A Regional Sports Institute: Preliminary Cost-Benefit Investigation

Transcription

1 Pacific Studies Series Toward a New Pacific Regionalism An Asian Development Bank----Commonwealth Secretariat Joint Report to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat VOLUME 3: WORKING PAPERS Working Paper No. 11 A Regional Sports Institute: Preliminary Cost-Benefit Investigation Secretariat Oceania National Olympic Committees Suva, Fiji Islands

2 Preface This report was prepared for the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PFIS) in Suva, Fiji Islands. The report is one output of an Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance project (TA 6226 REG): Developing and Implementing the Pacific Plan for Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Integration. The Commonwealth Secretariat provided funding to the project. The lead author of the report was Dr. Roman Grynberg, Deputy Director of Trade and Regional Cooperation at the Commonwealth Secretariat. He was assisted by Michael Hyndman, a costbenefit analyst contracted by ADB, and Sacha Silva, an economist contracted by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Consultants from PIFS and the Pacific region provided valuable inputs for the report. Bill Costello was the ADB task manager. The report is published in three volumes. Volume 1 is the Executive Summary. Volume 2 is the main report. Volume 3 contains the working papers commissioned for the report a series of independent studies assessing potential benefits and costs of implementing a variety of possible regional initiatives. Volume 3 has been printed in hard copy in only limited numbers. However, it is available on the websites of ADB ( and at Disclaimer The views expressed in this book are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank, or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. The Asian Development Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Use of the tem country does not imply any judgment by the authors or the Asian Development Bank as to the legal or other status of any territorial entity. ii

3 CONTENTS Page PREFACE ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ii iv v I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Constraints B. Assumptions II. BACKGROUND 5 III. CURRENT REGIONAL AND NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR 6 SPORT DEVELOPMENT A. Sport Structures at the Regional Level B. Regional Sports Programs in Oceania C. Sports-Specific Regional Centres of Excellence D. Sports Structures at the National Level E. Sports Structures in the Forum Island Countries IV. BENEFITS FROM POOLING RESOURCES AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL 37 V. A REGIONAL SPORTS INSTITUTE 39 A. The Quantitative and Qualitative Costs of Establishing a Regional Sports Facility B. Facilities Issues: Which Activities are to be Supported? VI. THE COST? 42 A. Capital and Material Resources B. Human Resources C. Operational Resources VII. THE BENEFITS 44 A. What Opportunities will be Provided as a Result of Establishing a Regional Sports Institute? VIII. CONCLUSION 48 APPENDIXES Forum Statements Pertaining to Sport 2. Office Bearers and Membership Details of the Oceania National Olympic Committees 3. The South Pacific Games 4. A Brief Overview of the National Sports Institute Goroka, PNG. 5. A Summary of Sports Facilities 6. Results of Survey of National Olympic Committees 7. The Opinion of Regional Sports Federations 8. A Brief Overview of the Progression of Australian and New Zealand Sport Initiatives iii

4 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ABS --- Australian Bureau of Statistics AIS --- Australian Institute of Sport ASC --- Australian Sports Commission ASP --- Australia South Pacific Sports Program CISNOC --- Cook Islands Sport and National Olympic Committee CMP --- Competition Management Program FASANOC --- Fiji Amateur Sports and National Olympic Committee FIFA --- Federation of International Football Associations FSM --- Federated States of Micronesia FSMNOC --- Federated States of Micronesia National Olympic Committee IAAF --- International Amateur Athletics Federation IF --- International Federation ITF --- International Tennis Federation IWF --- International Weightlifting Federation IYSPE --- United Nations International Year of Sport and Physical Education. KNOC --- Kiribati National Olympic Committee MINOC --- Marshal Islands National Olympic Committee NOC --- National Olympic Committee NOCSI --- National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands NSI --- National Sports Institute ONOC --- Oceania National Olympic Committees OSEP --- Oceania Sports Education Program OSIC --- Oceania Sports Information Centre OSFO --- Olympic Sports Federations of Oceania PNG --- Papua New Guinea PNOC --- Palau National Olympic Committee RDC --- Regional Development Centre RTC --- Regional Training Centre SASNOC --- Samoa Amateur Sports and National Olympic Committee SDO --- Sports Development Officer SDU --- Sports Development Unit SIFF --- Solomon Islands Football Federation SPARC --- Sport and Recreation Council of New Zealand SPGC --- South Pacific Games Council TASANOC --- Tonga Amateur Sports Association and National Olympic Committee TV --- Television UNESCO --- United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation USP --- University of the South Pacific VASANOC --- Vanuatu Sports Association and National Olympic Committee iv

