Sports Travel Grant Scheme: 2018 Grant top-up to Jersey Sport

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A decision made 17 January 2018

Decision Reference: MD-E-2018-0006
Decision Summary Title :	Management of the 2018 Sports Travel Grant Funding		Date of Decision Summary:	15th January 2018
Decision Summary Author:	Deputy Chief Executive		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Management of the 2018 Sports Travel Grant Funding		Date of Written Report:	15th January 2018
Written Report Author:	Deputy Chief Executive		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Management of the 2018 Sports Travel Grant Funding
Decision(s): The Assistant Minister with responsibility for Sport, approved the transfer of the Sports Travel Grant Scheme inclusive of a £125,000 Top-Up Grant to Jersey Sport, for it to develop arrangements for the administration, monitoring and reporting of grants throughout 2018.
Reason(s) for Decision: Jersey Sport was established in order to be the voice of sport in the Island and to deliver a programme of sports development, physical literacy, exercise referral and schools swimming as a means of encouraging Islanders to lead more active lives. As part of its activities, it works closely with clubs and associations in Jersey to encourage local athletes and participants to compete at higher levels as part of their personal/team development Having reviewed the historical Sports Travel Grant Scheme, the Assistant Minister has decided that Jersey Sport is better positioned than the Department - through its close links with Island sports bodies, associations and clubs – to develop a more effective, efficient and economical scheme to support Jersey athletes on and off island and take decisions regarding which individuals, teams or associations should receive support from a limited overall budget.
Resource Implications: The Scheme funding of up to £125,000 (an anticipated carry forward from 2017 and not funded from the Department’s 2018 budget as agreed by the Treasury Minister in September 2016) would be transferred to Jersey Sport and would be ring-fenced from a governance and reporting perspective solely for Sports Travel Grants. In recognition of Jersey Sport taking over the running of the Scheme, the Assistant Minister has agreed that it receive up to a maximum of 5% of the overall budget, plus £5,000 of set up costs in 2018, in order to recognise the level of activity required to administer such a scheme, which is not included within the core programme funded by Jersey Sport’s Annual Grant.
Action required: Officers are instructed to prepare a Top-Up Grant Agreement with Jersey Sport for delivery of the 2018 Sports Travel Grant Scheme.
Signature: Connetable S W Pallett		Position: Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed)

Sports Travel Grant Scheme: 2018 Grant top-up to Jersey Sport

REVIEW OF SPORTS TRAVEL

GRANT SCHEME

Economic Development

Tourism Sport and Culture

Background

Prior to its transfer to EDD in January 2016 (forming the Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture Department – (EDTSC)), the Sport Division had as part of its budget funding for sports travel grants.

These grants helped towards the costs of athletes, teams, coaches and chaperones travelling off-Island to compete and for elite coaches to visit Jersey to provide advice and support to local sports people. The intention was that local sports people are able to train or compete at a much higher level than just domestic competition as a means of improving their individual or collective sports development.

Historically, an external body (Sports Advisory Council - SAC) has provided advice and support to the Sport Division in initiating, evaluating and recommending the levels of grant funding, with officers within the States agreeing and arranging payments based upon SAC recommendation

Historical Funding

In 2013 the budget for sports travel grants was £125,000. This was increased to £325,000 in 2014 and 2015 using £200k of the growth funding, in order for local athletes to increase participation at higher levels during the run-up to the Jersey hosted, 2015 NatWest Island Games

Given the time limited nature and cuts in the Growth Funding, the sports travel budget in 2016 was reduced to £275,000.

As part of further proposed cost savings and cuts inherited from Education as part of the transfer, there was at one stage severe danger that funding could have been cut altogether from 2017 onwards. In September 2016 however, the Treasury Minister gave his agreement that a maximum of £125,000 per annum for travel grants could be ring-fenced from Departmental underspends in each of 2017, 2018 and 2019 on the basis that EDTSC devise a longer term funding solution for MTFP in 2020.

