Sports Development and Governance - Case Study Example

Number Sports Development and Governance Governing bodies happen to be an integral part of the industry of sports. Whatever governing body happens to be organized in some manner that allows it to accomplish its specified mission within the surroundings in which it operates. There exists inherent change within this process since the governing body has to keep a consistency and stability level over time and be responsible to market place changes as well. Knowledge on the organization of a governing body assists managers of sports to have a better understanding as to why a governing body may operate in some specific manner as well as the reason as to why certain sports governing bodies are more effective compared to others. This paper analyses practices as well as challenges facing development as well as governance of sports in Russia. The Russian complete governmental leadership, educational, scientific, as well as medical assistance that is aimed at maximization of mass fitness as well as best performance in sport is guided by the organizational as well as the philosophical ideologies that were inherited from the former Soviet Union as well as the Tsarist Empire by the present day Russia. Governance refers to the manner in which bodies that govern get controlled as well as directed. The mechanism of governance, for instance organizational structure, formal documents, specify the manner in which power, rights, responsibility and authority are distributed amongst participants with an aim of monitoring performance as well as achieving goals. Good governance encompass several characterizes which include participatory, equitable and inclusive, responsive, and consensus orientation (Thomas, et al., 2008, P.12). Issus related to sport governance in Russia Direction- A clear direction that aligns with the mission and vision for the organization. Russia did well in sports before the Soviet Union era. When the Soviet Union and this was due to the fact that at the time, organizations governing sports had a clear direction, which aligned with the vision and mission of the sports industry. Since 1998, soviet sport authorities directs a mass national spartakiards, which encompass more than the Olympic Games sports types. This has been improved on and on up to year 12011. The youth spartakiad of 2011 had 4 competition levels: individual educational institutions, regional an municipal levels, then culminating at national levels. Preparations for Olympics begins 5 years earlier preparation plans for athletes integrate training programmes, training calendars and medal objective. These plans of things show a clear direction that aligns the mission as well as the vision of the organization (Peter, 2013). Participation Everyone’s participation happens to be a main cornerstone for upright governance in sports. It is of significance to mention that representative democracy necessarily does not mean that concerns society’s most vulnerable will be regarded during making of decisions. Participation requires being informed as well as organized something that means the freedom for association as well as expression in one part while on the other, an organized civil society (Yap, 2015). In Russia, sport governance problematic areas seem to be similar to those in other countries. Gender equality seized to be an issue an now participation of women is sport activities. Women of Soviet were granted freedom back in 1920s after which they have been contributing decisively to sporting success of the country. Sport of all, a retained priority over elite sport as well as opportunities for disabled persons and women were increased in 1980’s (Peter, 2013, p. 83) Rule of Law/ regulations In sports, good governance needs fair regulations, which get enforced impartibly. It entails human right full protection especially the ones for minorities. Clear guidelines, procedures as well as guidelines should be present and the members should follow them accordingly (Goodgovernance org, 2012). There should be a body empowered with punishing those in violation. The ministry of sports in Russia does operate under physical culture as well as sport regulations, basically assisting federations in: Sport science and medicine, high performance, international relations, Olympic education and marketing (Peter, 2013, p. 83). All organizations and activities related to sports work under the guidelines of 2007 federal law on physical culture as well as sport founded on such principles as: Sports free access for intellectual, physical, and moral development for everyone, as well as consecutive connection within physical education through all ages The state promises rights related to sports to the citizens as well as discrimination and violence prohibition, assistance to the disabled as well as others in need for special social protection and safety for spectators and participants. National legislation that is unified and combines bottom up organization and top down state regulations in agreement with international agreements. Local and federal governments interaction in sport field, between federations and sport authorities as well as the development of every kind and component of sport as educational and social voluntary activity (Peter, 2013, p. 80) These regulations show a well-governed sport industry hence the reason as to why the country has been winning many medals in international games. The question is whether the promises are being fulfilled and the laws are being followed. It looks like the government is trying so far. The company Sportloto was sued by the sport ministry for $US67, 000,000 in the year 2001, the largest commercial bank controlled by the state was given jurisdiction over Sportloto. Now both the finance ministry and the bank work hand in hand in trying to come up with regulations to limit of usage of the term lottery as well as reducing operators who are licenced (Peter, 2013). After desolation of the USSR, there emerged fresh economic and political freedoms together with commercialization as well as criminalization of sport. Criminals were willing to still sport money and launder them, resulting to possible reasoning for assaults, threats and killings of coaches, athletes, and administrators of sports. Free economy could have come to an end, however, there is steel corruption. The government introduced a law back in 1996 imposing harsh punishment for bribers among coaches, participants, administrators, managers and event organizers. Offences like the influence of game outcome would incur 6 months imprisonment and a fine amounting to 500 minimum salaries (Peter, 2013). This is a great progress to good governance within the sport industry in Russia. The current RMPF as well as the sport ministry has set rules and requirements for participants including a minimum age, medical checks for monitoring competitors, doping controls under international standards. Transparency Decisions are taken and enforced in a way that conforms to rules and regulations. This means that there is free availability of information, which can be accessed directly to subjects affected by such decisions as well as their enforcement. Again, transparency in sports governance requires provision for enough information via forms as well as media that are understandable. Organizations that govern sports in Russia should exercise complete transparency (Michael, 2011). Sports in Russia have a wide funding right from state to the private businesspersons, not forgetting many organizations. According to (Peter, 2013), the ministry of sports governs and supports sports facilities as well as programmes at many organizations of various types of recreation centres and workplaces (p. 