The effectiveness of the World Anti-Doping Agency: developing a framework for analysis

ABSTRACT

Although there are a number of studies of the effectiveness of the global anti-doping regime less attention has been paid to the performance and effectiveness of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as the lead organisation within the policy regime. The aim of the paper is to design a framework for the analysis of WADA’s performance and effectiveness and to utilise the framework to provide an assessment of the impact of the Agency within the broader policy regime. The framework identifies a series of structural and contextual dimensions. The structural factors analysed are: the formal competencies granted to the IO and the clarity of the IO mission; the degree of regime embeddedness and exclusivity; organisational cohesion and design; leadership quality; resource availability and stakeholder involvement. The main external or contextual factors are: scientific or technological developments; economic developments; position on the policy agenda and competing policy concerns; the cost/benefit of political support and public attitudes. It is argued that the analytical framework enables a rounded and effective assessment of the contribution of WADA to the global anti-doping regime. Specifically it allows an assessment of WADA to be made from two distinct perspectives: the first focuses on its performance and effectiveness in terms of the objectives that it has set for itself or which have been set for it by its principals while the second focuses on the performance of WADA in comparison with other similar IOs.

KEYWORDS:

• World Anti-Doping Agency
• organisational performance
• organisational effectiveness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The quotes are from notes taken at the conference that was attended by both authors.

2. CEO of US Anti-Doping Agency.

3. IOC seeks to reform anti-doping with ‘more robust’ WADA, Available from: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/08/sport/ioc-anti-doping-proposals-wada/index.html, CNN, accessed 28 March 2018.

4. IOs vary greatly in size as measured by paid staff. The UN has around 44,000 staff and the World Health Organization 7000. The paid staff of WADA in 2016 numbered 88 of which 74 are at its Montreal HQ. The OECD defines a small to medium sized enterprise as having fewer than 250 employees.

5. Fancy Bears leak reveals IOC concerns at WADA’s alleged Anglo-Saxon Bias. Available at: https://sputniknews.com/sport/201801151060774639-verbruggen-letter-to-ioc-chair-on-wada-bias/ Accessed: 28 March 2018.

6. Reforms take centre stage at WADA symposium. Available at: http://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/reforms-take-centre-stage-wada-symposium/. Accessed on: 20 July 2018.

7. Privacy International seeks to challenge and limit state and corporate surveillance and protect personal privacy.

8. It remains to be seen whether the 2018 decision to increase contributions by 8% each year between 2019 and 2022 will be successful.

9. Russia pays $15m doping fine to Olympic Committee to lift suspension, Moscow Times 22 February 2018. Available at: https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-pays-15-million-doping-fine-to-olympic-committee-lift-suspension-60595. Accessed on: 17 July 2018.

10. Cited L’Équipe Magazine 23 July 1994.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Barrie Houlihan

Barrie Houlihan is Emeritus Professor of Sport Policy at Loughborough University, UK and Visiting Professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. He has authored or edited over twenty books and authored over sixty journal articles. His most recent books are Managing Elite Sport Systems: Research and Practice (edited with Svein S Andersen and Lars Tore Ronglan, published by Routledge, 2015) and Elite Youth Sport Policy and Management: A Comparative Analysis (edited with Elsa Kristiansen and Milena M. Parent, also published by Routledge, 2017). He was launch Editor of the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics.

Dag Vidar Hanstad

Dag Vidar Hanstad is Professor in Sport Management at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo. The topic for his PhD (2009) was “Anti-Doping in Sport. A Study of Policy Development since 1998”. Hanstad has written a number of papers within the field of anti-doping, e.g. about the whereabouts system, policy and governance. Other research interest include events, volunteerism and leadership.  Before his academic career, Hanstad was sports editor in Norway’s biggest newspaper Aftenposten. He has a background within handball and played for the national team of Norway.