The failure of the Russian national team in Vancouver is not so much the consequence of bad financing, but of bad quality of forecasting and management, the head of Chamber of Accounts of the Russian Federation Sergey Stepashin is sure.
It was not just a check, but efficiency audit. We analyzed conformity of expenses with legality principles, practice of budget money disposal, estimated a ratio of the spent means and results, that is also pertinent in sports. What have we revealed?
Obvious and incredible
First of all, that the government allocated enough money for Vancouver Games — twice more than for the Olympic Games in Turin. Expenses for training of a national team member made 0,5 million roubles; it is comparable to expenditures of such rather well-to-do states, as Great Britain. But we won much less medals, so, to the budget they appeared to be much more expensive for the budget. We have come to a paradoxical conclusion: those kinds, where are less medals are best financed. 18% of the means allocated for preparation for the Olympic Games-2014, were spent on hockey (1 complete set of awards). And only 6% on mountain skiing and snowboard — though there were 16 complete sets. This data can be considered as a signal — in what kinds of sports we have organizational and financial problems.
Heightened corruption risk zone. We have made one more conclusion: there was noone in Russia, who would be engaged in preparation for the Vancouver Olympic Games and was responsible for result. Preparation of sportsmen was spontaneous, and officials' impulse was directed on their own participation in the Olympic Games. What should we do? We should begin from low — to put things in order and stop stealing. From year to year the same firms win the competitions. On accounts of the commercial banks working with «sports» money, there is semibillion roubles not used, the rest doesn't come back to the state budget in due time. What efficiency can we talk about? One more moment — so-called expenses for supporting of the Olympic image of the country. We should think, how does the population treats these magnificent events! Transfer of the Olympic flag from Vancouver to Sochi could have been cheaper than 300 million roubles. It seems to me, it is possible to be more modest in creation of images, but to improve the results of competitions.
Not a top secret at all
We have compared practice of preparation of our and Canadian sportsmen. The Vancouver program «Own the Podium» was focused directly on increasing of number of potential medallists, trainers mobilization. The Russian program was directed on support of activity of the numerous organizations, which were responsible for creation of conditions for achievement of the Olympic results. The Canadian subprogram «Top secret», which tested new techniques of sportsmen training is noteworthy also. Nobody knows our know-how also they don't serve our sports.
Worthy alternative to a Silicon Valley. We tried not to look back, but forward. Therefore, in the report, and in analytical note we have formulated concrete proposals. Prime minister Vladmir Putin has supported them and has charged ROC and Ministry of Sports to take into consideration. The first offer — to differentiate financing of mass events and the actions connected with sports of the higher achievements. The second — to distribute powers, responsibility and finance in triangle ROC — the Ministry of Sports — sports federations.
The third — we need program-target approach to financing of Olympic actions cycle. Then, as grants, it would be possible to give money directly to sportsmen, federations, ROC and to control them. The fourth — to create the independent noncommercial organization at ROC, which will of manage target programs of sportsmen preparation for the Olympic Games. The fifth — to introduce system of anticorruption control in the Ministry of Sports. The sixth — to improve target character of money use in sports of the higher achievements. The seventh — it is time to examine sports lotteries. They bring the huge income to branch all over the world. And the last — philosophical. At the right approach, sports cluster of Russia could become not less profitable for the country, than nanotechnologies or Silicon Valleys.
