Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 1

Snow Australia National Discipline Committee (NDC) Review

Expression of Interest (EOI) Process

Pre-Amble The Board of Snow Australia recognises its ultimate accountability for competitive snowsports outcomes at all levels of the athlete pathway.

In recent times, largely as a result of sustained organic growth, including the unification of our sport, Snow Australia has increased its resources for the overall management and communication of pathway opportunities for athletes across all disciplines. This includes employment of professional program and discipline specific staff who take on responsibility for the day to day operation and management of the pathways. To this end, and as one of its ongoing strategic priorities, the Board has resolved to ensure that the governance structure of our disciplines (including the Snow Australia Discipline Committees (NDCs)) provides the appropriate efficiency, expertise and input together with the connection and communication to the community they ultimately serve. Snow Australia has routinely required its NDCs to undergo a process of assessment and “freshening up” to ensure there is an appropriate mix of skills and experience to deliver the strategic objectives of the organisation. By and large, the performance of the existing Snow Australia NDCs has been stable and effective. It is timely however, for the Snow Australia Board and the committees themselves, once again, to evaluate the capacity and effectiveness of the current structures and membership, how each supports the professional staff and the ability to engage support and buy in from the broader community.

Constitutional Background The Snow Australia NDCs are established under Article 52 of the Snow Australia Constitution. The existing by-laws have been in place since 2008. The by-laws were developed following the Costello Constitutional Review of Snow Australia which resulted in Snow Australia adopting a Unitary Model. Prior to that, the by-laws saw the NDCs comprised largely of “representative” members from different bodies including State

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 2

Sporting Organisations. In contrast, and in-line with contemporary governance principles, the current by-laws have been designed to ensure a more skills-based composition together with regard for connection to (rather than representation of) the different resorts and geographic regions of our sport. In recent times, the Snow Australia Board has relied on the NDCs to provide expertise and advice on the development and operation of the disciplines. This is done against the backdrop of involvement of sport institutes which are contracted to provide high performance program operation in certain areas. On this basis, the Board executes its sport management responsibilities through a combination of executive management and NDC input. In each case, the broad responsibility of the NDC is to provide specialised sport development advice to the Board. The Constitution also provides that Snow Australia NDCs are bound to conform to any regulations imposed on them by the Snow Australia Board. Decisions made by the NDC are ultimately subject to approval by the Snow Australia Board. Current Situation Analysis At present, four Snow Australia Discipline Committees, namely Alpine, Cross Country, Freestyle and Snowboard Committees, administer and perform some of the obligations of Snow Australia in relation to the discipline. A further breakdown of pathways/events responsibility within each of the NDCs is as follows. The Snow Australia NDCs, under the current by-laws, have the following functions and powers: • Development of domestic event calendars • Setting event fees, registration fees including racer registration ICL and levies • Conduct national race events as required • Officials’ training • Coach development and accreditation • Selection policies • Team selections • Selection appeals • Domestic competition rules as required • National points lists/rankings • Initiate talent ID and sport development opportunities • Monitoring performance of SSOs in relation to Athlete Pathway elements of Service

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 3

Agreement • Monitoring role of all stakeholders in Athlete Pathway • Setting long term vision/strategies for sport development • Ski & Snowboard Award nominations • FIS representation nominations • Discipline specific communication • Fundraising • Delegation of FIS responsibilities including race entry protocols • Input into AOC selection and nomination criteria • Underpinning and sub-development program development • Liaison and input into interschool competitions • Receive and consider reports from National and Development Team program

operations. The following functions under existing by-laws remain the responsibility of Snow Australia Management: • Management of all financial aspects of the disciplines, NDCs are however always

required to operate within Snow Australia’s agreed annual budget • Provide direct supervision of programme management and staff • Institute interface • Manage or delegate International event entry • Anti-doping compliance.

NDC Pathway Responsibility Overview - Current

Discipline Event Pathway Alpine Alpine Skiing Ski Cross Cross Country Cross Country Freestyle Moguls Aerials Freeski (HP, SS, BA) Snowboard Snowboard Cross Snowboard Alpine Park & Pipe (HP, SS, BA)

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 4

NDC Membership The by-laws determine that the NDCs shall comprise a Chair and up to ten ordinary members. The Snow Australia Board will appoint individuals to the NDC following a call for nominations. The NDCs elect one of their number as the Chair which then requires Snow Australia Board approval. Once established, the NDC may nominate additional members as required. An overview of the current NDC membership is as follows (excluding Snow Australia Staff as Ex Officio):

Discipline # of members # of women Alpine 8 (plus 3 Honorary) 2 Cross Country 9 3 Freestyle 14 2 Snowboard 9 0

Challenges with the Current NDC Structure Whilst each NDC is unique by virtue of its membership composition, there are some common challenges. Gender Balance • There is an ongoing challenge in attracting women to sit on some of our Snow Australia

NDCs. • Expression of Interests have been called for and there have been little, or no women

apply. • In terms of female membership percentages, Alpine has 25%, XC 33%, Freestyle 14%

and Snowboard 0%. • There must be initiatives and efforts made to attract more women to the NDCs.

