Dear stakeholders,
The end of the Paralympic Games marks the end of another Olympic / Paralympic cycle. It has been an outstanding summer, congratulations to our athletes and coaches who support the development of athletics in Canada.
The end of a cycle is a good time to take inventory of how Athletics Canada (AC) is operating. Over the summer we began planning for a complete review of all areas of the organization. While the Games results and high performance programs monopolize most of the public spotlight, other areas of the organization are just as important, including first contact programs, coach development, road and officiating programs, communications, marketing and partnerships.
This fall AC is conducting a complete Organizational Review which will help the Board of Directors and Senior Management identify any necessary adjustments’ to Athletics Canada’s programs, events and activities to ensure success toward Vision 2020; to provide world leading programs and services and to be recognized domestically and internationally for its commitment to:
- Providing a positive experience through sport which develops physical literacy and a love of athletics
- Systematically developing world class athletes who achieve podium success internationally
- Providing opportunities for participants to remain active and competitive through all stages of life
A committee of the Board has been established including strong athlete and provincial branch representation to oversee the review. The organizational review will be conducted with the help of Christine Searle. It will review and ensure all facets of the organization are on the right path. The goal is to identify the adjustments and improvements needed to reach the goals of our strategic plan, Vision 2020.
A complimentary review of the high performance program is being conducted by Peter Davis. This review is a requirement by Own the Podium for high performance funding. The goal is to identify improvements to high performance programs as seen by high performance staff, athletes, coaches and support staff.
Each of these reviews will consist of online surveys which will be sent to stakeholders of AC and personal interviews with over 150 identified stakeholders completed by the two consultants. Every effort has been made to eliminate duplication between the target lists to ensure minimal overlap between the groups and processes. However, it’s important to note that the AC led organizational review investigates the entire organization, the high performance review, required by Own the Podium, is limited to only one of Athletics Canada’s core pillars.
This review will be one of the most comprehensives by AC with the intention of identifying where we are doing well, where we need to do better, and how AC can continue on the path of being a world leading organization.
We encourage you to complete the survey, participate in the interviews if asked, and most of all be honest and frank in your feedback, rest assured that the entire process is being done with the highest level of confidentiality. The conclusions of this report will be instrumental in shaping the direction of Athletics Canada over the next four years.
Gord Orlikow
Board Chair
