Corporate Governance

Building a reputation for effective leadership for the sport, underpinned by strong governance

SG is committed to a high standard of corporate governance. The Board of Directors, who were in governance up until the 22 February 2021, and the newly elected Board of Directors who commenced their tenure on the 15 March 2021, recognise the importance of good governance in providing greater transparency to the Association’s operations, as well as being critical to the effective performance of the Association.

With this in mind, the Board developed a Board Governance Policy which was adopted in April 2021. This contains the governance practice of SG's Board and acts as a guide on the activities of the Board, as well as the operating activities that has been delegated to management.

This policy is a cornerstone document for SG, and it complements other SG documents: 1. Singapore Gymnastics Constitution 2. SG Policies, and in particular: a. P007 SG Reserves Policy b. P015 Financial Management and Delegation Policy c. P021 Fundraising Policy d. P030 Critical Incident Policy e. P035 Conflict of Interest Policy f. P037 Whistle Blowing Policy

The Board works with the General Manager to lead and manage the Organisation. The Board provides guidance and delegates the formulation of policies and the day-to-day management to the General Manager, Karen Norden, who was appointed on 4 June 2017, and the National Office staff.

The General Manager and the National Office remain accountable to the Board.

To assist the Board in the execution of its duties, the Board has delegated specific functions to the Board Sub-Committees. Each of these Sub-Committees operates within the Terms of Reference approved by the Board.

The Board’s decision and approval is required for the following matters:

Corporate and service strategies and restructuring

Policies

Annual budget

Annual report and accounts

Interested person transactions and matters involving conflict of interest for a director

Any material and significant matters.

The Board meets at least nine to ten times a year with a quorum of at least five members. The Board Sub-Committees meet at least three to four times a year. The number of meetings attended by the Board and Board Sub-Committees during the financial year have been outlined in the report.

The Board members also participated in decision-making through other means (such as electronic communications and approving resolutions in writing).

All newly appointed Directors and Sub-Committee members are briefed by the General Manager on the operations and strategic plans of SG to enable the Directors and SubCommittee Members to discharge their duties effectively.

The induction includes but is not limited to the topics below. Detailed content can be found in the online Board/Sub-Committee member portal.

SG’s organisational information SG’s vision, mission and values SG’s history and timeline Current operations and strategic plans Current approved budget Latest financial statement, annual reports and audit reports

Governance and Legal Information Constitution Board policies and key financial, human resource, fraud and whistle blowing policies Key Standard Operating Procedures

Board Responsibilities Board structure Board Sub-Committees and roles Conflict of interest policy Overview of stakeholder communication policy

Key Contact list Board of directors list Key staff list

The Directors are encouraged to attend training programmes, seminars and workshops organised by professional bodies as and when necessary, in order to keep abreast of relevant new laws, regulations and changes in the charity and sporting landscape. SG will, if necessary, organise briefing sessions or circulate information to Directors to enable them to keep pace with these changes.

Charities Governance Evaluation Checklist

In implementing good governance practices, the Association, as a registered charity with IPC status, adopted best practices closely aligned to the principles in the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of Public Character (“Code”). In adhering to the Charity Council’s requirements that all IPCs shall disclose the extent of their compliance with the Code, the Association’s Governance Evaluation Checklist can be found on the Charity Portal Website www.charities.gov.sg.

Conflicts of Interest

It is the Association’s policy that Board of Directors, staff and all individuals representing or acting on behalf of Singapore Gymnastics must be free from conflicts of interest that could adversely influence their judgment or objectivity in conducting the Association’s activities and assignments. To be effective, declarations of interests are conducted annually in written form. Updates to declarations are made during the year as and when they occur and presented to the Audit & Risk Sub-Committee (ARC) for review.

In an effort to strengthen corporate governance processes and practices, Singapore Gymnastics (SG) adopted a whistle-blowing policy in May 2019 to provide a platform for representatives to raise genuine concerns on possible improprieties in the conduct of its operations.

During the period from April 2020 – March 2021 the following policies were reviewed and updated or implemented.

Policy No.

P002 P015 P019 P001 P004 P008 P016 P016.1 P016.2 P020 P021 P023 P024 P005 P006 P010 P018 P022 P026 P028 P003 P011

Title

Fixed Assets Loan Policy Financial Management and Delegation Policy Overseas Travel Policy Anti-Doping Policy National Competition Policy Membership Policy National Coaching Accreditation Programme Course Presenters Policy RPL Overview (Recognition of Prior Learning) SpexCarding Policy Fund Raising Policy National Squad & Ranking Policy Allocation of FIG Judges to International Events Technical Handbook SG HR Policies & Staff Handbook Salary Structure for Coaches Coaching internship Selection for competitions Overseas Athletes Policy Annual Awards Policy Bursary Policy (FAS Policy (Financial Assistant Scheme)) National Judging Accreditation Pathway

Reviewed

August 2020 August 2020 August 2020 October 2020 November 2020 November 2020 November 2020 November 2020 November 2020 November 2020 November 2020 November 2020 November 2020 December 2020 December 2020 December 2020 December 2020 December 2020 December 2020 December 2020 February 2021 February 2021

Whistle Blowing Policy

Policies

Board Meeting Attendance

15 March 2021 – 31 March 2021

1 April 2020 – 22 February 2021