Accountability relationship with professional sport program staff • Often NDC meetings involve a considerable amount of time being dedicated to Snow

Australia discipline staff/coaches “reporting” to NDC members, some of whom have limited involvement between meetings. Given the knowledge gap there are limited agenda items which lead to strategic discussions.

• It is unclear in practice and in terms of setting the tone for conversation whether the professional staff are accountable to the NDC or vice versa.

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 5

• Members attending NDC meetings are either “fully briefed” (working in the sport) or are “out of the loop”. There is little middle ground. While this may be functional at a high strategic level, it can lead to inefficiencies when the agenda turns inevitably to technical issues as required under the current bylaws.

Whole of discipline vs sport pathway/event focus • There is clear weighting in terms of focus and discussion within some NDCs towards

certain event pathways. This is due in part to the drastically different communities and pathways each of our events connect to.

• For example, the Freestyle Committee is primarily a “Mogul” committee with little discussion or interest in Park & Pipe (Ski BA, SS & HP) and no discussion on Aerials other than the occasional governance function to approve selection criteria. This is a result of interests of the members around the table.

• This issue was one of the primary catalysts behind FIS recently realigning its committees.

Alignment with new FIS Committee structure • In the past few years, FIS has realigned the committee structure in relation to Freestyle

and Snowboard disciplines. Committees have been realigned to reflect event groups, based on culture and terrain, rather than disciplines.

• The new structure has Freestyle (Aerials & Moguls), Cross (Snowboard & Ski plus SB Alpine) and Park & Pipe (Ski & Snowboard).

• The current Snow Australia NDC structure and family of events under each does not align with the FIS structure.

Communication with Pathway Programs (Discipline leaders) • There is no formal mechanism to communicate the outcomes of meetings and strategic

direction/discussions with the performance pathway programs. These programmes vary by discipline but are generally the clubs and resorts.

• An example of where this has been effective is the Alpine Leaders Forum which gathers the Presidents and Program Directors from each of the race club programs together for a round table discussion.

• These discussions are focussed on performance pathway more than participation.

Communication with broader community (Community Groups) • There is no formal mechanism to communicate or have dialogue with the broader

community and “interested persons” including family and friends of the sport. • The feedback from the community is that there is confusion about who to speak to and

where to get information on our disciplines. They want more contact with the NDC however it is impractical to bring the NDC and the community together in the same place given logistics and time constraints around meetings.

• Alpine has held community forums/education sessions in the past year which provide a

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 6

“town hall” style opportunity for communication. Harnessing parents/volunteer energies and passion • Parents of athletes in our community have tremendous energy and passion for the

sport but are often unable to channel this in a meaningful way to Snow Australia via the NDC structure.

• As a result, Parents are often compromised in their effectiveness as there isn’t an appropriate forum (unless they have specific expertise) for them to connect and contribute in the current structure. Snow Australia coaches or program staff are often the only points of contact for parents which can, under certain circumstances, cause tension.

Conflict of Interest • Given the size and nature of Snowsports in Australia, NDC members often wear many

hats which can lead to conflicts of interest. These are not always managed as diligently as they would on say a Board, and as such there can be tension around decision making when conflicts (perceived or otherwise) are present.

• Conflicts of interest come from not only parents of active competitors but from those holding coaching positions in the community and those with private program interests.

• The current NDC structure, as the only formal discipline committee/forum, provides limited options for those with conflict or self-interest to be connected to the sport in a meaningful and consistent way.

Fundraising • Other than Cross Country, Snow Australia NDCs have not been able to activate the

attractive tax deductibility of donations via the Australian Sports Foundation (with which Snow Australia is registered).

• The NDCs have generally found it challenging to develop a “shopping list” of strategically valuable projects for which funds could be raised. This is primarily due to the technical sport program/pathway nature of NDC discussions and agendas with strategy items being deferred. This is not to diminish the high-level strategic planning achieved in recent times by some of the NDCs.

