We are focused on getting more Australians, on more podiums, more often.

Australia’s Winning Edge, with its clear definition of success, defines the role of the AIS and our key partners in the Australian high performance system and provides a national strategy outlining international performance targets for Australia. Our objective is for Australia to achieve a top 5 finish at the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, top 15 at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and more than 20 world champions annually. To enable this, the AIS provides targeted investment to those sports that demonstrate the greatest chances of short, medium and long-term international success. The AIS also administers the dAIS scheme that provides financial support to Australia’s emerging and top performing athletes and grants to encourage innovation in high performance through the NSO Competitive Innovation Fund.

The AIS also assists sports in the area of governance, commercialisation, research, coaching and leadership, and talent identification. These initiatives aim to ensure that the high performance sector is positioned to achieve sustainable success. The long-term sustainability of the AIS is a key priority and in 2015–16 the ASC commenced the AIS Future Directions project to consider the role and operating model of the AIS Campus in Bruce.

The Win pillar is the cornerstone in delivery of PBS outcome 2 to achieve excellence in sports performance and continued international sporting success.

Our approach

In 2015–16 the AIS continued to embed initiatives and priorities under Australia’s Winning Edge with a focus on providing strong foundations and support to enable success at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This has included the delivery of the AIS Coach and Athlete forum, the annual Sports Draft and Talent Identification Program and the Competitive Innovation Fund. The AIS also hosted Campaign Rio forums delivered in partnership with the AOC and APC, and the Personal Excellence Program.

Key activity areas included:

• providing targeted investment to NSOs and athletes to enable them to develop high performance programs that achieve international success
• providing high performance advice and guidance to assist sports with strategy, planning and program
• delivery of customised athlete, coach and leader talent initiatives to optimise high performance outcomes
• delivery of sports science and sports medicine expertise to ensure Australia’s athletes get the right support at the right time
• promoting the growth of new knowledge and expertise for high performance sport
• facilitating a more aligned and streamlined performance network that supports Australia’s Winning Edge identified athletes and teams across jurisdictions.

On the cusp of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, our success in 2015–16 has been gauged by the performance of Australia’s Winning Edge-funded sports against their performance targets and the effective delivery of AIS support, funding and sport science sport medicine services to athletes, teams and NSOs.

Our Results

Table 4: ASC performance against Win deliverables

Deliverable	Result	Supporting statement
33 NSOs received high performance funding to implement high performance plans1,2		Achieved 33 priority NSOs were funded to implement high performance plans in 2015–16.
More than 20 world champions1		Achieved 20 able bodied athletes or teams and 29 Paralympic athletes or teams hold world championship titles in 2015–16.
750 athletes received dAIS funding to help achieve their high performance outcomes1,2		Achieved 735 dAIS offers were made with 721 athletes accepting dAIS funding. In addition, a further 20 athletes met performance criteria but were not offered funding due to means test considerations.
1500 Australia’s Winning Edge athletes being tracked through the national Athlete Management System (AMS) 1,2		Exceeded 2,603 elite athletes were tracked through the AMS.
20 high performance innovation projects funded that focus on improving sport performance1,2		Exceeded 27 high performance innovation projects were completed in 2015–16.
80% of AIS assigned sports science sports medicine servicing meets the deliverables agreed with NSOs1		Exceeded 25 out of 30 sports (83%) agreed that the AIS sports science sports medicine services had met agreed deliverables.
80% of Australia’s Winning Edge-funded sports rated by the AIS as achieving the performance targets1,2		Significant Progress 30 out of 41 (73%) Australia’s Winning Edge-funded sports achieved their targets in benchmark events during 2015–16, an increase from 70% in 2014–15.
90% of the projects identified within the NIN review recommendation implementation schedule are completed on time1,2		Significant Progress 90% of recommendations due for completion in year 1 are on track, while recommendations scheduled for year 2 are estimated to be 50% complete.