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The following Report reviews the current national and regional mechanisms that are currently in existence in the Pacific Island Region, with respect to sport, placing particular emphasis on the value of establishing Sports Institutes or Training Centres. It provides information on a number of regional initiatives that have been undertaken in recent years to assist in the development of sport, and identifies recent projects that aim at further enhancing sport through pooling resources at the regional level. In particular, the feasibility of Sport as a viable Tool for Development is examined as a means of justifying expenditure on the establishment and development of this important industry, in accordance with the intent of the Pacific Plan for Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Development. The authors feel strongly, that Sport, as an entity in itself has an import role to play in fostering both, economic growth and development and sustainable development for the improvement of livelihoods, two key premises of the current Pacific Plan (Forum Sec. 2004). The benefits of establishing a regional sports facility are, potentially significant. There is an established need for a greater support infrastructure for athletes, coaches, sports administrators and sports scientists at the national and regional levels, throughout the Pacific and the successful establishment of a Regional Sports Institute would be likely to make positive contributions in this regard. Properly established, a Regional Sports Institute would provide high level training and development for athletes as well as their coaches and administrators. The greatest benefit would be in establishing an infrastructure that would enable the Pacific Islands to directly gain from the sporting talent it produces while at the same time establishing sport and physical education in its proper place as tools for ensuring the improved health and productivity of people throughout the Region in both urban and rural sectors of the community. If there is a regional acceptance of the need to progress with the establishment of a Regional Sports Institute, then a number of issues need to be addressed. Would the facility be a central one, or would it be decentralised around the region? Experience with the establishment of Sports Institutes overseas suggests that a centralised facility does not meet the needs of client groups. Furthermore, such an Institute must have the full cooperation of both Government and non-government agencies and stakeholders in order to be operated effectively. There also needs to be a clear understanding of the roles of Government and non government organisations involved in the establishment of a Regional Sports Institute and in particular the operation of such an entity. In the Pacific Region, the use of the University of the South Pacific (USP), and its associated campuses and centres in member countries, and facilities such as the Fiji School of Medicine as resource providers in the field of sports research and support services is recognised. There are also prospects of utilising the USP and other recognised educational centres to provide educational opportunities for athletes on scholarship to a Regional Sports Institute. The v

6 experience of establishing the USP in itself provides clues as to how a similar exercise in sports development would evolve. Similarly the existence of sports specific Regional Centres of Excellence is acknowledged, as is the existence of general and specific Sport Development Facilities at various levels of development, throughout the nations of the Pacific. We can learn also from attempts by Papua New Guinea, and to a lesser extent from Nauru, Fiji Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa and Cook Islands all of whom have attempted to establish Sports Training Centres or Sports Development Units. Sustainability of programs and the need for specialist expertise has often been identified as major problem limiting factors to the establishment of viable sports infrastructures. A Regional Sports Institute may well provide the framework to solve this on-going problem. The costs associated with establishing a Regional Sports Institute are discussed although this discussion is clearly limited by the decisions that need to be made on the extent and scope of such an Institute should it ever be established. However, based on admittedly rough estimates of health and vocational economic benefits it has been demonstrated that these can match the potential costs. Once properly measured, a more accurate assessment of the size and scale of such an Institute can be properly estimated. The establishment of a Regional Sports Institute would logically grow from the proper, strategic application of appropriate resources, aimed at achieving whatever goals are established for its inauguration. Should the member Governments of the Pacific Islands Forum agree that a Regional Sports Institute is desirable as a vehicle to promote standards of sporting performance in the region, as well as a means of addressing some of the health concerns of the region then a strong financial commitment for a minimum of ten years, must be made during the establishment phase. This must include ongoing operational support, including a commitment to training appropriate personnel from within the Pacific Islands Region to manage and operate all aspects of the Regional Sports Institute. RECOMMENDATIONS That a Regional Sports Institute be established that will support existing or planned future sports specific Regional Training Centres and existing or planned future National Sports Development Units. That consideration is given to establish the Regional Sports Institute as an integral part of the University of the South Pacific Network, That an on-going financial commitment be guaranteed by the Pacific Leaders to support the development and operations of the Pacific Sports Institute, for a minimum of 10 years. It is suggested that this Project be established under the responsibility of a Forum Minister s Sub- Committee, administered from the Forum Secretariat or through the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) Office that has already been established at the Forum Secretariat Buildings in Suva. vi

