Local sporting organizations tipped on good governance practices

Several local sporting organizations made good of a two-day workshop on good governance practices.

An undertaking of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee (SVGOC), and part of the larger Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) Academy, the workshop was held at the Xpert Computer Centre’s conference room.{{more}}

And, after the two days, facilitator, Danish-born Michael Pedersen, said that the onus is on the attendees to take back the knowledge gained to serve their respective organizations.

“This was the beginning of a process…. With good governance, there is no finish line, as we will never reach the point where we don’t need to care about governance…This was an opportunity to raise awareness of why governance is of strategic importance to sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Pedersen told SEARCHLIGHT.

He cautioned, though, that what was discussed during the two days is not a case of “one size fits all,” adding that governance is complex, as different associations operate at varying levels and have disparities in resources.

In instituting some of the good governance practices, Pedersen advised, “Just do it… Do not complicate it too much… It is a journey that never ends, but the ones who fully engage the concepts and embrace governance, are the ones who will build trust and confidence, particularly building a platform to appeal to the next generation.”

The two days of the workshop saw Pedersen and those in attendance going through topics such as: the Strategic Imperative of Good Governance in Sport; Governance Issue Mapping; Board Professionalisation; Conflicts of Interest; Democratic Structures and Processes; Transparency and Accountability; Stakeholder Engagement; Ethical behaviour of staff and volunteers; Sport Event Integrity; as well as Integrity in ‘sport for development’ projects.

Pedersen is an internationally recognized expert in good governance, transparency, ethics and integrity. Additionally, Pederson is an integrity coach and a street volunteer.(RT)