1. 2015-19 Corporate Plan and 2015-16 Annual Operational Plan
2. Portfolio Budget Statements 2015-16

The AIS has successfully delivered a number of key initiatives under the Win pillar in 2015-16, including provision of funding to 33 NSOs, with more than $102.4 million in high performance funding distributed. A total of 73% of Australia’s Winning Edge funded sports achieved their targets in benchmark events^[1]during 2015–16, which although less than the target of 80%, represents an increase from 70% reported in 2014–15. Under the Australia’s Winning Edge measurement criteria,^[2]there were 20 able bodied world champions in 2015–16, including 15 athletes or teams which have been crowned world champion between July 2015 and June 2016 and a further five athletes who continue to reign as world champion from 2014–15 because their sport has not held a benchmark event. For Paralympic sports, there were 24 new world champion athletes or teams and four athletes who continue to hold the world championship title.

Under the dAIS program, 755 athletes were identified as meeting the performance criteria. A small number of athletes were either ineligible to receive grants due to means testing or elected not to accept dAIS offers for other reasons, resulting in 721 athletes receiving the $12.1 million allocated through grants in 2015–16. As of June 2016, over 2,600 athletes are being tracked through the national AMS and 2,299 athletes are registered on myAISplaybook, an online resource developed as part of the Personal Excellence Program providing support and guidance for elite athletes.

The AIS successfully delivered 27 innovation projects, exceeding the target of 20. Project examples include the supply of performance optimised athlete tools for Paralympic athletes, research and design of world leading sports technology and equipment, and the modernisation of a Race Analysis Video System to incorporate tracking technology and improved accuracy for coaches and athletes. In addition, 83% of sports receiving sports science and sports medicine support from the AIS reported that these services were meeting agreed deliverables, against a target of 80%. These actions demonstrate the continued focus of the AIS to provide coordinated and targeted support to high performance athletes.

The ASC has continued to lead the implementation of recommendations from the National Institute Network (NIN) Review and more than 90% of recommendations due by December 2015 have been completed. Outstanding actions are on average 50% complete and it is expected that a large number of recommendations will be finalised during the 2016–17 NSO annual planning and assessment process. In June 2016 the AIS conducted a review of progress and as a result the implementation schedule has been updated to better reflect high performance priorities leading into the Rio Olympics Games.

In the latter part of 2015–16, the AIS Future Directions panel convened to assess the current operating model of the AIS in the context of the Australian high performance system. This project will continue into 2016–17, assisting the AIS to maintain its focus post-Rio on continuous improvement and the effective delivery of high performance sport outcomes for Australia.

We want more Australians, particularly young Australians, participating in sport more often.

Play.Sport.Australia., our participation game plan, sets out how the ASC can best support national participation outcomes. Our ambitions for sport are simple; at the national level we want to see more Australians participating in sport and at the individual sport level we want to see sports which the ASC invests in achieving year on year membership and participation growth.

To enable this, the ASC has focused on better understanding what is happening in sport through the launch of AusPlay, a new national participation survey on sport and physical recreation, and driving demand for lifelong participation in sport through our national Sporting Schools program. Through Play.Sport.Australia. the ASC continues to invest in NSOs through a refined Participation Investment Categorisation Framework and the provision of strategy and project support.

Our objective is to achieve sustained participation growth across the sector and for Sporting Schools to be a core feature of Australian junior sport, helping to develop a love of sport in the next generation. In delivering these objectives, the ASC aims to work effectively with sport sector partners to develop and share industry knowledge and evidence to help address participation challenges.

The Play pillar is an important component in the delivery of PBS outcome 1 to achieve improved participation in structured physical activity at the community level.

Our approach

In 2015-16 the ASC has focused on delivery of the Sporting Schools program, which officially launched on 20 July 2015, and the launch of the AusPlay survey. In addition, the new participation investment model based on categorisation was implemented, providing a more consistent and transparent approach to participation funding.

Key activity areas include:

• providing targeted investment to NSOs to help them grow their participation base
• providing services and support that assist NSOs with participation strategies, planning and operations
• developing and disseminating high-quality information, research and data to better understand what is happening in sport
• driving demand for lifelong participation in sport by focusing on younger Australians through the Sporting Schools program.

Our success is measured in the uptake of Sporting Schools and the trends in sport participation data, including membership growth of NSOs, and how effectively the ASC is assisting the sector through targeted investment and support. 

