The Board approved a number of recommendations to increase VANOC’s overall public transparency and accountability. The Board members also addressed a number of other items including an overview of VANOC’s draft ticket sales strategy and a decision to contract external expertise in event services to ensure spectators at the 2010 Winter Games have a spectacular and unforgettable in-venue experience at Games events.
“People want to know more about what we are doing to stage the 2010 Winter Games on their behalf and how we are doing it,” said VANOC Board Chair Jack Poole. “A more extensive reporting out system has been approved that will provide an added level of transparency seen by few other Organising Committees and we will continue to ensure our information is easily accessible and readily available to Canadians over the coming three years.”
VANOC’s transparency objectives to date include the public issuing of quarterly financial reports, annual reports and business plan as well as hosting numerous community meetings and speeches and presentations, including an annual address before the Vancouver Board of Trade in the fall. VANOC also uses vancouver2010.com as a key public communication tool, posting government reports, protocols, accords and agreements, inner-city reports, Vancouver 2010 progress reports, reports of the activities of its ethics commissioner and the disclosure of contract awards.
Transparency measures approved by the Board included:
Posting the Board of Directors’ meeting agenda on vancouver2010.com in advance of each Board meeting and maintaining a schedule of Board and Board Committee meetings on vancouver2010.com.
VANOC will also issue and post to vancouver2010.com a news release on decisions taken at the Board meeting that are not protected by obligation or by contract.
Hosting regular press briefings – monthly throughout 2007 in months where there is not a Board meeting or quarterly report, and on a more frequent basis throughout 2008 and 2009 as the Games approach.
Continuing to deliver an annual fall update to the Vancouver Board of Trade which will be broadcast across the Province and a transcript of the update will be posted on vancouver2010.com for easy access by the media and the public.
Placing an annual supplement in major newspapers and posting to vancouver2010.com to inform the public on the progress of the Games as outlined in VANOC’s business plan.
Conducting new quarterly website on-line forums to ensure that all Canadians can communicate directly with VANOC.
