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Roadmap: inclusive leadership

Expression of Interest - Become an Intersectionality Implementation Lead in Sport

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An all-inclusive approach to governance and leadership in Australian sport

The Australian Sports Commission has worked with Myriad Kofkin Global to develop an Intersectionality Roadmap for the Australian sporting sector titled, An All-Inclusive approach to governance and leadership in Australian Sport.

The Roadmap is driven by the vision that sport should be accessible to everyone, delivering outcomes that make Australia proud.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) recognises that achieving this vision requires building inclusive cultures, systems, practices, and processes within the sporting system.

Below are some useful strategies and resources sports can utilise to ensure everyone feels welcomed and valued.

PURPOSE

There are a plethora of benefits for sports organisations adopting the Roadmap.

Who is the Roadmap for?

The Roadmap was developed for anyone with decision-making responsibilities or in a governance or leadership role in a sports organisation.

It is a guide to starting the journey of intersectional practice in governance and leadership.

Sporting bodies across Australia have increasingly recognised the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives. However, despite progress, many still struggle to address the complex intersections of identity that shape individuals’ experiences within the sector.

Traditional approaches to diversity often fail to fully address the unique challenges faced by individuals who experience multiple forms of marginalisation. Without intentional efforts to incorporate an intersectional perspective, sports organisations risk perpetuating systemic inequalities and missing out on the talents and perspectives of diverse populations.

Australia’s demographic data tells us that the need for inclusive practices in sport is more pressing than ever:

  • 3.2% of the Australian population identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (an increase of 25.2% since 2016)
  • over half of Australians are first- or second-generation migrants
  • 50.7% of Australia’s population identify as female
  • 21.4% of Australians have a disability¹

Adopting the intersectionality Roadmap can provide numerous benefits for sports organisations.

Sports organisations can foster increased participation from underrepresented groups, tapping into a wider pool of talent and broadening the reach of their programs.

By prioritising the principles of intersectionality in governance and leadership, sports organisations can create a more equitable, vibrant, and resilient sporting landscape for all.

Intersectionality strengthens all diversity and inclusion efforts!

Ready, Set, Go!

The roadmap is arranged into three practical sections: Ready, Set, Go!

To prepare yourself as an individual or your organisation for implementation, it is critical to begin with Ready.

Ready prepares you for the Roadmap journey – it gives you the necessary foundations to get set for action

  • Learn about intersectionality as a vital framework for understanding social inequality.
  • Learn about why intersectionality matters in sports organisations.
  • Gain insights into the interconnected systems of power that create relative disadvantage or privilege.
  • Learn about moving beyond diversity efforts to embrace intersectional inclusion, fostering environments that value and respect everyone's experiences.

Set is the implementation section and is designed to be flexible and guide you through the Examine, Evolve and Elevate stages. Your sports organisation may wish to pursue one theme at a time or address those themes most pertinent at the current time to create change.

This section is designed on the core premise of Intersectionality as a form of critical inquiry and practice – it reflects the relationality between knowing and doing as interconnected.

There are 3 levels of intersectional practice: Examine, Evolve, Elevate. These move us from inquiry (knowing) to praxis (doing).

  • Examine: Self-reflection/Collective reflection/ Challenging assumptions
  • Evolve: What have we learnt? What can we do/change?
  • Elevate: What actions have we taken? What has changed?

Each level explores themes identified in the national consultation process which led to the development of the Roadmap.

Implementation is designed to be flexible. You may choose to explore one theme at a time or a number of themes you identify as leadership and governance priorities.

Go supports and guides you through the journey. By this stage, you’re ready to ‘compete’. It includes

  • Practical resources to support implementation.
  • Case studies.
  • Videos from leaders in sports organisations discussing how they have applied intersectionality in their leadership and governance role.
  • Tools and templates to support implementation.

Game Rules:

Just like an athlete cannot compete without all the preparatory work that goes into developing the physical and mental aptitude required for competition, your leadership and governance team cannot produce the intended results by going to straight to Go.

However, the Roadmap does adopt a flexible approach. There are no specific timelines for working through each section. The pace at which you work through it will depend on the size of your sports organisation, level of commitment, time and resources you are willing to commit. The sooner you implement GO, the sooner you will see results."

Case Studies

Video Case Studies

Practical Tools

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