Our results

Table 5: ASC performance against Play deliverables

Deliverable	Result	Supporting statement
Implementation of the new participation investment model1		Achieved The ASC implemented the NSO Participation Investment Categorisation Framework for 2015–16 participation investment. The ASC continues to use this framework to prioritise investment to NSOs.
62 NSOs funded to deliver participation in line with new participation investment principles1		Achieved 61 NSOs received participation funding in 2015–16.
80% of priority participation NSOs are growing their participation base1,2		Achieved 28 of the 35 identified priority sports (80%) have increased full active participation, with 25 of these also achieving increased participation through exposure.
Initial phase of data collection and analysis to establish benchmark participation data and enable development of key performance indicators1,2		Achieved Data collection for the AusPlay survey commenced in November 2015. As of 30 June 2016, more than 18,200 surveys have been completed. It is anticipated that the first AusPlay results will be published in November 2016.
4030 schools funded to deliver practical physical activity in a school setting through Sporting Schools1,2		Exceeded 4393 schools were funded under the Sporting Schools program in 2015–16.
600,000 children participating in the Sporting Schools program1,2		Exceeded 1.29 million Sporting Schools program attendances.
Delivery of the Play.Sport.Australia. communication approach with high social media engagement including online video content and public relations activity1		Significant Progress During 2015–16, the ASC released two video campaigns, titled ’No time for Never‘ and ’Stick with it’. A third video campaign has been developed and is planned for release in 2016–17.
Completion of 47 capability projects across 43 NSOs1		Significant Progress 38 Participation Investment Capability grant projects were undertaken in 2015-16. The remaining nine projects are expected to be completed in 2016–17.

1. 2015-19 Corporate Plan and 2015-16 Annual Operational Plan
2. Portfolio Budget Statements 2015-16

The ASC successfully delivered a number of key initiatives under the Play pillar in 2015–16, including exceeding planned performance target for the Sporting Schools program, with funding provided to 4393 schools and over 1.29 million program attendances. The program continues to grow rapidly, demonstrating a successful partnership between the ASC and NSOs to deliver quality sporting programs, including access to coaches, resources and funding. In the latter part of 2015–16, the ASC also reaffirmed its focus on sport and education through a commitment to leading the development and implementation of a national initiative that aims to improve opportunities for all children to participate in sport in the school environment, including the development of a national literacy standard.

AusPlay was launched in November 2015 and fills a major gap in sport and recreation data. During 2015–16, the ASC collected participation data from 15,250 adults and 2,970 children. The AusPlay survey is a key component of Play.Sport.Australia. and demonstrates the ASC’s commitment to providing robust data to help inform strategies to grow participation. The AusPlay survey is on track to collect data from 20,000 adults and 3,600 children annually and in May 2016 interim findings from the first year were shared with the sport sector to ensure that data is relevant and available to users.

Supplementing the AusPlay data, the ASC continues to use the ASPR to track NSO participation across a range of measures. This includes membership with sporting organisations, or active participation, and broader exposure to sports through events, school sport or program-level activities. In 2015, 80% of priority category sports reported increases in membership based participation while 71% of NSOs reported increases in the participation base through broader measures.

The Participation Investment Categorisation Framework was successfully implemented in 2015–16 to prioritise funding to those NSOs who are best placed to deliver participation outcomes. Under the new categorisation framework, 61 NSOs received participation funding in 2015–16. The implementation of the new investment model resulted in the removal of one funding category, reducing the number of NSOs receiving funding to 61 from an expected 62. The full application of the participation investment model will take effect from 2016–17 with future categorisation to be informed by ASPR and the AusPlay survey. Participation Investment Capability grants and project delivery support was provided to 43 NSOs to deliver 47 projects. All projects commenced during 2015–16, however, nine projects have been delayed and the ASC will work with NSOs to deliver these projects in 2016–17.

A major focus in 2015–16 has been communications to support Play.Sport.Australia. and further promote the benefits of sport. A series of videos were released by the ASC during the year along with a dedicated Facebook page, which attracted high levels of social media engagement. The ‘No Time for Never’ video, released in October 2015, attracted more than 1.5 million views while the two ‘Stick With it’ videos, featuring elite athletes Laura Geitz and Stephen Moore, have been viewed almost 646,000 times since being released in March 2016. A third video campaign was prepared but its release withheld until 2016–17.