7 I. INTRODUCTION During March 2005, the Secretariat of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) was approached by the Pacific Plan Office to prepare a report on the costs and benefits of establishing a Regional Sports Facility. Pacific Island Forum Leaders have recently agreed to create a "Pacific Plan for Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Integration" with the aim of deepening and broadening regional cooperation by pooling regional resources. The Plan seeks to increase participation, ownership and regional collective action and to facilitate the inclusion of regional initiatives in Pacific Islands Countries national development strategies. The Regional Sports Institute or Facility proposal is one such initiative. Following the agreement by the ONOC Secretariat to prepare this report the following research methodology was undertaken: An extensive literature review covering a wide range of published documentation relating to the establishment of Sports Institutes in a number of countries, both within the Pacific region and elsewhere. The review also took into account various studies and research articles on the socio-economic benefits of supporting and encouraging sports development programs. Research on health statistics for the Forum Island Countries, predominantly drawn from data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific A series of interviews with management of Sport Institutes in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji Islands on the costs of establishing and operating these projects. Interviews with executive management of the University of the South Pacific Circulation, collection and analysis of a questionnaire on the desirability of the establishment of a Regional Sports Institute. This questionnaire was circulated during the 2005 ONOC Annual General Assembly, held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to representatives of the 15 National Olympic Committees in Oceania and representatives of the Olympic Sports Federations of Oceania (OSFO) who were present at the Assembly. In developing this report, the ONOC Secretariat took into account the 2003 Report of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace, which, inter-alia, recommended that: 1. Sport should be better integrated into the development agenda. 2. Sport should be incorporated as a useful tool in programs for development and peace. 3. Sport-based initiatives should be included in the country programs of United Nations agencies, where appropriate and according to locally assessed needs. 4. Programs promoting sport for development and peace need greater attention and resources by Governments and the United Nations system 5. Communications-based activities using sport should focus on well-targeted advocacy and social mobilization, particularly at the national and local levels. 6. The most effective way to implement programs that use sport for development and peace is through partnerships. The ONOC Secretariat Report has been constrained by a lack of hard statistical evidence on the economic benefits of sports development specifically in Pacific Islands nations, specifically those arising from the establishment of a regional sports facility. As a result, we accept that it may only lay the platform for a more detailed feasibility study, should Governments in the Pacific 1

8 Islands agree that such an initiative will do much to enhance the implementation of the Pacific Plan. The authors strongly believe that by establishing such a facility in conjunction with current sports development programs in the region, including those coordinated through ONOC, International Sports Federations and the Australia South Pacific Sports Program, positive health and economic outcomes would no doubt be generated throughout the Pacific Region. Substantial primary research involving interaction with the main stakeholders in sport, including National Olympic Committees, Regional and National Sports Federations, Government instruments and operators of sports centres of excellence in the region, was undertaken. A close analysis of the evolution of the Australian Institute of Sport is included as well as experiences drawn from the New Zealand model, which has not committed Government funding support to the same degree. ONOC is also pleased to note that this report is being submitted for consideration of Pacific Island Leaders during the United Nations International Year of Sport and Physical Education. The IYSPE 2005 provides the international community with an opportunity to promote the value of Sport and the Sport Industry as a partner for the achievement of development, a quality of life and peaceful co-existence throughout the nations of the Pacific Forum Community. A. Constraints The proposal has been developed within a tight time frame, which has limited the amount of data collection and input by ONOC members and from other sources. Consequently it is accepted that the outcomes of this research might reflect a bias, natural to the sample of research responses obtained. The data collection methodology employed has its own inherent limitations in directing thinking according to a predetermined model and impression of what would actually constitute a Regional Sports Institute. The proposal has relied on responses to requests for data and where data has not been readily forthcoming this has not been further pursued due to the time constraints. Facts provided in the data collection have not been rigorously tested or independently verified by either practical or detailed theoretical modelling. The authors are not practising economists. However, between them they have over 90 years of practical experience in sports development work in the Pacific Region and beyond and can attest to the practical economic benefits arising from investments that lead to increasing opportunities to participate in sport, having worked directly in sport, in international sports organizations as well as in Government agencies. The proposal has been based without assumptions as to the budget available for such a project if agreed, nor with the benefit of the specific outcomes sought from the establishment of a Regional Sports Institute. As such the final recommendations would be subject to modification to reflect the financial commitment available and the specific objectives sought. 2

