General Administration

The Association committed to promoting sports and ensuring fairness and integrity, various issues which generate concern should be addressed. These include equal opportunities, prevention of sexual harassment, child safeguarding, handling of complaints, personal data privacy protection, information security, handling of social media, anti-doping, accounting practices, procurement procedures, staff administration and personnel expenses. Through diligent administration, the Association can establish inclusive policies, protect athletes’ rights, maintain public trust, safeguard sensitive information, ensure financial accountability, foster a positive work environment, and uphold the Association’s mission of advancing sports and athletes at the aspired level.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Equal opportunities denote that all individuals regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, income, education background, family status, occupation, or other characteristics, have the same access to participate and receive the same treatment and opportunities. The Association should provide an opportunity for each individual to display talent and adjudicate the results based on his/her skills. This applies to the selection of
athlete, nomination and appointment of the Board Directors and Committee Members whichever deemed appropriate.

Equal opportunities also promote fairness and equity by ensuring that success is determined by merit, talent, and effort, rather than factors outside of an athlete’s or applicant’s control. It is also expected to prevent discrimination and bias by solely considering athlete’s or candidate’s abilities and performances on contributing to the objectives of the Association. It also enhances the transparency and credibility. This further creates diverse leadership that leads creativity and innovation within the association, which ultimately benefits the Association and its members.

The Association is therefore expected to be inclusive and accommodating to the athlete or applicant to create an environment that reduces prejudice and breaks down barriers in order to foster greater social cohesion and equitable environment.

Guidelines and Procedures on Equal Opportunities is at Reference 
https://www.eoc.org.hk/en/policy-advocacy-and-research/policy-frameworks-and-guidelines

PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The Association should prioritize the safety and well-being of all members, including athletes, coaches, umpires and staff. Prevention of sexual harassment requires special attention to halt toxic environment that undermines the core values of sportsmanship, respect, and fair play. The Association should establish clear and comprehensive guidelines and procedures for identifying and reporting incidents of sexual harassment, investigating, remedy and prevention.

Sexual harassment results in devastating impact on individuals and the community. It can lead to emotional distress, mental health issue, and even physical harm. The Association shall provide ongoing education and training to all members of Association, including athletes, coaches, umpires and staff. The training should be designed to promote awareness of sexual harassment, its impact, and ways to prevent it from occurring.

The practice of these guidelines demonstrates Association’s commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all members as well as to sending a clear message that sexual harassment will not be tolerated and that any incidents will be taken seriously and addressed promptly.

Policy and Guidelines on Prevention of Sexual Harassment

Flowchart on Handling Sexual Harassment Complaints

CHILD SAFEGUARDING

The Association has a responsibility to keep all children participating in the program safe from all forms of abuse, neglect, and harm. Guidelines and procedures on child safeguarding should be designed for preventing and responding to situations where a child may be at risk.

An effective child safeguarding guidelines and procedures serves to guide the staff and foster a culture to value the safety of children. The child safeguarding guidelines and procedures should include measures for screening and training all staff, coaches and volunteers who work with children, as well as direct reporting procedures for any related concerns or incidents. The Association should list the steps that will be taken to respond and investigate any reports, and the support that will be provided to any child who has been affected.

The Association should consider child safeguarding as top priority and must show commitment and accountability in creating an environment where all children are safe.

HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS

The Association is responsible to address complaints in a professional and timely manner. Handling of complaints is an important aspect of providing high-quality services to members and stakeholders. When it is properly handled, it will help to build trust and confidence in the Association, and further provide opportunity for the Association to identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes. Responding promptly to complaints demonstrates the Association’s commitment to accountability and transparency. Providing accessible process on handling of complaints further displays how accommodating Association is for feedbacks and opinions. This will also help the Association to understand public concerns and expectations, for making appropriate changes, if necessary.

The Association should establish a handling mechanism in order to ensure that all complaints are dealt with fairly and transparently. The mechanism should include channels for lodging of complaints (e.g. email address or phone number of the complaint-receiving office), clear instructions on how to lodge a complaint, who to address the complaint, and the expected timeframe for a response, etc. Once the investigation is completed, written reply to the complainant should be made, outlining the findings of the investigation and the actions that have been or will be taken as a result. All measures should be designed to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability.

The Association should encourage stakeholders and general public to report any irregularities, misconducts and malpractices. The Association should make a statement of commitment to handle complaints and reports of misdeeds, especially the identity of the complainants, in strict confidence and an explicit assurance on the protection of the persons filing complaints (e.g. assure that no punishment for disclosures made with a reasonable belief that the information is true at the time it is disclosed, protect such persons from all forms of retaliation, disadvantage or discrimination in the Association s linked to or resulting from complaints).

PERSONAL DATA PRIVACY PROTECTION

The Association has an obligation to comply with all applicable data protection laws and regulations, and is expected to handle all personal data securely and respect the privacy rights of individuals. The Association should formulate a set of comprehensive data protection guidelines that outlines the approach to handle personal data, types of personal data collected, how they are used, stored and protected, etc. Appropriate technical and organizational measures including encryption, access controls, and regular security assessment should be implemented. All staff who handle personal data should be briefed on data protection best practices and made aware of their responsibilities. It should be ensured that the data can only be accessed and used for legitimate purposes and not to be shared with unauthorized individuals or organizations.

Another responsibility is to inform the individuals/users their privacy rights in relation to their personal data. This includes providing clear information on how and what personal data is collected, how it is used, and stored, and providing the ability to access, correct, or delete their personal data when appropriate.

