UK Sport has today published a summary of findings from the independent review commissioned into UK Athletics, and together with the Home Country Sports Councils, has set out a Change Plan for the future. The review (available here), was designed to quickly identify the main areas of change and development required to create an organisation that was fit-for-the-future, paid particular attention to the areas of strategy, leadership & culture, governance and integration & connectivity.
In response to the review, UK Sport has worked with Sport England, Sport NI, sportscotland and Sport Wales, to develop a Change Plan which identifies a series of actions to be implemented by the sport before the end of 2020. At its heart, The Plan outlines how all five Sports Councils are committed to supporting UKA to become an exceptional organisation, as part of an aligned system of governing bodies overseeing athletics across the UK (these being UKA, England Athletics, Athletics Northern Ireland, Scottish Athletics and Welsh Athletics).
The areas of change are as follows:
- Strategic Alignment and Collaboration – UKA and the Home County Athletics Federations to co-develop a long-term UK-wide strategy and framework agreement for the sport of athletics across the UK
- Leadership and Governance – UKA to reform its Board and Members Council in order to implement a more effective and collegiate style of leadership and governance
- Thematic Changes – UKA to deliver projects as a priority in the following areas:
- Ethical decision making and culture
- New communications strategy
- Shared services study
The full Change Plan is available here.
Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport said: “The independent review into UK Athletics has provided clear areas of focus to help UKA and the wider sport in the UK to tackle the deep-rooted problems in athletics.
“It has laid the groundwork for some really positive collaboration between ourselves and the Home Country Sports Councils to agree a very clear Change Plan for UKA and the Home Country Athletics Federations to work on together.
“We hope that this can mark the beginning of a new chapter for athletics in this country. We’ve been encouraged by the positive engagement we’ve had with the Board and executive leadership team at UKA in recent weeks and believe that this can be the springboard needed for one of our most popular sports to flourish.”
Dame Sue Street, who conducted the independent review added: “Athletics is an extraordinary sport at which the UK excels, deserving the highest quality of ethical and effective administration, with increased commitment to strategic alignment across the Home Nations. I have been encouraged by the swift action planning by UK Sport following my recommendations and hope that the momentum and positive approach now required will allow the sport to thrive.”
The Change Plan outlines a set of clear deliverables for UKA and the Home Country Athletics Federations to deliver before the end of 2020. The key milestones within the Change Plan are as follows:
- End May 2020 – UKA and HCAF formal statements of commitment to the Change Plan
- End May 2020 – Key milestones submitted to Sports Councils
- End May 2020 – Interim Collaboration Agreement submitted to Sports Councils
- End Sep 2020 – Strategy and Framework Agreement submitted to Sports Councils
- End Sep 2020 – Board reform plan submitted to Sports Councils
- End Sep 2020 – UKA Members Council reform plan submitted to Sports Councils
- End Nov 2020 – UKA and HCAF Articles of Association amended
- End Dec 2020 – UKA Board changes made
The Summary of Findings is available here and the UKA Change Plan is available here.