Congress Delegates Make Strong Contribution to Policy
The IPC Strategic Planning Congress offered a unique opportunity for members of the international Paralympic Movement to come together, to take part in the process of strategic review and to determine the future direction of the Movement. What did the delegates perceive to be the key concerns and challenges facing the Movement today? What proposals and suggestions for improvement did they put forward? Here, “The Paralympian” provides a brief overview of the main themes discussed. A final report on the Congress proceedings is being compiled and will be distributed to the entire IPC membership when ready. Summaries of the three Congress themes, the breakout discussions and the final recommendations are also available at the IPC website
(http://www.paralympic.org).
Governance
The General Assembly has ownership of the Paralympic Movement; there should be transparency in management; and the Executive Board should have balance of representation. These were some of the guiding principles that the Congress delegates formulated on the topic of governance. The point was also made that the organization should cater for athletes from all NPCs, considering their different stages of development.
There was strong consensus that the IPC should eventually be solely responsible for the Paralympic Games. However, the role of the International Organizations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSDs) remained open to discussion. In his plenary speech on the role of the IOSDs, Dr. Colin Rains, President of CP-ISRA, noted that while the IOSDs are best suited to a role of development because of their expertise and manpower, it would not be appropriate for the IOSDs to concentrate solely on development.
On the topic of sports governance, it was felt that the Sports should be developed to more autonomy and that the IPC should assist the Sports in pursuing their respective path.
“Several IPC Sports have made significant strides towards autonomous governance while others lack the infrastructure and leadership necessary for independence,” said IPC Technical Officer Carol Mushett in her presentation. “The IPC can encourage the growth and maturation of Championship Sports through commitment to a sport-specific model and the development of a transition plan that improves service and limits financial impact on the NPCs.”
Roles and Responsibilities
The Congress delegates were of one mind that athletes should play a greater role within the governance of the IPC and its members, in principle and in practice. “A truly athlete-centered organization empowers its athletes,” said Xavier Gonzalez, Managing Director of the Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Winter Games. “Empowering athletes at all levels of the Paralympic Movement—IPC, NPCs, Regions, Sports, Organizing Committees, Commissions—needs to be a reality.”
The delegates also agreed that two-way communication between the IPC, the NPCs and the Regions must be strengthened, and that the IPC and the NPCs should increase their commitment to regional development. “The NPCs are responsible for developing sports within the country from grassroots level to elite sports level and ensuring that athletes have the best and the most opportunities to practice sport within the various levels of development,” said IPC Secretary-General Miguel Sagarra in his plenary speech. “But the NPCs have another responsibility, or at least the moral obligation to share the ‘burden’ of organizing or promoting international competitions and consider hosting international sports events in their countries.”
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The Sports should have stronger representation within the IPC and sports decision-making structures need to be reviewed and clarified—this issue was raised by several delegates. “The IPC is first and foremost a sports organization,” noted Dr. Bob Price, former Chairman of the British Paralympic Association. “If, as many (including myself) believe, the Sports should have voting rights, the IPC should be seeking ways by which to give them true party with the NPCs and IOSDs—with voting rights not as a concession, but as independent full members.”
Structure
As a result of the presentations and discussions, it became clear that a strategic analysis of the IPC structure is needed, including the structures of the Executive Committee and of the Regions. The future role of the Commissions within the structure needs to be defined. Athlete representation should be reflected throughout the structures of the Movement. In his presentation on the principles of a future structure for the IPC, Tony Sainsbury, Vice-Chairman of the British Paralympic Association, said: “The vested interests, which exist whether Sports, IOSDs, Regions, athletes in the political sense, are critical to the organization’s future development. However they must be located in the structure (maybe in Commissions) where they can exercise their interest independently.”
The positioning and responsibilities of the IPC Headquarters also require clarification. The consensus was that as part of the Paralympic Family, the IPC Headquarters is the organization’s interface for services and communication with internal and external bodies. The Headquarters does not only implement, but also develops and initiates change. The IPC must therefore determine clearly the roles and responsibilities between all elected officers and professional staff.
With regards to structure in relations with external partners, the delegates emphasized that the partnership between the IPC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) must be based on equality, considering the IPC’s obligations to athletes and NPCs. “Mutual understanding needs to be developed between the IPC and the IOC, especially in relation to the Paralympic and Olympic Games,” summed up Dr. Nabil Salem, IPC Vice-President (Marketing and Communication). “Integration must be carried out at the Games operations level.” The delegates also proposed that partnerships with external organizations be strengthened and be extended to organizing sports championships on a wider scale in order to increase sports opportunities for athletes.
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