Welcome to the BoardTalk newsletter for October 2017. If you have any feedback on our publication, please email us at governance@sportnz.org.nz.

KEEPING THE CONSTITUTION UP-TO-DATE

Changes are coming in Incorporated Society law. Our May BoardTalk article updated progress. In the meantime, all NSOs are required to have, at the constitutional level, a commitment to anti-doping and integrity in sport (match-fixing). The document should have simple clauses stating the organisation’s commitment. Full policies will exist at the operational level.

Read more:
BoardTalk Newsletter (May 2017)
Protecting the integrity of sport 
Constitutional causes 

STAKEHOLDER PLAN

In our Governance Mark work, we rarely see governance level stakeholder planning. If you are not clear on who your stakeholders are, and their relative importance to your organisation, then you will be unlikely to be maximising their value to your organisation strategically.

Read more:
Stakeholder mapping and strategy 
Stakeholder communications planning framework 

THE TOUGH LOVE APPROACH

In July, Table Tennis England failed to secure governance change in order to comply with the compulsory Sport England Code for Sport Governance, immediately losing nine million pounds of funding. The frustratingly close vote of 74.93% (75% required) was revisited in August with an unsurprisingly high 97% in favour via an Extraordinary General Meeting. 

Read more:
Table Tennis England's statement (tabletennisengland.co.uk)
Table Tennis England members agree governance reforms (tabletennisengland.co.uk)

MORE TALKING IS A GOOD THING

Recently, David Bonderman resigned as a director of Uber after making a seemingly sexist comment about women directors and talking in the boardroom.

Read Business Insider Australia's article about the need for more dialogue in the boardroom: Actually, more talking in the boardroom is a good thing (businessinsider.com.au)

NEW LEGISLATIVE CHECKLIST

Boards need to check on a regular basis they are in compliance with relevant legislation.

Download Sport New Zealand's legislative checklist for boards (sportnz.org.nz)