9 B. Assumptions The proposal is based on the establishment of a Regional Sports Institute, initially with a central base at the University of the South Pacific in Suva and satellite centres in countries that are part of the USP network with the following proposed objectives: i. To provide opportunities for talented Pacific Islands sports people to achieve excellence in high performance sport from within a Pacific Islands environment. ii. To provide opportunities for young Pacific Islanders to further develop their sporting careers in association with or as a part of their education or work. iii. To organise and promote sporting meetings for the purpose of developing the personal skills and levels of excellence of Pacific Islands sports people. iv. To conduct research that will assist the development of sporting excellence. v. To provide and disseminate sport science information and literature. vi. To provide and develop coaching resources, facilities and information and to make the same available to assist the development of sporting excellence. vii. To seek and administer funds to be used to develop and promote sporting excellence amongst Pacific Islands individuals and teams through the provision of travel, competition, equipment, information or any other requirement. viii. To enhance the personal, educational and vocational development opportunities for elite athletes ix. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of national level sporting agencies. No commitment to the ongoing advancement of the proposal has been given or been presumed by any party. The benefits calculated are derived from current statistical data, which cannot be directly linked to the establishment of a regional sports facility. 3

10 Figure 1: Proposed Macro-Structure of a Regional Sports Institute. ONOC University of the South Pacific Government International Sport Federations Regional Sports Institute Scholarships Sports Support Services Infrastructure and expertise Foreign Aid Agencies National Sports Training Centres Regional Sports Training Centres Sports Development Units 4

11 II. BACKGROUND Sport has long been considered a part of the way of life throughout the Pacific Region, an activity to be enjoyed after the day s work has been done and a reason for families to get together to enjoy each other s company. Although not considered a serious pursuit around the general community it has no doubt entrenched itself as an important part of daily life. The athletic potential of Pacific Islanders is clearly in evidence when one considers the number of athletes that have succeeded on the world stage in sport despite having a total population base less than New Zealand (PNG excluded). Pacific Islanders have won Olympic medals, World Championships and Commonwealth Games medals, or have gone to other countries to represent them in the highest levels of sports including; American football, Australian Rules Football, Basketball, Body Building, Beach Volleyball, Golf, Netball, Power-lifting, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Rugby Sevens, Sumo Wrestling, Springboard Diving, Sailing, Track and Field, Volleyball and Weightlifting. Since 1997, Pacific Islands Governments, through the Pacific Forum have gradually come to recognise the significant role that sport may have to play in the overall economic development of the Region as well as the social cohesion of the Countries within the Region. However, for sport to be worthy of major Government and non-government investment, it must demonstrate a real benefit to the Region both in terms of the opportunities it generates for the development of individuals as well as towards the healthy economic growth and development of the Pacific Community, as measured by the employment it generates and the secondary employment generated by existing industries directly affected by a viable sport infrastructure. These have been reflected in a series of Communiques from Pacific Forum Meetings (Appendix 1). The concept of a Regional Sports Institute has been advanced as a possible strategy towards meeting the objectives of the Pacific Plan and the resources required for the establishment and operation of such a facility given due consideration. Three international sports federations have seen fit to establish Regional Training Centres somewhere in the Pacific in an attempt to mine this rich vein of talent. Other sports, such as rugby union and rugby league, sumo wrestling, American Football, professional boxing and wrestling have recruited heavily from the Islands to bolster their professional stocks. The WHO Western Pacific Regional Office documentation highlights the growing, and in many cases, alarming, incidence of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, in the Pacific Islands region. An increased emphasis on sport and physical education will no doubt contribute a decline in these lifestyle diseases. Furthermore, sport has been known to contribute to the reduction of delinquency and social malfunction. A Kid in Sport is a Kid out of Court (Hooper, 2000). In the first instance however, it is felt that within existing resources, there is potential to establish a viable framework for a Regional Sports Institute, using a similar model to the University of the South Pacific. Such a model would evolve specialist centres of excellence and make use of the facilities, talent and expertise, as and where they are already in place. 5

