Optimal Governance Report unveiled

by Aidan Davis on October 8, 2020

An independent review of the Australian Bowls community’s optimal governance and administrative models has been completed, with a subsequent Optimal Governance Report developed to steer future direction.

The modelling, which was identified as a key project within Bowls Australia’s (BA) 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, was produced with financial support from Sport Australia and is the result of nearly 10 months of consultation.

In late 2019, consultative agency Sport Business Partners (SBP) were engaged to lead and facilitate the review, alongside Working and Advisory Groups, which were formed from a broad section of the Bowls community.

Over the course of seven months, comprehensive consultations from within and outside the sport occurred, leading to the finalisation of a 104-page report.

Bowls Australia President Bob Boorman said this report marked an important milestone, but there is still a lot of work ahead in order to make meaningful progress on improving the sport’s governance and administration.

“On behalf of the BA Board, I express my sincere thanks to the members of the Working and Advisory Groups, in addition to SBP for their outstanding work in producing this report,” Boorman said.

“This review and report are both significant milestones and outlines an important roadmap to improve how the sport of Bowls in Australia is governed and administered.

“But, to quote Winston Churchill – ‘this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning’, so we have much work to do over the ensuing months and years.”

BA’s Board has accepted the recommendations and actions outlined on pages 16 and 17 of the report, following a detailed presentation from SBP on the review.

Over the coming months, it’s planned that the report will be presented to the State Consultative Body by SBP, which may include a briefing following the BA AGM on November 10 and detailed face-to-face meetings in early 2021.