Snowsport England reports positive findings following external board evaluation
Last year, Snowsport England embarked on a process to complete an external board evaluation.
The last external Snowsport England board evaluation was completed in 2021. It highlighted quite a few areas that required improvement, especially around governance, structures and the board itself.
In the last five years, the whole organisation has made great efforts to shift this picture with a new ten-year strategy, staff restructure, a new chair and almost completely new board. Following this, we have embedded new policies, instigated a major culture shift around values rooted within our sports, implemented a new membership structure, improved our IT and technical systems, as well as major progress in safeguarding. We recognise that, while these areas of work were not the most visible or high-profile, they were essential in laying the foundations for Snowsport England’s future success.
While we were aware that significant change and a substantial amount of work had been undertaken, we were keen to assess whether its impact was clearly evident. We therefore commissioned an external board evaluation through Campbell Tickell, the same provider as in 2021, to enable a direct comparison. Although board evaluations are a requirement for government funding, it also provided a valuable opportunity to reflect, learn, and evaluate how the changes implemented over the past four years have influenced our organisation.
The review took place over a few months with Campbell Tickell observing board and committee meetings, reviewing our policies and procedures, as well as conducting surveys and interviews with board and executive team. The results were shared with the board in late May and we are very pleased to share that overall the improvements have been significant.
The review covered five areas with noted improvements across all areas. The greatest improvements were seen in: diversity, skills and competence; dynamics and culture; and conduct of meetings. Improvements still need to be made in: governance framework and strategic role.
We will continue to work towards further development, guided by the recommendations of Campbell Tickell, as we strengthen these areas. Importantly, we do so with the assurance that robust foundations are now in place, enabling us to move forward with greater confidence towards the more ambitious elements of our strategy.
We thank Campbell Tickell for their honesty, support throughout the process and the clear recommendations they have provided. We also thank everyone in our sports, including all of our volunteers, members and the team for helping us make this difference and continue to build a better future for Snowsport in England.
The full report can be found here.