Challenge of NDC strategic vision • NDCs have been encouraged to develop a strategic vision, based upon that of Snow

Australia. • However, the disciplines have had mixed success to developing a strategic vision • XC and Alpine are the most complete in this area and work to, and report against the

vision and plan. • Freestyle & Snowboard rely on the HP direction from the OWIA and generally haven’t

developed a long-term vision or plan for the pathway. Work is being done on this at present via the development of the FTEM framework.

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 7

Connection to regional committees - How do they connect/fit in? (ie Snow Australia NMC, Northern Alpine & Northern XC) • With unification, the question arises about where the regional committees (formerly

NSW Alpine, NSW XC etc) fit in to the Snow Australia structure. • Some regional committees are informal in nature and provide a support role to the

NDCs by way of fundraising and event support (NSW Freestyle, NSW Snowboard). • In Alpine, the (previous NSW) committee does not have a role in performance pathway

and sees itself very much as a grass roots promoter. • There can be significant tension when the regional committees are perceived as being

out of step with the National discipline pathway initiatives. Streamlined decision-making between meetings • There are times when decisions need to be made on certain issues throughout the

year. • The need arises between meetings for the NDC to approve certain proposals. Given the

varied capacity and knowledge of NDC members this can often be time consuming (for staff and chairs to bring members up to speed).

• Options to speed up and streamline decision making processes by the NDCs between meetings should be explored.

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 8

Recommendations to address challenges

1. Redefine the role of NDCs to be the provider of expertise and support to professional sport and program staff.

2. Develop a policy which separates the various functions and responsibilities of NDC into items that require approval (ie Long term vision/strategy, Selection Criteria) vs items that require advice/input (ie Coach development, Talent ID initiatives).

3. Establish a formal “Executive” of each NDC which would include (as a minimum) Chair, Head Coach/Program Director, Snow Australia CEO or Snow Australia Program Manager with delegated decision-making powers between meetings.

4. Each NDC Executive to become the connection point between the NDC and the performance pathway (programs inc clubs) and community (recognised community groups including regional committees, parents & friends).

5. Realign NDC’s with relevant sport pathways, having regard to FIS structure, including the establishment of a new Park & Pipe NDC. (See below)

6. Establish regular “Discipline Pathway Leaders Forums” (Institutes, clubs, programs) in each discipline to physically connect the NDC to the performance pathway programs. Each NDC Executive would represent its full NDC in these forums.

7. Establish regular “Discipline Community Forums” (Regional Committees, Parents and Volunteers) in each discipline to physically connect the NDC to the broader participation pathway including recognised community groups such as parents and volunteers. Each NDC Executive would represent its full NDC in these forums.

8. Call for Expressions of Interest for membership of Discipline Committees targeting and supporting an increase in female involvement.

9. Develop a standard charter for regional discipline committees/groups (ie Northern Alpine, Northern XC) which outlines aims, scope of activity, and composition.

10. Snow Australia Board to ratify Chair of NDCs and members of each NDC and its Executive.

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 9

Discipline Structural Overview – Proposed

Notes to structure: • Shared responsibility of Performance and Participation by the Snow Australia Board,

staff and the NDC Executive. • Clear Performance Pathway focus of the full NDC. • Shared involvement in performance pathway (Foundation level) and participation by

resort-based programs. • Creates two distinct forums those being for performance (Program Leaders) and

participation (Community).