2017 Arrangements

2017 was the first year that arrangements for the distribution of sports travel grants came under the control of EDTSC. As a consequence, there was a tightening up of control procedures and a re-evaluation of qualifying criteria - as a consequence of funding returning to 2013 levels – restricting the majority of grant funding to those aged under 23.

In line with historical operating criteria, Clubs and Associations wishing to apply for grant funding put forward a business case for the whole year, highlighting which events they were seeking to attend, the number of people travelling (competitors, coaches and chaperones) and the total costs of their plans. Based on initial applications the Scheme was significantly over-subscribed.

Following discussions with Members of the SAC Board, clubs and associations were advised of their levels of funding early in 2017 and letters, plus a Grant Assurance Statement (for completion by club/association officials) were forwarded to those successful.

Once again, in line with historical precedent, funding for the whole years programme was remitted in advance by the Sport Division, for clubs and associations to administer amongst their qualifying participants.

Internal Scheme Review

Having been involved for the first time in administering the 2017 payments, EDTSC subsequently instigated an internal review of the scheme in spring 2017 which highlighted a number of areas for improvement.

The review highlighted a number of areas for improvement which led to a re-appraisal of future delivery.

In addition given the increased rigour around governance/compliance being introduced by Treasury in late 2017, following a number of reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General, plus the retirement of the former Assistant Director (who previously ran the Scheme and enjoyed close contacts with sports clubs and associations), it was decided to evaluate alternative delivery routes.

Putting in Place a Revised Delivery Plan

Having established Jersey Sport by States vote in May of 2017, to become the independent body to represent sporting interests in the Island, it was decided to explore whether they had the capability to deliver the whole Scheme on behalf of the Department.

With the combined knowledge of staff transferred across from the States to Jersey Sport, the recent introductory programme of the new Chief Executive, plus a robust Board and governance structures, Jersey Sport appeared to have both the capacity and capability to deliver the travel grant scheme on behalf of Government.

Following discussions over several months, Jersey Sport has put forward both systems and governance/compliance proposals that meet the Service Requirement drawn up by the Department and which more closely align themselves with revised States Financial Directions.

A Board Sub-Committee made up of two Jersey Sport Board Directors (one of whom acting as Chair), two former SAC representatives (as initial Committee members in year one of operation) plus a further Sports representative, advised by the Chief Executive has been established specifically to run the scheme.

The Committee has its own Terms of Reference in place – agreed by the Jersey Sport Board – and with the help of outside expertise, has identified a streamlined, IT driven applications system that will prove more efficient and cost effective than the previous route. The role of the Sub-Committee will be to assess the applications evidence gathered and make recommendations to the full Jersey Sport Board regarding the level of grant and recipients.

Other benefits of Jersey Sport managing the new Scheme include:

Increased rigour and governance in the assessment of applications, including the need for proof of safeguarding capacity of organisations/individuals in receipt of grant funding

Retrospective payment of grant based upon actual evidence of travel and costs incurred (receipts, etc)

Reporting and recording of grant payments to third party clubs and associations and use of IT to obtain qualifying evidence on a half-yearly basis

Removal of the need to recover underspends from clubs/associations

Genuine cost savings for Government of utilising the knowledge and grass root level access to sports organisations.

Costs of Delivery

In recognition of the additional costs to Jersey Sport of taking over the management, governance and reporting of the sport travel grant scheme, the Department has accepted one of the CAG recommendations relating to arms-length bodies and will permit a 5% deduction from the overall budget.

In addition, in year one of the revised Scheme only, the Department will allow Jersey Sport to incur up to £5,000 of set up costs, allowing them to develop the systems, procedures and resource requirements essential to making the Scheme effective.

Based upon the historical officer time involved in administering the former Scheme, arranging cheque payments, monitoring reports and obtaining refunds for underspends, it is believed that this payment solution represents greater value for money than the historical grant process.

EDTSC Deputy Chief Executive

January 2018