance

Governance
Organisation meets criteria based on governance checklist (refer category matrix) and demonstrates principles of good governance systems and practices. Board evaluation (Sport Australia or other) is completed every two to three years and an action plan is developed and implemented by the board/committee.
Policy framework
Policy framework that sets out the procedures to guide a more detailed set of policies/policies required to meet legislative requirements/needs of the organisation to inform development and implementation of those policies
Gender targets
Organisations understand the benefits of a diverse organisation, particularly at Board level. Ie; enhanced organisational and financial performance, improved decision making and governance and higher levels of innovation and creativity and growth. Meets gender diversity targets (refer category matrix)
Annual revenue
The income an organisation generates from operations before deductions are taken for expenses. Annual revenue meets requirements for category (refer category matrix)

Planning

Strategic plan
Development of/and implementation of a minimum 3-year strategic plan for the organisation, review of the plan, stakeholder engagement and communication (refer category matrix).
Annual operation plan
Development of/and implementation of annual business or operational plan linked to strategic plan and budget. All organisations will have an annual operational plan.
Annual budget
An annual budget is prepared with consideration to financial management policy and operational planning (refer category matrix). Consider current practice around development, regularity and depth of monitoring of annual operational budgets.
Risk Management
Comprehensive risk management assessment process completed for the organisation. A risk management plan and framework or risk management plan or a risk register is developed, and annual review process developed (refer category matrix).
Asset management plan
An asset management plan must provide the information required for future asset planning and anticipate potential eventualities including economic, social and environmental factors or an asset register including what the asset is, where the asset is located, who is responsible for the asset, what the asset cost, and what the expected resale value is. The asset register will also show each assets depreciation since its purchase date, clearly stating its current value. The assets current worth will also help for tax and insurance purposes (refer category matrix).
Workforce development plan
Development of/and implementation of an organisation workforce plan linked to operational plan and budget, review of plan and continual implementation. Plan will include both paid and unpaid (volunteer) workforces where appropriate (refer Category Matrix). Should be integrated into strategic plan.
Volunteer management plan
A volunteer development plan provides the organisation with clear objectives and strategies to support volunteer recruitment and retention efforts (refer category matrix).
Marketing and communications plan
Organisation has an effective marketing and communication plan/strategy to communicate with members, sponsors and volunteers or has developed communication initiatives.
ICT strategy and plan
Organisation invests into information technology to deliver sport business and resource objectives through digital services and supporting policies (refer Category Matrix).

Footnotes

  1. Appendix A (all recommendations and findings)
  2. Minister’s Sport and Recreation Briefing, (March 2018) available at Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website
  3. Since this time, the Point of Consumption tax has been introduced, which will provide an annual allocation of $3.7 million for the purpose of sport and recreation. This however does not reduce the challenge to focus financial resources into areas that provide the greatest value back to community.
  4. Note: the Common Ground document used the term effective in this topic discussion, as no qualifiers were provided to the definition of ‘effective’, it has been determined to use the term appropriate.
  5. In this instance, professional sports are those categorised within the ‘self-sustaining’ criteria of the Industry Investment Program.
  6. Note: the Common Ground document used the phrase return to core business, through the consultation process there was a concern that the term ‘return’ inferred a reversion to the past whereas the term ‘define and deliver’ recognises a need to review but with an emphasis on moving forward.
  7. Note: the Common Ground document used the phrase one size does not fit all. This was seen as reactionary, and instead the customisation of approach was deemed more appropriate.
  8. Note: after the workshops it was decided that the sectors relationship with the Department of Education should be explored as it is equally critical from an industry sector perspective.
  9. It should be noted that infrastructure programs were not the focus of this process, and as such any comments are indicative only.
  10. Gender target implementation is currently under development in conjunction with the Gender Diversity Advisory Group.
Page reviewed 03 September 2024