The need for accountability in Mega Sport Event infrastructure
Engineers Against Poverty (EAP) has released its latest research focussed on the need for increased accountability in Mega Sport Event (MSE) Infrastructure. The adoption of the recommendations outlined within could significantly improve the governance of MSE infrastructure, ensuring projects are better quality and delivered to meet community needs.
The paper focuses on the need to address shortcomings in the delivery of MSE infrastructure, including the legal structure of sports organisations which, due their status as both non-profit and corporate organisations, are subject to reduced scrutiny. In addition, a lack of participatory space for citizens and residents means their voices are often excluded from the planning process. This was the case in Vancouver, Glasgow and London where residents were displaced for infrastructure regeneration without adequate processes to make their views known.
These issues result in ‘infrastructure with a shelf life’ across sports-facility constructions and other infrastructure. In the Sochi Games for instance, the transport infrastructure built to serve the games totalled $10 billion and has not been used since.
In contrast, by promoting space for participation – such as the public consultation drop-in events and on-line ‘Be Heard’ platforms of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 – sports organisers can deliver better value from projects and strengthen relations with local communities.
Recommendations
EAP outlines four overarching recommendations to address the aforementioned accountability issues.
1. Tackling opacity through access to information. Legal determinations in bids should ensure project and contract documents are subject to disclosure and limitations restricted on rights to information laws. Sports organisations should lead by example by changing their non-profit status to abide by broader disclosure obligations.
2. Tackling limited civic space through a multi-stakeholder approach. Enriched discussion at infrastructure planning forums involving sports organisers, infrastructure agencies, government, business and communities can deliver better results and increase trust, especially when a third party is used to guide discussion.
3. Strengthening the social voice through independent social audits. Citizens who are expertly trained to monitor, track, analyse, and evaluate infrastructure projects are an effective way to drive forward improvements. They can improve accountability loops, reporting to other stakeholders and helping to strengthen oversight across bidding, planning and delivery stages.
4. Amplifying the voice of the citizen through virtual spaces. Last year demonstrated the value of the digital realm in providing a space for participation. The creation of a virtual protected space for citizens and civic groups to express their concerns could help to highlight key issues among decision-makers. A relevant platform providing this should be embedded in MSE infrastructure from bidding stages and rolled out from the outset.
If adopted, the recommendations could significantly improve civic participation in MSE infrastructure planning and delivery, and ensure sporting events create a positive, long-lasting legacy across host countries. Furthermore, such approaches need not stop at sports events but can be replicated across other areas of infrastructure to deliver a more robust sector worldwide.
Further reading
EAP’s latest paper is the third part of a series focussed on delivering better Mega Sport Event infrastructure. Other parts in the series include the following:
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