12 III. CURRENT REGIONAL AND NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR SPORTS DEVELOPMENT The following Section attempts to summarise the current infrastructures for sport development that exist in the Pacific Region. A. Sport Structures at the Regional Level Established in the Pacific Islands Region, the three main sports-related institutions are the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC), the recently inaugurated Olympic Sports Federations of Oceania (OSFO) and the South Pacific Games Council (SPGC). These are all non-government organisations. Their place in world sport is illustrated at Appendix 5. Two major regional initiatives in sports development that have been implemented by ONOC have been the establishment of the Oceania Sport Information Centre and the implementation of the oceaniasport.com web portal for sports bodies in the region. Members of OSFO independently operate Regional Sports Development initiatives at widely varying levels of commitment. The major regional sporting event is the South Pacific Games, held every 4 years. The Games are owned by the South Pacific Games Council and awarded following a bidding process to the peak sporting body in the Country, affiliated to the South Pacific Games Council (SPGC). The Australian Government, through the Australia South Pacific Sports Program, also plays a significant role in sports development programs and activities in the region. 1. Oceania National Olympic Committees Institutional Framework In 1981, acting on an initiative of IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, who was encouraging the formation of regional zones in the Olympic Movement, a meeting of sports leaders from Oceania was held in Baden Baden, Germany on the occasion of the Olympic Congress being conducted there. The meeting discussed procedures for establishing the "National Olympic Committees of Oceania", promoting the development of Olympism in the area and the coordination and distribution of Olympic Solidarity funds. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) present at the meeting were Australia, Fiji Islands, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea - the founder members of ONOC. Since then the NOCs of American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu have joined the Olympic Family and ONOC. ONOC is governed by its constituent members (NOCs in Oceania), which meet annually to review the organisation s activities. In the first year of every Olympiad, the Assembly elects a new Executive Board, comprising the President, Vice President, Secretary General and 4 members. Also represented on the Executive Board are Members of the International Olympic Committee from Oceania. Members of ONOC Commissions (Medical, Athletes and Women in Sport) are also appointed at this electoral Assembly (Appendix 2). 6

13 Programs The ONOC Secretariat is located at the Forum Secretariat Complex in Suva. Its work program is driven by its Strategic Plan, which was adopted by the 2005 ONOC Annual Assembly. This document sets out a vision and mission statement for the organisation: Vision To be innovative, positive and proactive in our developments in sport so that in everyway, we will make a positive contribution to the development of our region s athletes and the Olympic Movement. Mission Establish and maintain a viable and sustainable sport development infrastructure in the Oceania region, fully involving National Olympic Committees and National and Oceania representatives of the International Sports Federations. The Plan is based on the recognition of the following ten priority outcomes for the next four years: 1. Strengthen and enhance the capacity of the NOCs to effectively fulfil their obligations to the Olympic Movement. 2. Continue to place the establishment and conduct of National Games as our primary focus for development. 3. Encourage NOCs to identify potential elite athletes and team sports as an outcome of National Games. 4. Reinforce the importance of raising overall performance levels of our athletes at all levels of competition 5. Improve the level of competence of our coaching and administration through a systematic educational process in collaboration with our Regional Sports Federations. 6. Ensure that oceaniasport.com becomes the standard management tool for National Games and NOC Administration. 7. Encourage NOCs to work more closely with their respective Governments to promote sport. 8. Work closely with the South Pacific Games Council, recognizing it as the peak body for multi sport events in the Region. 9. Target the Australian Youth Olympic Festival as a competition opportunity for our youth from the Region. 10. Implement an Awards scheme recognizing outstanding contributions and service to sport in the Region. A major part of the ONOC Secretariat s work is in managing Olympic Solidarity sports development funding in Oceania. Olympic Solidarity is the body responsible for managing and administering the share of the television rights of the Olympic Games that is allocated to the National Olympic Committees. It exercises this responsibility in accordance with the specific programs of technical and financial assistance approved by the International Olympic Committee s Olympic Solidarity Commission. It assists the NOCs and the Continental Associations with their efforts for the development of sport through programs carefully devised to match their specific needs and priorities. 7

14 Budget For the current Olympiad ONOC has an annual budgetary allocation from Olympic Solidarity of United States dollars (US$)2,869,000 to administer a range of activities, including its own administration. Programs typically relate to athlete and coach development, sport education programs, sports administration training, facilities development and support for national and regional multi-sport events, such as the South Pacific Games. Funds are made available in a number of ways: directly to NOCs as required to implement programs for their athletes, coaches, technical officials, sports administrators etc.; and on a regional basis in areas such as provision of sports information and sport education projects, management and I.T. consultancy projects in the region. In addition, NOCs may apply directly to the International Olympic committee for funding under its World Programs. The estimated economic value of the Olympic contribution to sport in the Pacific is approximately US$12 15 million over four years. By virtue of the ONOC Office being established in Fiji Islands, there is a substantial indirect economic benefit to Fiji Islands obtained through the operation of the office as well as the administration of the funds for development. The economic benefit to the Region in terms of exposure as a result of attending the Olympic Games cannot be measured. Each Country will appear world wide on Television during the Opening Ceremony and will usually draw more than their share of media attention should an athlete be successful beyond expectations. Figure 2: The amount of Internet Traffic absorbed during the Olympic Games as world attention focused on our island nations. Internet enquiries about the performances of Pacific Islands athletes increased traffic on the Oceaniasport Web Site 5 fold during the course of the Athens Olympic Games. Games memorabilia such as Track Suits, Shirts and Olympic Pins were highly sought after as rarities and in themselves have contributed to the economic benefits to the Region. A similar, if not greater economic impact can be felt by attending the Commonwealth Games. Pacific Island nations can appear in finals at these Games and do win medals. Consequently media attention is much more significant. 8