We want more sports to have the capability, workforce and leadership capacity to develop and run successful sport programs.

In order to achieve Australia’s Winning Edge targets and participation outcomes under Play.Sport.Australia., we need sports to be effective organisations. To enable this, the ASC is focused on supporting the network that supplies sport through improving governance, leadership and business systems of NSOs. This includes the implementation of MSGP and the provision of support for coaching and officiating, product development and workforce capability.

Our objective is for sports to be strategic, well-governed and financially sound, including fostering less reliance on government funding. We aim for NSOs to have the right people, structure and systems in place to achieve high performance and participation outcomes and deliver the sport opportunities that Australians want.

By providing leadership to build capability and sustainability across the sector, the Thrive pillar is a key component of the ASC’s delivery of PBS outcomes 1 and 2.

Our approach

In 2015-16 the ASC has continued to focus on the delivery of commercialisation and capability projects and the implementation of the MSGP, working with NSOs and state and territory departments of sport and recreation to support and monitor progress. In addition, the ASC has progressed work to enable long term monitoring of the organisational capability of NSOs through the development of Sport.Scan.

Key activity areas include:

• continuing to help sporting bodies improve their governance and drive alignment through national, state and territory levels
• delivering sector initiatives to optimise coach, official and leader talent and support sports to develop workforce strategies
• assisting sports to develop relevant products and identify commercial opportunities to improve their financial sustainability
• helping sports develop their digital capability to ensure they are connecting with their customers effectively and utilising technology to support growth and innovation
• evolving the Play by the Rules resources to help deliver safe, fair and inclusive sporting environments.

Our success is measured by how well sports are meeting the MSGP and the long-term improvement in the organisational capability and financial sustainability of NSOs, including increasing commercial revenue streams.

Our results

Table 6: ASC performance against Thrive deliverables

Deliverable	Result	Supporting statement
Increase in the number of NSOs complying with the MSGP1		Achieved The number of NSOs monitored against the MSGP was increased to 21, up from 15 in 2014. The average compliance rating increased across sports that have been monitored since 2014.
20 governance, commercialisation and workforce capability projects completed with NSOs1,2		Exceeded 76 capability projects were completed in 2015-16.
Increase in the number of NSOs developing non-government revenue streams1		Significant Progress Nine commercialisation projects were undertaken to assist NSOs to develop non-government revenue streams, including six NSO and three sector wide projects. A pilot workshop, based on market research conducted by the ASC, was delivered to educate NSOs on increasing commercial revenue.
Initial data collected against the ASC organisational development framework to establish benchmark organisational capability measures1,2		Commenced The organisational development tool Sport.Scan was successfully developed in 2015-16. Data collection across 23 priority NSOs is planned to coincide with the 2016 ASPR process.

1. 2015-19 Corporate Plan and 2015-16 Annual Operational Plan
2. Portfolio Budget Statements 2015-16

The ASC maintained a strong focus across governance, workforce capability and commercialisation in 2015-16, delivering 76 projects and significantly exceeding planned performance targets. Project examples included the new Board evaluation tool, coach education resources and assisting NSOs with go to market strategies. Further work across a large pipeline of projects is currently underway and expected to be completed in 2016-17.

The ASC has undertaken nine projects designed to increase non-government revenue streams of NSOs, including conducting a sponsorship workshop and two sector specific projects aimed at the commercialisation of women’s sport. The ASC has supported Hockey Australia with a go to market strategy to develop Hookin2Hockey into a nationally consistent junior product, and has continued to assist Netball Australia with the implementation and development of technology to support the Fast5 product. The success of these commercialisation projects will be monitored in the 2016 ASPR, however, these initiatives have created real opportunities for NSOs to reduce reliance on government revenue.

In 2015 the ASC continued to support best practice governance and the number of sports which are required to demonstrate compliance against the MGSP was expanded to 21. The average rating of the 15 sports that have been assessed for more than one year increased from ‘adopting’ to ‘implemented’ in 2015–16, demonstrating that the number of NSOs complying with the MSGP continues to increase. For sports outside of this group, the ASC provided advice and support to ensure that good governance is achievable across the sport sector. The ASC has also commenced work on new governance initiatives, including the launch of Integrity Guidelines for directors and leaders of sporting organisations in May 2016, and the next wave of governance reform in June 2016. These projects are a part of the ASC continued focus and commitment to advocating for effective governance and will be further implemented in 2016-17.

