A Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) is the first point of contact in a club or sporting organisation for any enquiries, concerns or complaints around harassment, abuse and other inappropriate behaviour. MPIOs are accredited by Play By The Rules and play a crucial role in managing the integrity of sailing. 

With the recent introduction of the National Integrity Framework (NIF), the role of an MPIO is just as important as ever. This article will explain how the NIF affects the role of an MPIO.  

What is the National Integrity Framework? 

The NIF is a suite of policies aimed at promoting a co-ordinated, uniform national approach to maintaining integrity in all levels of sport. The NIF consists of the following policies: 

• Child Safeguarding Policy 

• Member Protection Policy 

• Competition Manipulation and Sports Wagering Policy 

• Improper Use of Drugs and Medicines Policy 

• Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy 

The NIF applies to every affiliated Club, Class Association and Discover Sailing Centre, and every Club member, participant, coach, official and employee in sailing. If you’re unsure whether the NIF applies to you, read our article Who does the Integrity Framework apply to? 

A whole host of useful information about the NIF is available on our Integrity Hub, available at https://sailing.org.au/integrity. 

What this means for MPIOs 

The NIF (specifically, the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy) creates an independent complaint handling process administered by Sport Integrity Australia (SIA). SIA is a government agency responsible for receiving, managing, and investigating complaints and reports of alleged breaches of any NIF policy. 

Even with the new complaints handling process, the role of an MPIO remains mostly unchanged. MPIOs should continue to: 

• Have a strictly neutral role in providing information about a person’s rights, responsibilities and options regarding making a complaint 

• Provide confidential, impartial and timely information and support 

• Guide people through the available complaint resolution options 

• Not investigate matters or advocate for the complainant 

We encourage all MPIOs to learn about the NIF policies and complaints handling process by reading through the materials available on our Integrity Hub and working through SIA’s eLearning modules including An introduction to the National Integrity Framework and the Child Safeguarding in Sport Induction. 

Despite the new policies, the training and experience of MPIOs is just as important as ever. MPIOs have earned the trust and respect of the sailing community and have essential “soft skills” like listening and communication which will help them maintain the integrity of sailing. 

Next steps 

With these policies now in effect nationwide, we encourage MPIOs to familiarise themselves with the current policies and complaints procedure via the Integrity Hub and SIA website. SIA has developed short YouTube videos (including an Overview of the NIF and the Complaints Handling Process) which you may find useful. 

For more information contact Michael Arnold, National Integrity Officer (email michael.arnold@sailing.org.au) or your local Club Support Officer.