The Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel has announced it is developing a Race Report Card. The Panel will use the Race Report Card to encourage and measure National Governing Bodies of Sport and professional sports clubs against progress for inclusion of Black communities at all levels in their organisations.
The Race Report Card will play an integral role in holding sporting organisations to account by monitoring progress, with the Panel advising organisations and showcasing good practice demonstrated throughout the sector to increase opportunities for Black communities. One of the Panel’s key goals is to keep up the momentum with a sustained commitment rather than a knee jerk response, that included many positive statements announced last year after George Floyd’s death and the public outcry on the systemic racism that disadvantages Black communities across the country.
The Race Report Card, which will be developed over the Summer of 2021, will be distributed to senior representatives from National Governing Bodies of Sport and professional sports clubs once finalised and will require statements and evidence amounting to the following:
1. Policies, strategies, and action plans that were put into place after the Black Lives Matter protests of Summer 2020, and how these were for the benefit of Black communities in particular;
2. The effectiveness of these policies, strategies, and action plans. Importantly, this will involve examining the workforce statistics to monitor diverse appointments of those in decision making roles (professional coaches, middle management, senior leadership, Chief Executives and Board members);
3. Examining ethnically diverse representation of national sports teams across different levels, leagues, competitions etc.
After receiving the required information via collation of digital survey results, the Panel will analyse the data and evidence, with reports on findings expected at a later date. By collecting, analysing and reporting on this data, the Panel is looking to showcase best practice and positive impacts made within the sector but also highlight areas for improvement. A year after the inequalities faced by Black communities came to the fore in all areas of society, and across the world, the Panel is hoping to see real evidenced change and effort towards improving experiences within the sport sector.
Sporting Equals devised the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel as a broad response to the increasing instances of racism and the Black Lives Matter protests of Summer 2020. The Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel consists of a group of esteemed individuals dedicated to all sport, passionate about race equality and determined to create more opportunities to Black communities throughout the sport sector.
On the announcement of the Race Report Card, Densign White MBE, Chair of the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel commented: “The societal disadvantages faced by Black communities are evident, and put more into focus, a year after the tragic death of George Floyd.
“I am pleased to announce that we are developing a Race Report Card that will score the progress made by sports organisations on policy and strategy, workforce profile and national team representation. The Race Report Card will actively hold sporting organisations to account, specifically looking into what has been done to improve inclusion and representation at all levels.
“The Race Report card is a conclusive assessment of recruitment of ethnically diverse people in the sport sector and considers composition assessed by the racial makeup of players, coaches, management and leadership in sports organisations. I am proud of the progress the Panel has made in such a short period of time and grateful to Sporting Equals for founding the Panel and aiding with the development of this Race Report Card.”
Maggie Alphonsi MBE, Panel member and a former Rugby Union England International and Captain, said: “I got involved with the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel because I wanted to ensure that the sport sector in the UK did more to support the inclusion of Black communities at all levels, particularly after the statements of intent from sporting organisations following the tragic death of George Floyd.
“I want to see greater representation not only at the national level, but also at a local or grassroots level where there are many key decision-making roles on Boards and Committees. It is important that we see greater diversity here to ensure the opportunities are available at every level within the leadership pathway. The Race Report Card will play a key role in measuring positive change and ensure that organisations stay focussed when it comes to race equality.”
The Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel meets regularly throughout the year and will share results and analysis from the Report Card, as well as highlight good practice via Sporting Equals.