During 2015-16 the ASC has finalised the organisational development tool, Sport.Scan, which is designed to measure and track improvements in the organisational capability of NSOs. To ensure strategic alignment and streamlined engagement with NSOs, the ASC has delayed initial data collection to coincide with the 2016 ASPR process.

Our focus is on being a high performing organisation that is recognised for strong leadership and culture, attracting and retaining top talent and for achieving our corporate objectives.

The key goal for the Perform pillar is ensuring that the ASC has the resources, facilities and capability to drive progress across Win, Play and Thrive to deliver the best outcomes for Australian sport.

The ASC is a unique organisation with a broad reach of activities and operations and diverse workforce who are passionate about working together to benefit Australian sport. We support Play.Sport.Australia. through 12 regional offices across Australia, while the high performance program in support of Australia’s Winning Edge is delivered at the AIS Campus in Bruce, a smaller facility in Pizzey Park on the Gold Coast and the AIS European Training Centre in Italy. Optimising the use of these facilities, including through commercial activities, is important to ensuring that the ASC is well positioned for the future.

The ASC has an important role to play in promoting the sport sector and the value that sport participation and high performance activities deliver. Central to this are the delivery of key events and conferences, including the ASPAs and regular communications across the sport sector and the broader public on the priorities, developments and achievements in Australian sport.

Our approach

In 2015–16 there has been a focus on supporting the business to achieve deliverables under the Win, Play and Thrive pillars and the continued development of systems and support for ASC people. The implementation of targeted communication strategies across both participation and high performance has been a key priority this reporting period, along with the implementation of the ASC commercialisation strategy.

Key activity areas were:

• communication of priorities, goals and successes of the ASC and Australian sport
• effective management of resources
• identification of revenue generation opportunities that present the greatest values
• establishment of AIS facilities as world-recognised centres of excellence
• a focus on strategic priorities and operational effectiveness.

Success is gauged by our media profile and our stakeholders’ satisfaction with the ASC’s performance as a leader in the sport sector, the results of our staff culture surveys, and how effectively we deliver on our strategies.

Our Results

Deliverable	Result	Comment / Supporting statement
Conduct Our Sporting Future conference, ASPAs and ASC Media Awards1		Achieved The Our Sporting Future conference was held on the Gold Coast from 21–23 October 2015 . The ASC Media Awards was held in Melbourne on 26 November 2015. The 2016 ASPAs was held in Sydney on 24 February 2016.
Increased positive media profile and engagement1		Achieved The ASC has conducted regular proactive media engagement and received widespread media attention across key publications and events, including the release of Sports Tally for the Year 2015, a position statement on concussion in sport and the launch of the Sporting Schools program.
Development of a revised learning and development framework in line with better practice approaches1		Achieved The ASC Learning and Development Policy was approved in June 2016.
Actions from the 2015 staff survey are identified and implemented1		Achieved The 2015 staff survey identified two key action areas: communications and employee development. A new communications strategy and the ASC Learning and Development Policy have been implemented in 2016.
Increase in the proportion of ASC funding coming from non-government revenue1		Achieved Non-government revenue comprised 11% of funding in 2015–16 compared to 10.2% in the previous period.
Unqualified financial statement and no ‘A’ category audit findings1		Achieved An unqualified audit opinion was issued by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) for the 2015-16 financial statements.
Stakeholder satisfaction with the ASC leadership of the sector1		Achieved 91% of sport sector partners agree that the ASC demonstrated effective leadership of the sector.
Five-year data centre strategy developed1		Commenced In search of further efficiencies and innovation, the ASC opted to test the market prior to the development of the data centre strategy. The ASC has finalised an approach to market and evaluation process around a suite of ICT services. This process will be completed in 2016–17 including the development of a new data centre operational model.
Develop a long-term plan to manage depreciation and capital for the ASC, including the AIS Bruce campus1		Commenced The depreciation and capital plan for the Bruce campus has been developed to the extent possible prior to the final outcomes of the AIS Future Directions project. Outcomes from AIS Future Directions Review will inform the finalisation of the depreciations and capital plan in 2016-17.
AIS Bruce Campus facility master plan developed1		Commenced In May 2016 the AIS Bruce Campus was included as a Designated Area under the National Capital Plan. As a result, requirements for facility planning have changed, forcing a delay in development of the master plan. The ASC is now working with the National Capital Authority to develop procedures for implementation of these changed requirements.
A Sport High Performance portal with linked up information systems for the NIN Operational use of the Sport High Performance portal by the AIS and 20% of NIN members1		Commenced The development of a sport portal was postponed until 2016-17. Work commenced in June 2016 to develop a detailed scope for the Sport Partner Portal.