15 Unlike Australia, Pacific Islands Nations only have one peak body for sport and as such the National Olympic Committee performs the role of Commonwealth Games Association and South Pacific Games Association. When Delhi won the right to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, an immediate grant of US$100,000 was made available to each Commonwealth Games Association/NOC in the Pacific Region to assist in their preparations for these Games. 2. Olympic Sports Federations of Oceania (OSFO) The inaugural meeting of the Olympic Sports Federations of Oceania (OSFO) was held in Brisbane prior to the 2005 ONOC Annual General Assembly. The new organisation will be a sister organisation for the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC), the regional representative of all the IOC recognised National Olympic Committees in the region. Between them the International Sports Federations and the National Olympic Committees are two elements in a three-way partnership responsible for the establishment of competitions and the development of all aspects of sport across the Oceania region. The other key partners are the Governments of the member countries. The meeting of OSFO was a history making event in its own right but the significance of the move was made even more apparent to the attending Sports Federations when they were told that no such organisation exists in any other part of the world. Oceania Sports Administrators took that as further confirmation that they are world leaders in many aspects of sports development. It is anticipated that in its first year of existence OSFO membership will rise to 30 Sports Federations. In the initial stages of its existence, OSFO will be run by members of its constituent organisations with FIBA (Basketball) Oceania's Steve Smith elected as Chairperson of the organisation. Oceania Baseball's Chet Gray as its Secretary, Judo's Clare Hargraves, Weightlifting's Matthew Curtain and Tennis' Dan O'Connell round out the 5-person executive. A levy on members will provide some working capital for administrative expenses and application will be made to international sporting bodies for some seed funding to allow the work of the organisation to progress. The constitution of OSFO has established the objects of the organisation, which include: - Representing the interests of members to ONOC, the IOC and governments. Fostering participation in sport across the region. Facilitating the development of sporting excellence in the region. Encouraging and facilitating communication between the International Sports Federations that operate in the region and with other organisations having similar objects. Conducting its activities without political, religious, cultural or gender bias. Fostering the development of additional Oceania organisations as regional organisations of the sports being conducted within the region. The new organisation has committed itself to an annual meeting at the time most convenient for allowing interaction between the Sports Federations and the National Olympic Committees and 9

16 will in addition, research the best way to facilitate greater face to face communication between the two important sports agencies. As a communication vehicle, OSFO will enhance the dedicated website established for the organisation It is hoped at the same time to create a gateway for anyone wanting to know anything about the member sports and through specialist access, allow information sharing among the member federations. The members of the OSFO are made up of the Regional representatives of International Sports Federations. Each of these Sports Federations, independently implement programs of development specific to their sport throughout the Pacific Region. The economic value of the activities of International Sports Federations can at best be estimated at US$15 20 million per annum. This is based on direct grants to national sports federations, education programs and scholarship programs for coaches and athletes that are made available to the Pacific. The International Football Federation alone provides direct subsidies of US$250, per annum to each of its 8 affiliate members and in addition, sponsors a facilities program to the value of US$1.0 million in each of these Countries. This estimate also includes the economic benefit attributed to the hosting of activities and competitions throughout the Region. 3. The South Pacific Games Council The South Pacific Games Council (SPGC) boasts a membership of all 22 Pacific Islands Nations and Territories. As such, the SPGC is recognized as the principle body responsible for the organization of Multi-Sport Events in the Pacific Region and is fully patronized by the International Olympic Committee. The functions of the SPGC have essentially been limited to the awarding of the Games, following an appropriate bidding process and to ensure that the Games are conducted in accordance with the South Pacific Games Charter. The SPGC as such have no programs of development associated with their activities. However, recognition of the need for this body to become more professional in its approach to the conduct and marketing of the South Pacific Games has become apparent. The ONOC provides an annual grant of US$25, to the SPGC and in addition, assists Games Organising Committees with direct grants of US$25,000 per annum over the four years leading up to the Games themselves. A brief history of the South Pacific Games is at Appendix 3. There has been no attempt made to date, to conduct an Economic Impact Case Study on the hosting of the South Pacific Games. However for the 2003 South Pacific Games held in Fiji Islands, the following economic impact data can be provided: 1. Approximately Fiji dollars (F$)13.0 million was injected into the Fiji Islands economy, reflecting the operational costs of hosting the Games. 2. A legacy of approximately F$60 million in new facilities and improvements to existing facilities was achieved. (This has made it possible for Fiji Islands to bid for other major international events). 10

