NSAs & SSC Collaborate To Enhance The Professional Management Of NSAs

NSAs & SSC Collaborate To Enhance The Professional Management Of NSAs

Enhanced Organisational Excellence Framework, Sharing of Guidelines and Best Practices, Matchmaking NSAs with Volunteers, Amongst Steps to Help NSAs

Singapore, 5 June 2012 - The Singapore Sports Council (SSC), following a series of consultation sessions with the National Sports Associations (NSAs) will be rolling out an improved Organisational Excellence (OE) framework to enhance the professional management of NSAs.

2. Revealing this at a media briefing, SSC's Chief Executive Officer Lim Teck Yin said, "We have heard the NSAs' feedback, understand their difficulties and are working together to help them find solutions to the challenges that they face."

3. The SSC first introduced the OE framework in 2006 to help NSAs be run more effectively.

4. A key enhancement to the OE framework is a stronger emphasis on leadership development and succession planning. The outcomes and components for effective leadership development will be clearly spelled out for the NSAs and the SSC to jointly work on them.

5. For example, NSAs should have systems and processes that ensure leadership development and business continuity. Therefore, NSAs should institutionalise efforts to ensure leadership succession. NSAs are also encouraged to promote diversity within their Management Committee (MC) by bringing onboard members with different skill sets in areas such as finance, accounting, legal, audit, marketing and sponsorship, fund raising, and technical knowledge.

6. To give NSAs time to bring onboard the enhanced framework, it will be phased in over two years from 2013 to 2014.

7. Working closely with the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL), the SSC will also step up efforts in matchmaking NSAs with volunteers who are capable and willing to take up leadership positions in NSAs.

8. Said Lim, "CNPL has informed us that there is an active pool of people who have indicated their interest to serve in the sports sector. This is encouraging, and we hope the NSAs will tap into this pool."

9. Commenting on her experience of being successfully board matched by CNPL, Tan Ye-Lin who is now the Treasurer at Singapore Gymnastics said, "The board match process was totally fuss-free! CNPL was very helpful and getting me to attend governance courses and keeping me up-to-date. I am glad that I have been able to apply my skills from the commercial world in a different industry and on a much smaller scale of operations. The last nine months have been an absolute eye-opener for me and I have certainly learnt a lot about sports! After my tenure is over, I will definitely be open to lending my skills to another NSA."

10. Reiterating the importance of the professional management of NSAs, Mr Lim added, "Our objective of working together to enhance the professional management of NSAs will auger well for stronger collaborations and sponsorships with Corporate Singapore. In implementing this system, we will continue to work closely with NSAs to provide guidance, support and resources. We will monitor the progress and further tweak the system, if necessary, to keep pace with how NSAs progress."

11. Welcoming this change, Mr Bob Tan, President of the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) said, "The SSC's refined OE framework provides a more flexible set of guidelines for NSAs to raise their standard of organisational excellence. SGA supports this approach as it can be tailored to individual needs but at the same time assist NSAs to adopt best practices on good corporate governance which can only be reassuring for those who serve as well as sponsors and other stakeholders."

12. Mr Jeffery Leow, President of the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) added, "The swimming fraternity is encouraged by the SSC's collaborative efforts to engage and grow with us as a sporting community. At the SSA, we have always strived to adopt the best practices in the management of our organisation and are always looking to level up our organisation and deliver the sport to the people professionally. The refined OE framework will definitely help us to achieve that."

13. In conclusion, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association said, "Leadership development is critical for the long term sustainability of all organisations, including sports organisations. It provides opportunities for organisation renewal and injection of new ideas. As I enter my second term (fourth year) in office, I have already begun the process of identifying and grooming my successor. Planning early for succession will enable a smooth transition and give my successor more time to learn the ropes, as well as allow the table tennis fraternity to familiarise themselves with the new leadership. I welcome the refined version of the OE framework and SSC's approach in engaging NSAs. It is a step forward in the right direction for the entire sporting fraternity."