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 10

Glossary of terms (Discipline Structure Overview) Snow Australia Board In addition to the governance of the sport, the Snow Australia Board has overarching responsibility for both the participation and performance elements of the sport. The Snow Australia Board is comprised of 9 Directors; five of whom are elected by the members, including one by virtue of being Chair of Snow Australia Athletes Commission and four nominated by the elected Directors as “skills based”. Snow Australia Staff Snow Australia Employs staff across four key business areas of Sport Pathway and Program Operations, Participation and Corporate Services. Snow Australia also works closely with High Performance program partners such as OWIA and NSWIS and often jointly employs key personnel. In recent times, largely as a result of sustained organic growth, including the unification of our sport, Snow Australia has increased its resources for the overall management and communication of pathway opportunities for athletes across all disciplines. This includes employment of professional program and discipline specific staff who take on responsibility for the day to day operation and management of the pathways. National Discipline Committees (NDC) The Snow Australia NDCs are established under Article 52 of the Snow Australia Constitution. The Snow Australia Board delegates certain responsibilities to the NDCs and relies on them to provide expertise and advice on the development and operation of the disciplines. Each NDC is comprised of sport experts, appointed by the Board with the primary focus on the performance pathway of the discipline. NDC Executive The NDC Executive is the connection point between the full NDC and the performance pathway (programs inc clubs) and community (recognised community groups) including regional committees, parents & friends). An important responsibility of the NDC Executive is to provide consistent information flow to/from the NDC to each of the Community Sport and Performance Pathway stakeholders. The NDC Executive would include (as a minimum) Chair, Head Coach/Program Director, Snow Australia CEO or Snow Australia Program Manager. The NDC Executive has delegated decision-making powers between meetings. Discipline Community Forum Opportunity for participation/community sport stakeholders to connect with Snow Australia Management and the NDC via the NDC Executive. The Forum is primarily an information sharing session providing an opportunity for feedback and sharing of ideas. The Forum is Open, though attendees may include interested individuals or members of Snow Australia Northern Management Committee (NMC), Regional Committees (Northern Alpine, Northern

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 11

XC), Interschools Committees, NPC, Resorts and recognised Community Groups. Discipline Community Forums would likely take place on a “whole of sport” basis, however, there may be times when Forums are convened on a discipline basis. Discipline Program Leaders Forum Opportunity for performance pathway stakeholders to connect with Snow Australia Staff and the NDC via the NDC Executive. The Forum is primarily an information sharing session providing an opportunity for feedback and sharing of ideas. The primary focus is to discuss matters relating to performance pathway and the development of talent. Attendees will be restricted to include Institute program partners, Pathway Program Clubs and resorts via sport program personnel. Discipline Program Leaders forums would likely take place on a discipline by discipline and needs basis. Recognised Sport Community Groups Snow Australia will recognise certain sport community groups whose primary goal is to support a discipline or event pathway via a mix of social activities, fundraising and community projects. These groups will be recognised by Snow Australia on the basis they operate under an established charter and that their activities align and support the broad objectives of the organisation. National Participation Committee (NPC) & Interschools The Snow Australia NPC is established under Article 52 of the Snow Australia Constitution. The Snow Australia Board delegates certain responsibilities to the NPC and relies on them to provide expertise and support to the Snow Australia Staff on the projects and programmes relating to participation and sport development. The NPC is comprised of industry and community sport experts including resort management personnel, interschools operations staff, and a cross section of the school community. The Interschool Committees establish rules, procedures and operational overview for the conduct of interschool Snowsport competition. Northern Management Committee (NMC) & Regional Committees Following a lengthy period of consultation, the previous NSW Snowsports and Snowsports ACT, together with Snow Australia agreed to consolidate within Snow Australia the existing activities and operations of these entities. The NMC has been established to provide oversight during the transition and beyond as required. The NMC oversees a small number of Northern based sub-committees. Resort Programs Australian Snow Resort operators are a key partner for our sport. Without the support of the Resorts, Snow Australia would not be able to operate in an effective way. The role of Resorts in the participation space is obvious. This includes attracting new participants and families to the industry along with being the key partner in the delivery of interschool competitions.

Snow Australia

National Discipline Committee Review

December 2019 12

From a performance pathway perspective, Resorts (via resort-run, seasonal programs) are becoming more relevant as the need arises for improved early skill development and development of domestic coaches. Resorts have also demonstrated a generous willingness to provide VIK support to the sport’s high performance activities. Snow Australia works closely with Resorts in both the participation and performance pathway space. Pathway Programs/Clubs The Snow Australia Athlete Pathway relies on a variety of different providers to operate programs at the elite, underpinning, development and grass-root level. These include a mix of institute providers, resorts, clubs, schools and commercial operators. By ensuring that each provider meets the standards required for ‘Snow Australia Pathway Program’ Accreditation, athletes and their families can be assured of quality and alignment with the national athlete pathway. Snow Australia Pathway Providers are afforded unique opportunities to engage with the support and services available through the high-performance pathway and enhance program offerings to their athletes. Institute Program Partners The cornerstone to the success of Snow Australia athletes and programs is the partnerships Snow Australia has with select institutes of sport. Snow Australia has a long-established program partnership with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) to deliver strategic program outcomes for elite high-performance programs, with the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) being the primary Institute partners for all Winter Sport Winning Edge, Tier 1 foundation sports. Snow Australia together with the OWIA, NSWIS and the VIS partner to deliver servicing, coordination and program opportunities for high performance winter sport athletes.