In the spring of 2019, Triathlon Canada and its partner PSO’s began a collaborative engagement process which identified some key areas of improvement in the current system. This included clarity regarding roles and responsibilities. The following document is the result of the work which started at the AGM in September with every province represented.
A One Nation Working Group was formed made up of the CEO of Triathlon Canada, and the Provincial Executive Directors from Triathlon BC, Triathlon Manitoba, Triathlon Quebec and Triathlon Newfoundland – ensuring a broad representation from region and small, medium and large PSO’s.
The working group met over 12 meetings to review the feedback from the AGM – going through the document line by line, provided a draft version to the rest of the PSO ED’s for feedback in November and then to the PSO Presidents to share with their Boards in December and January.
The result is the Roles and Responsibilities Charter which is meant to act as an over-arching document to provide guidance and clarity for the national, provincial and club level governance of our sport in Canada. It will be an evolving work in progress and can be updated as we move forward. In some cases, the roles and responsibilities will be aspirational and in other cases, they will be considered the best practice of our sport. In all cases, they will outline our operating model for the future best state of our sport.
Key Points:
- It is the goal of the national and provincial federations to build a cohesive triathlon eco-system which will support growth and performance at all levels of the sport in Canada.
- The Roles and Responsibilities provides clarity to everyone involved in triathlon to understand their respective roles and responsibilities and work together to achieve our common goals.
- It demonstrates the collective investment by everyone in the sport towards our shared goals, shows the connection between all levels and why it’s important that everyone work together to ensure success at every level.
- Working together to be more efficient and aligned with our services and programs will only benefit our athletes and our sport.
FAQ’s:
- Why are you doing this now? We as sport administrators and leaders recognize that there is limited funding and resources coming into sport. It was determined that the lack of clarity regarding who’s doing what in our system has led to a breakdown or silos which isn’t serving our sport to the best of our abilities. Clarity regarding how each level of the sport system works together was critical in moving forward and being able to further develop and grow our sport.
- As a club, when I read this, it seems like the responsibilities you’ve got here should be handled by the PSO? Clubs are the first point of contact for most athletes coming into the sport, so it is essential they be included in this structure. While a club’s main focus may understandably be more local, it’s important to acknowledge the contribution all clubs can make towards achieving our national goals.
- It seems to me that these R&R are very similar, why is there so much similarity? Aren’t you different entities? We are all responsible for the growth of the sport, starting with the clubs, moving to the provinces and ultimately to the national federation. Having identified goals for our nation, this document aims to identify the contribution made by each level towards those goals – each are linked and we all need to understand how each fits with the other. The national federation sets the governance for the sport in Canada, which the provinces then follow regionally and the clubs then follow and administer locally at the community level. One doesn’t work in isolation of the other—or shouldn’t in an effective and truly well-run system. We are all linked.
- Why does my Club need to use the National Triathlon Registration System database? Ensuring we have good data as a sport overall will help us be able to better measure our sport, spot trends and gaps and allow us to better plan for the future of our sport. It will allow us to adapt as we are able to see what’s happening at all levels of the sport. It also provides efficiencies for our athletes and administrators by allowing many of the back-end administration to be done digitally – saving time and money for everyone. Data integrity is also important for us to be able to properly report to all our members.
- Why does my club need to be monitored through a report card system? The Report Card System will be developed in unison with representatives of affiliated Clubs, and will be put in place to ensure best practices are shared and recognized throughout the sport. The Report Card may include safe sport policies, respect & inclusion, coach certification levels and financial transparency.
If you have any other questions, concerns or comments about the Roles and Responsibilities Charter, the goals identified within or the state of our sport in general, please let us know. While a lot of work has been put in to get the document to this step, we know it will always be a work in progress, so welcome your feedback.
