The Steering Board

A select group of governments, NGOs and sports federations are responsible for approving sportanddev.org's strategy and overseeing its implementation.

A group of committed stakeholders – the Steering Board – approves sportanddev.org’s strategy and oversees its implementation by the Operating Team. The Project Charter provides the guiding principles, structure and procedures for the governance of sportanddev.org as well as the responsibilities and composition of the bodies involved. sportanddev.org’s financial year runs from July to June and remains open to forming new partnerships with other committed actors in sport and development.

The Steering Board of sportanddev.org was constituted at a meeting in Windhoek, Namibia on September 18, 2007. It is comprises of one representative from each organisation that makes a financial contribution to sportanddev.org and provides strategic advice.

The current members of the Steering Board are:

Mr Ben Howard (Chair), GHD acting on behalf of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Mr. Saurabh Mishra, Commonwealth Secretariat
Ms. Marion Keim, Foundation for Sport, Development & Peace
Mr Nick Sore, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
Mr. Fredrik Ødegaard, Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
Mr. Gunnar Hagstrom, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
Ms. Merle Rietschel, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (observer)

The members of the Steering Board meet physically at least once per financial year to review and discuss sportanddev.org’s strategic framework and oversee its implementation. The director of the Operating Team is the executive secretary of the Steering Board and participates in Steering Board meetings. The Operating Team is not part of the Steering Board and does not have the right to vote.

sportanddev.org’s open structure allows for Steering Board members to be included throughout the financial year. Potential donors are encouraged to contact the Operating Team to submit offers for contributing to sportanddev.org. The Operating Team will evaluate the offer, which will then be submitted to the Steering Board for approval.