Towards a Chartered Institute of Sport - progress update

Please note that a full list of CIS Updates are available in the secure members area here. The most recent update was February 2010

Dear Member,

The following information is provided for members of ISRM to inform you of the latest progress towards establishing a Chartered Institute of Sport. Copies of this information is being provided for discussion at ISRM regional meetings and is available on our website.

Marc Newey
Chairman, Board of Trustees

Towards a

CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF SPORT

Management l Development l Research l Strategy l Administration
physical activity + active recreation l indoor + outdoor facilities l major events + tourism

PROGRESS UPDATE

As both ISRM and ISPAL Members may recall from updates in RECREATION and INFORM magazines, good progress is being made on the establishment of a Chartered Institute of Sport (CIS).

The Project Working Group (PWG), comprising the current Chairmen and two Trustees from each Institute, has agreed detailed proposals regarding the role and purpose of the new Institute.

The overarching vision and purpose of the CIS is to build upon the work carried out by both Institutes to date to raise the profile, status and gravitas of people working in the sector and to increase the level of professionalism, through a robust combination of professional qualifications and continuous professional development.

The remit of the new Institute will cover management, administration, development, research and strategy, across the areas of facilities (indoor and outdoor), physical activity, active recreation, major events and tourism.

This remit will help to ensure that the new Institute can continue and build upon the current work of ISRM and ISPAL, whilst enabling it to expand and fulfil the needs of the sector as we move into the next decade.

The services which the new Institute will offer, its membership, its governance and the training and qualification structure it will provide have also been agreed by the PWG.

Extensive consultation with key stakeholders from the fields of sport, health, education, fitness, sector skills, and tourism have been undertaken to both inform and gain the support of leading organisations and individuals. Discussions have also been held with the Minister of Sport and with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, both of whom have indicated their strong support and sponsorship for the new Institute.

Application for a Royal Charter

The PWG is now in the process of preparing an application to the Privy Council, who are the authority to whom an application must be made in order to obtain a Royal Charter.

This application is split into three parts, as follows:

Submission of a Preliminary Memorandum

This acts as an initial information document for the Privy Council Office, to inform them of our intention to apply formally for a Royal Charter through the Formal Petition (outlined below).

It represents a first approach which enables the Privy Council Office to identify at an early stage any key issues or problems which may prevent a successful application or which should be resolved before the Formal Petition is made. It enables the Privy Council to consult with relevant stakeholders on the proposed application. It also allows the Privy Council Office to give advice on the likely chances of success of a Formal Petition.

Liaison with Privy Council

After the Privy Council Office has considered the Preliminary Memorandum and identified any issues which may be relevant, consultation and liaison between the PWG, the Privy Council Office and any relevant stakeholders will take place in order to address and hopefully resolve any issues.

Submission of the Formal Petition

Once that process has taken place and any issues resolved, the PWG will then submit a Formal Petition.

This is the official application for a Charter which is put before members of the Privy Council. The Privy Council members consider the Formal Petition and make a recommendation to Her Majesty the Queen as to whether a Royal Charter should be granted.

If we are successful, and a Royal Charter is granted, ISRM and ISPAL will then be required to hold Extraordinary General Meetings to formally dissolve their respective institutes and transfer their assets to the new Institute. It is envisaged that a transitional board of trustees (comprised of existing trustees from both ISRM and ISPAL) will be put in place that will work towards the appointment of the new Board and executives of the new Institute.

Timeline

The PWG is aiming to submit the Preliminary Memorandum to the Privy Council in May 2009.
Once it has been submitted, the PWG will liaise with the Privy Council Office regarding any issues regarding the proposed application which it has identified through the Preliminary Memorandum.
Depending on what issues are identified by the Privy Council Office, this process could take anything from a few weeks to 18 months.
Once these issues are resolved, the PWG will submit the Formal Petition.
At this stage, it is impossible to say how long the entire process will take. However, the PWG will keep the members well informed as we progress through each stage of the process.

Next steps

Professional Advisors have been retained to work with the PWG on the preparation and submission of the Preliminary Memorandum and this will include a detailed business plan for the new Institute.

Consultations are also continuing with the key stakeholders referenced above to gain their feedback, input and hopefully full support for the proposals.

Further information

If you would like to find out more about the above process and work of the PWG to date, you can review the recent presentation made by the PWG to a joint meeting of their respective trustees. Log on to either the ISRM or ISPAL websites to read this presentation.

How can you help?

Please take every opportunity that you can to spread the word about the above proposals in order to elicit support from your colleagues and fellow professionals. Keep abreast of progress via respective ISRM and ISPAL ezines and websites and help us to champion this important step forward for our profession.

ISRM Project Working Group (PWG) members

Marc Newey
David Morby
Andy Varnom

Some initial questions and answers

Where will the new Institute be located?
At the moment the intention is that the new Institute will be located in Loughborough. Discussions are underway with Loughborough University regarding siting the Institute in SportPark, the University’s new sports management hub. A satellite office based in London has also been proposed. Further updates will be provided as discussions progress.

Will existing members of both Institutes be entitled to be members of the new Institute?
The intention is that all existing members of both ISPAL and ISRM will transfer across to the new Institute. Discussions are taking place with the Privy Council and further updates will be provided as these continue.

What will the governance structure of the new Institute be?
The governance structure of the new Institute has been based on the existing structures of ISRM and ISPAL. It is proposed that the new Institute will be governed by a Board of Trustees with an executive team.

There will be strong membership involvement through regional boards (as currently used in the ISRM structure), and a Nations and Regions Board, feeding directly into the Board of Trustees. The Institute will also have permanent standing committees for each of the areas which are covered by its remit.

Project Working Group presentation

Presentation summarising Project Working Group progress (direct link to PDF file 96kb)

Published by the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management. Charity registration number 250902 www.isrm.co.uk