1. 2015-19 Corporate Plan and 2015-16 Annual Operational Plan

The ASC has engaged with international, national and regional media to raise the profile of both participation and high performance sport in 2015-16. The Our Sporting Future conference, ASC Media Awards and ASPAs were successfully delivered and recorded strong attendance. The ASPAs were broadcast live on ABC radio for the first time, celebrating the outstanding achievements of Australian’s leading athletes, team, coaches and administrators. The Sporting Schools program received regular national and regional news coverage and the ASC’s continued focus on strong governance has been reflected in media coverage, with the release of the second phase of governance reform and the Integrity Guidelines for directors and leaders of sporting organisations both reported nationally.

In the build up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, the ASC has proactively engaged with the media to promote the role of the AIS and has continued to grow audiences on social media, including dedicated platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The ASC has taken a leading role in the promotion and recognition of women’s sport and attracted strong media attention with the launch of the AIS-funded camps for the Australian Matilda’s football squad, the Change the Game female mentoring program partnership and the announcement of new requirements for NSOs to implement gender-neutral travel policies.

The ASC has progressed with a number of internal planning, commercialisation and policy development projects, including the successful implementation of a new enterprise agreement and the approval of the ASC Learning and Development Policy. The development of a long-term strategy for the management of depreciation and capital and the AIS Bruce Campus facility master plan have commenced in 2015-16, however  factors such as the AIS Future Directions review and designation under the National Capital Authority have resulted in the suspension of these projects. A significant body of work on an ICT transformation project including an approach to market was progressed in late 2015, resulting in the Sport Partner Portal being postponed. Work to progress a detailed project scope for the Sport Partner Portal commenced in June 2016.

The ASC has successfully grown its commercial revenue in 2015-16 including an increase in revenue from sponsorships and strong growth in high performance camps held at the AIS, with residential high performance bed nights increasing 8 per cent since the previous period. The growth of non-government revenue sources will continue to be a focus for the ASC in 2016-17.

In the latter part of 2015-16, the ASC also committed to a number of strategic projects to set the scene for the ASC’s operations over the year ahead, including opportunities to access new sources of non-government funding. Key projects include the development of a business case for a national sport lottery and initiatives to support the national coordination of sports infrastructure.

The ASC has made strong progress against the priorities set out in the 2015-19 Corporate Plan and 2015-16 Annual Operational Plan, delivering on our purpose to strengthen Australian sport. The majority of deliverables and performance indicators across the Win, Play and Thrive pillars were successfully completed, with a small number of projects delayed to better align with strategic priorities.

The 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a major milestone for high performance sport and the continued implementation of Australia’s Winning Edge initiatives to support preparations remains a key focus for the AIS. Australian athletes have demonstrated success on the world stage during the reporting period and high performance investment and innovation projects through the AIS are laying the foundations for long term and sustainable success.

The ASC has successfully delivered key projects under Play.Sport.Australia., including the launch of Sporting Schools and AusPlay and the provision of support to NSOs to build capability. These initiatives are helping to enable more people to play sport more often.

The ASC has made significant progress to strengthen our capability through the delivery of the Perform pillar, introduced for the first time in 2015-16. There have been a number of achievements to continue to build our high performing organisation. Our focus in 2015-16 was on supporting the business across Win, Play and Thrive pillars and responding to their emerging strategic priorities. As a result, some deliverables have been rescheduled for 2016-17 to ensure the relevant strategy and operational elements are known to appropriately inform the projects.