The Federation of Irish Sport have today launched their Board Recruitment Service for National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships. The service, which opened for applications from members of the public in August, is now available for Federation members to utilise when seeking candidates for vacant board positions. 

Speaking about the service, Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said,

“The importance of a strong, suitably qualified board has never been greater within the sporting sector. To continue to strive for best practise, good governance and future growth organisations need to be supported from the top down. Our new service will assist organisations in identifying expertly qualified personnel to fill skill gaps within their board positions. We hope it will be another step on the road to good governance and compliance with the Voluntary Governance Code.”

Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, John Treacy, said:

“Good governance in all National Governing Bodies of Sport and Local Sports Partnerships is of paramount importance. This has never been more true, as we look ahead to 2021 where the adoption of the Governance Code for Sport will become a condition of funding for all organisations. The recruitment service launched today will assist organisations in putting in place robust structures and strong boards, with members fully aware of their responsibilities and the responsibilities of their executive. This new service will complement the range of services Sport Ireland makes available to National Governing Bodies of Sport and Local Sports Partnerships to support good governance in funded organisations. We thank the Federation of Irish Sport for their input and work on this service and look forward to its roll out in the months and years ahead.”

The project, which is supported by Sport Ireland, will be particularly useful to bodies as they approach key times of change within the organisation such as Annual General Meetings and term ends for board members. The facility will be available throughout the year and can be used by any Federation member organisation as often as necessary. 

How it works: 
Following a call for interest from members of the public, the Federation now has a foundational database which will build, change, and grow over time. The database is categorised by a variety of factors including skill area, geographic location, gender, experience – both sporting and non. 

When a position arises within an organisation, the Federation member should contact database manager Sarah Maloney with information including a role description, any particular skill requirements and the process of selection employed by the NGB. Suitable candidates will be identified from within the database, contacted by the Federation to confirm their interest in the organisation in question and their details, including CV, then shared with the organisation seeking to fill a vacancy. It is then up to the organisation to engage with any candidate(s) they fill suitable. 

All candidates will have been added to the database on successful cross checking of professional references provided. All candidates will also have made the Federation aware of any potential conflicts of interest from other roles they hold. 

Skill areas identified: 

• Finance 
• Governance
• Marketing & Communications
• Legal
• Audit & Risk
• Public Affairs
• Strategy & Planning
• Women in Sport
• Chairperson

For further information contact Sarah Maloney by email or complete the expression of need form online here