17 3. The Games were funded by Private and non Government or Foreign Government sources, meaning that the net cost to Fiji Islands was zero. There is little doubt that a well conceived and planned bid to host a South Pacific Games will have a significant positive economic impact on the Host Nation. 4. Australia South Pacific Sports Program The Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has played an important role in sports development programs in the Pacific region for some years. The Oceania Olympic Training Centre program began in 1991 as a joint project involving ONOC, the IOC and the Australian Government and offered scholarships for athletes, coaches and sports medicine specialists. This program has gone through some changes over the years and is now part of the Australia South Pacific (ASP) Sports Program. Substantial work was carried out in the years leading up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games under the ASP 2000 Sports Program, which was managed through the ASC with substantial input from ONOC. A range of activities both at national and regional level were implemented under this program with one aim being to improve the performances of Pacific Island athletes at the Olympic level. This program continued, albeit with some alterations in focus and programs, through to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. In 2004 the Australian Sports Commission released its Pacific Sporting Needs Assessment. The needs assessment was constructed to provide a record of the sporting needs of Pacific region countries and to enable those countries, in partnership with the Australia South Pacific Sports Program, to respond more effectively. Country-specific reports were also included in the needs assessment to more accurately reflect the requirements of each country. This document does not however take into account work that has already been undertaken, or attempt to evaluate previous programs of development for sport that have taken place in the Pacific Region. The needs assessment led to a restructure of the ASP Sports Program. The ASP Sports Program now has three areas of focus: elite programs and sport education; community sport programs; and strategic direction and evaluation. Programs stemming from the needs assessment include the announcement by the Australian Government to contribute $615,000 toward the establishment of the Oceania Sport Education Program (OSEP). Over the past year, a joint working group, comprising experts from the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), ONOC and the University of South Pacific have developed the OSEP concept. The Australian Government s funding commitment, plus that of Olympic Solidarity, has ensured that the concept progresses to implementation. Another major initiative of the ASP Sports Program is the introduction of the Pacific Sport Ability program. The program promotes inclusive sport and physical activity between athletes with a disability and able-bodied athletes. The program was developed with the assistance of the Disability Sport Unit at the ASC. Following a successful pilot project in Papua New Guinea in February/April, the program has been rolled out in Tonga and Samoa. The ASP Sports Program provides financial support for the OceaniaSport Web Portal and its Membership and Results Management database. ASP funds are used for software development as well as training of sports administrators and 11

18 volunteers throughout the Pacific in its use. Increasing numbers of sporting organisations are using the web portal and database, thus significantly reducing the administrative burden on sporting organisations. The economic benefit to the Pacific Region of the ASP Sports Program amounts to around Australian dollars (A$)600,000 per annum, however the value added benefit provided by the educational and vocational opportunities that arise from the activities of this program are at the very least, significantly greater than this. The Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program (AYAD) currently has nine placements throughout the Pacific, working specifically in Sport and Sports Development. This is further supplemented by volunteers from Japan and the USA. B. Regional Sports Programs in Oceania The need to prepare and train athletes to international standards has largely been driven in the Pacific Islands by participation in the South Pacific Games. This is the only regional multi-sport event held in the Pacific. For Australia and New Zealand, the stimulus of participation in the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games has provided the need for establishing more systematic programs of development. The major sponsor for the development of elite athletes in the Pacific has been the International Olympic Movement, through its Olympic Solidarity Program, which has provided funds for scholarships and education programs that enable athletes to attend recognized training centres in their sport anywhere in the world. In the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the Australian Government, initially through the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra offered on average, 40 placements per year for athletes to train in Australia for up to 10 weeks at a time. These programs were established as a means of addressing the need to provide quality-training programs for Pacific island athletes, a fact recognized by the Australian Olympic Committee in their Bid presentations for the 2000 Olympic Games and at a meeting of Pacific Islands Sports Ministers, held in Canberra during March Athlete Support Programs Approximately A$2.5 million was spent from specifically on the preparation of athletes from the Pacific for participation in the Olympic Games in Sydney. However in the evaluation of the ASP 2000 Sports Program, submitted in March 2001 it was illustrated that only a small percentage of these funds were spent in a way as to establish a viable infrastructure for athlete development in the Pacific. The major factor for this was considered to be the result of implementing specific Programs for sports development, in an environment that had little or no effective framework from which to support and sustain these initiatives. Consequently the priorities for development under the ASP Sports Program, remain quite similar to those pursued from , but with heavier emphasis on the use of Australian expertise to support locally driven sports development initiatives. At a Regional Sports Development Officers Workshop, held in Canberra from 29 November 5 December 1998, and a Performance Enhancement Workshop also held in Canberra from 8 15 April 2002, the issue of Athlete support and access to facilities such as the AIS were discussed at length. It was unanimously agreed that what our athletes and coaches lacked the most, was access to regular and reliable athlete support services. This was caused by either or all of the following factors: Lack of facilities 12