82). There is a big budget in the sports industry as accounted for by the ROC with money that is given to medal winner’s coming from the federal government, rich individuals and the Summer Sports Association head. Government assisted in deployment of billionaires to take part in 2008 Olympic preparations. Ten richest businessmen in the country gave US$12,000,000 to assist in the same. Another one billion US dollars from Russian corporations and other moneys from different destinations. This is a very huge funding. With the sports governance handling such amounts, it is very important that transparency on how the money is utilized be exercised. The Russian sports governance has evidently failed greatly in the area of transparency. An organization like Sportloto , which since the 1970s has offering support sports is now struggling bankruptcy as well as frauds. Port governing organizations in Russia are concerned with doping and corruption (Peter, 2013, p. 83). If this behaviour goes on the county’s sport high performance will die completely due to poor governance. Responsiveness Good governance needs sports institutions and processes make attempts to serve every stakeholder within a timeframe that is reasonable (Raphael, 2014). Russia sport industry has tried as much to attain this. It has promised protect for sportsmen. It is serving stakeholders such as the disabled, women and the out through giving them a chance to participate in sports. Consensus oriented There exists a number of actors within the sports industry. Good governance entails different interests’ mediation within the society to reach extensive consensus within the society on the whole community’s best interest as well as how it can be achieved. In addition, it requires a long-term as well as broad perspective on the requirements for sustainable sport development as well as the ways for achieving such development (Richard, 2012). This may only result from a good understanding of the historical social as well as cultural contexts of the community. The Russian sports industry governance has a good understanding of the historical culture as well as social context of the society. It has inherited most of the good aspects of the ancient Soviet Union aspects in sports administration. This is the reason as to why the soviet as well as Russian athletes have been winning medals with the Olympics they attend including the Olympics of 2000, 2004 as well as 2008 games with which medals they won were gold (Peter, 2013, p.85). . Efficiency and Effectiveness Institutions as well as processes should produce good results as they utilize a good manner the available resources. It is important also that the governance of the sports industry participate and encourage suitable utilization for natural resources as well as environmental protection. Despite the government’s efforts to set punishments that are harsh for misappropriation of resources, the sport governance is not utilizing funds efficiently. It is true that the country has been doing well in as a result in games showing efficiency. In Russia’s developing, compressively regulated as well as extremely competitive environment of pentathlon, scandals that involve soviet and Russian pentathlons have been rare as well as dramatic. In 1976, a leading athlete got disqualified in Olympics for attempting to fake a victory through the use of epee. Other incidences followed like a 30-month doping due to12 athletes disqualification. This is a sign of inefficiency. To be efficient, RMPF is utilizing an approach where it currently requires candidates of the national team to give their whereabouts across the year for random testing. Accountability Good governance within the sports industry entails accountability as one among its key requirements. The sports industry governance should be accountable for public as well as institutional resources and actions. The complexity, size as well as operations for sporting organizations vary, hence for optimization of individual performance, there has to be flexibility within systems and structures adopted. Such flexibility has to be balanced against contestability, accountability, as well as transparency. Sporting organizations have a responsibility to clarify to interested parties if any alternative method to the best training standards is adopted (the why not, if not obligation) (SA.Gov, 2015) Conclusion Russia has tried very much to make sure that it retains its position within the international level. The country has been winning medals in various games something it has made the country proud. The approach of governance in the sport industry is average in the sense that as much as there are many aspects of good governance that have been adhered to, there are areas too that need addressed. The country’s sport industry is doing very by ensuring that athletes receive the very best of coaching through employing very qualified coaches and other person. There are good regulations governing the running of the sport industry. In addition, participation is open to many different groups including youth, women and men. The disabled too have a place within Russian sports. Recommendations Equity and Inclusiveness - The well-being of the sports society is dependent upon making sure that every member feels like they possess a share of the sports industry and do not feel excluded the sports society’s main stream. This does entail all groups and more particularly those that are too vulnerable, to have chances to maintain or improve their well-being Transparency- it is important that the country’s sport organization governance exercise more transparency in the way resources are utilized to avoid misunderstandings. Information should be made available as the only way to fight corruption and frauds. Efficiency and effectiveness- the sports industry governance should be more efficient in utilization of resources so as to produce the best sportsmen with the available resources. There should as well be efficiency in utilization of natural resources. The surroundings are important for better sporting hence improvement of the environment should be effected Regulations- more regulations needs to be put in place to deal with corrupt officials in sports governance as well as for those who are trying to fake victory in games. Disqualification may not but be enough. References I Trust Sport, 2015. Good sports governance. [Online] Available at: http://www.itrustsport.com/sports-corruption/good-governance/ [Accessed 17 4 2015]. Goodgovernance org, 2012. WHAT IS GOOD GOVERNANCE?. [Online] Available at: http://www.goodgovernance.org.au/about-good-governance/what-is-good-governance/ [Accessed 17 4 2015]. Michael, P., 2011. Sport Governance: What Are We Actually Talking About?. [Online] Available at: http://www.isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18753&Itemid=166 [Accessed 17 4 2015]. Peter, S., 2013. Russia. russia_case_study, pp. 74-89. Raphael, B., 2014. In Sports Governance, Silver Takes The Gold. [Online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/raphaelbostic/2014/06/10/in-sports-governance-silver-takes-the-gold/ [Accessed 17 4 2015]. Richard, B., 2012. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN PROFESSIONAL SPORT. [Online] Available at: http://www.lawinsport.com/blog/snr-denton-blog/item/corporate-governance-in-professional-sport [Accessed 17 4 2015]. SA.Gov, 2015. A Good Practice Guide. Sports Governance Principles:, p. 30. Thomas, H. S., Kimberly, J. B. & Lawrence, W. J., 2008. SPORT GOVERNANCE AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT. Illinois ed. s.l.:Sagamore Publishing, L.L.C. Yap, K. S., 2015. What is Good Governance?. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, p. 4. Read More