Privacy Policy Statement

INFORMATION SECURITY

As an NSA where public and members put trust in, it should exercise extra care by putting a mechanism in place to secure data systems from illegal access or use. Information security is of paramount importance, and the Association is expected to take necessary precautions to safeguard all sensitive or proprietary information, such as member/staff/athlete records, intellectual property, communication, financial data, etc., in order to protect from cyber-attacks, data breaches, and/or other security threats.

The Association should take extensive measures to ensure confidentiality and secure communication network. The Association staff who have access and authority to handle sensitive information should be reminded accordingly. The Association should prioritize the implementation of strict access controls, regular security assessments, and staff training programs. Failure to comply may result in significant financial penalties and reputational damage. The Association should also devise contingency plans to respond to security incidents promptly. Information security is one of the areas which cannot be compromised.

HANDLING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

All personnel including Board Directors, Committee Members, full time or part-time staff, athletes, coaches, umpires, and members of Association should use social media responsibly, without compromising the integrity and reputation of the Association. They are expected to handle their social media with care and should avoid sharing confidential information, such as team strategies, personal information of athletes or staff, etc.

While social media can be a powerful tool to connect with members and the public to promote the sport, it can also lead to negative consequences to the individuals and the Association. All personnel should be respectful, which implies individuals should not engage in cyberbullying, derogatory comments, harassment, offensive and discriminatory opinions. Besides, individuals should be cautious of endorsing a product and/or services on social media, and mindful that the Association itself is a brand. They should always exercise care in order to prevent conflict with the Association values and evade any liability.

ANTI-DOPING

Anti-doping, as a part of integrity management, aims to promote fair play, safety, and integrity in sports. The use of prohibited substances and prohibited methods can give athletes unfair advantage, jeopardize their health and well-being as well as undermine the credibility of the sport. Furthermore, doping can have severe consequences for the reputation of the Association, its sponsor, and the stakeholders.

Following the principles of integrity, the Association should comply with anti-doping guidelines and procedures in accordance with the values under “the Spirit of Sport” and eradicate doping in sport, following the international standards. The Association should be responsible to protect the health of athletes and provide fair ground to perform their excellence by averting the use of prohibited substances and prohibited methods. The Association should also practice recognition of and compliance with the rules of national anti-doping organization.

A comprehensive anti-doping guideline which includes roles and responsibilities of each party, education, testing, sanctions, and support for clean athletes, etc., is crucial to maintain the integrity of sport in terms of respect for rules and regulations, other competitor’s, fair competition, and a level playing field.

The Association should put in place and publicize anti-doping guidelines which include the following items but not limited to:
a) Roles and responsibilities of athletes;
b) Roles and responsibilities of athlete support personnel;
c) Roles and responsibilities of other persons subject to these anti-doping guidelines and procedures;
d) Guidelines and procedures on processing violations of anti-doping; and
e) Consequences of doping.

ACCOUNTING

Effective accounting management is crucial for the financial health and transparency of the Association. The Association should maintain accurate and reliable financial records. Timely financial records of all transactions like income, expenses, assets and liabilities should be maintained. These records should be frequently updated and reconciled. Internal controls should also be in place to manage the risk of fraud and errors. These may include segregation of financial duties and authorization limits for expenditures and transactions, etc.

Financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statement, should be prepared periodically to provide an overview of Association’s financial situation and performance to the Board of Directors. The Association should conduct regular audits to identify any irregularities and ensure proper accountability of funds. For Association's under the LCSD Sports Subvention Scheme, they should comply with the stipulated Guidelines and Procedures on Accounting issued by LCSD.

Accounting Procedures

PROCUREMENT

When procuring goods and services, the Association should follow principles of fair competition, prevention of conflict of interest, cost-effectiveness, transparency, and public accountability. Approval and authorization should be obtained from designated personnel before inviting suppliers to submit quotations. The Association should adopt different types of procurement based on the amounts and nature of the purchase, including open tendering, restricted or single tendering, and general procurement. Note: 3Guidelines and Procedures on Accounting refer to Sample of Accounting Procedures (Annex 12.12 of Chapter XII of “LCSD Sports Subvention Scheme (Block Grant) – Handbook for National Sports Associations” – as at September 2023).

The Association should be transparent in the opening of tenders and evaluate different bids and quotations received based on established criteria, such as technical specifications, pricing, and other relevant factors. Once the tender is approved by authorized personnel, the Association should notify the contractors and invite them to enter a contract with the Association. When none of the tenders fulfill the specifications and conditions, the tendering should be cancelled for amendments before subjected to re-tendering. For NSAs under the LCSD Sports Subvention Scheme, they should comply with the stipulated Guidelines and Procedures on Procurement issued by LCSD.

Procurement Guidelines & Procedures

STAFF ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL EXPENSES

It is essential for the Association to communicate important policies, procedures, and expectations to employees. Staff administration and personnel expenses of the Association covers a spectrum of topics including employment procedures, performance appraisals, bonus and benefits, etc.

The Association should establish guidelines on staff administration, and review regularly to reflect any changes in procedures to ensure the guidelines are updated and staff are aware of any changes that may impact on them. The staff administration guidelines should be made easily accessible to all employees, either by providing a physical copy or making it available in Association portal.

To ensure that all funding received by the Association is well spent, it is essential for the Association to lay down clear procedures on personnel expenses. The Association should review employee reimbursements regularly to ensure the appropriateness of the expenses claimed. The Association is under the LCSD Sports Subvention Scheme, should comply with the stipulated Guidelines and Procedures on Personnel Expenses issued by LCSD.

Staff Administration Policy