19 Lack of expertise Lack of equipment While it has been accepted that the financial cost of establishing A.I.S. like facilities around the Pacific would be prohibitive, it has been agreed that establishing basic Sports Development Units (SDUs), that can offer simple Field Testing Services and advice to coaches and athletes are feasible and made more so if elite athletes have access to Gold Standard testing and assessment facilities on a regular basis, from which the SDUs can then monitor effectively, progress between major assessments. Fiji Islands, through the Fiji Sports Council established such a Unit in 1998 while PNG have a Sports Institute established at Goroka that has the capability of providing these services. Other countries in the Pacific Region have yet to establish such a facility. Since 1991, the Australian Government in partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee and the Oceania National Olympic Committees has provided funding for athletes and coaches to spend extended periods of time at the AIS in Canberra. This program is currently under comprehensive review and the results of this study should be available by August It has been clearly determined to date that what has been provided has been both insufficient and not targeted well enough. 2. Junior and Community Sport Initiatives Largely through the initiatives of the Australian Government since 1994 and more recently with funding provided from the IOC under the World Programs to fund initiatives that sustain the Olympic Values, a range of programs have been implemented that support junior and community sport programs aimed specifically at improving the quality of life of Pacific Islands people through sport. Funding is now available for programs that range for purposes that include: 1. Women in Sport. 2. Modified sport programs for children and education. 3. Sport for people with disabilities. 4. Training sports leaders and administrators. 5. Sports exchange programs. 6. Sport and the environment. 7. Establishment of sports legacy. 8. Information Technology. 9. Regional and National Games. 10. Drugs in Sport. All of these Programs place a high emphasis on the training of local personnel to support the sustainable establishment of programs that meet the objectives of establishing sport as a viable tool for development, health promotion and the establishment of a better quality of life. In addition to the millions of dollars that have already been invested into the Region from external sources to support Community Sport initiatives, there is an increasing economic investment from Countries and Institutions throughout the Region for this purpose. The economic benefits of this would require significant primary research to establish accurately, the 13

20 magnitude of the economic contribution that community based sport activities currently makes to the Pacific Region. 3. Oceania Sports Information Centre (OSIC) OSIC is the regional information centre for sports and physical education hosted and implemented by the University of the South Pacific for and on behalf of the Oceania National Olympic Committee with the support of the Australian Sports Commission and seed funding from UNESCO. OSIC was launched in August 1997 and is located within the Library of the University of the South Pacific. The services, collection and databases are available to the people of the South Pacific region. OSIC provides a service to all countries that are members of the Oceania National Olympic Committees and to the member countries of the University of the South Pacific. These include: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Western Samoa. OSIC is providing information services in sport to athletes, coaches, sports journalists, educators, researchers and other interested users. ONOC currently commits US$50,000 per annum to the operational costs of OSIC. The economic benefit of the OSIC can only be measured in the employment opportunity it provides and the costs saved by not having to source vital information outside of the Region. 4. Oceaniasport Oceaniasport can be defined as a regional project that has as its key stakeholders, the 22 countries of Oceania, in excess of 35 Regional Sports Federations, 15 National Olympic Committees and over 720 National Sports Federations. Its primary role is to develop sport at all levels of participation. Oceaniasport was born in December 2002 out of the priorities ONOC set for the Olympiad. ONOC s mission was to develop sport via competition and to do that they knew they had to support regional sports federations to organize better quality competitions in a cost effective manner. So the solution required needed to be technical and educational as administrators required knowledge on how to run competitions and then how to run them efficiently using technology. The solution also had to have a low technical reliance, but also needed to be robust, despite the technical limitations ONOC partnered with Melbourne-based IT company Sporting Pulse to create and deliver their solution. The project has exceeded all expectations and has been hailed a success from the world s leading administrators, claiming it as best practice and the model that other Olympic regions should follow. The quality tools, transfer of knowledge and overall performance of the solution are the driving force behind the success and motivation to develop the concept further. The barriers to communication due to remoteness are being overcome, and the sport specific development and implementation have been successful, ensuring oceaniasport s critical role in ongoing sports development Through Oceaniasport, ONOC now has a Web presence established for every NOC and 14