Hosting an olympic games implications for the public sector

General background of the hosting countries In addition to the usual sources for country profiles and statistical data, such as CIA World Factbook and IMF World Economic Outlook , the following websites are helpful for researchers to burrow deeper into country-specific information.

Northwestern University Library. World Bank. The World Bank offers open access to a comprehensive set of data about economic and social development in countries. The dataset is searchable by country, topic, or indicator and is easy to download. Olympic Studies Centre. It provides online access to selected research publications and documents, reference services, research grants, and conference opportunities. UEL is one of the academic institutes that were funded by the U. General background of the games International Olympic Truce Centre.

The International Olympic Truce Centre, along with the International Olympic Truce Foundation, was established in to encourage nations to observe the Olympic truce and to cease hostilities during the Olympic games.

While people generally welcomed this new communication venue, social media also brought some concern and controversy to the Olympic history. Olympic Games Museum. A virtual museum of the Olympic Summer Games that contains official final reports of the Olympic Games from , various statistical data, facts, and memorabilia of the Olympics. Olympic Museum. Although the building is currently closed for renovations, the virtual exhibitions and the list of the extensive collections are available through the website.

YouTube Channel of the Olympics. A greater range of benefits was gained by helping to avoid problems seen in other cities, such as post games use of facilities and local community engagement in the planning Mace et al, Programme managers said their programmes would not have been successful if not linked to the games with social and economic initiatives.

Hiller writes that the processes to transform urban spaces through regeneration receive little attention and that the Barcelona example of the extensive waterfront development is a prime example of such opportunities Barcelona The Olympic Games are a good example of what can be achieved through boosting the image of a city, increased tourism and urban regeneration.

He further acknowledges that all this took place within 6 years, as it was publicly acknowledged from the outset of the bid for the Games, that they were to be an opportunity to re-launch the city of Barcelona. Therefore, organising committees must ensure funding is secured at the earliest possible stage of capital improvement projects, so as to garner and foster community support.

Due to a lack of community participation in the planning processes, negative social impacts resulted, a situation not helped by restricting public access to community facilities and also by removing local authorities planning powers.

For Auburn Council, the Olympics provided an opportunity for urban governance to be approached with a more entrepreneurial style. Such entrepreneurial governance includes the centralisation of planning powers including the streamlining of processes, high level of private sector involvement and the subversion of the democratic principles of openness, accountability and the community participation in planning Owen, The important point is to ensure that the local communities get the transparency and accountability they deserve in the planning of their future urban environment.

Sydney did, however, have world class venues, the largest remediation project in Australia and the creation of the largest metropolitan parkland in Australia, alongside Newington being one of largest solar powered suburbs in the world. The Sydney Olympic Park Act of , wanted social, economic, environmental and financial returns from its investment in the park and to secure a lasting Olympic Legacy.

However, Lochhead writes that at time of the Games, as well as during the planning stages, the post games legacy was little considered. The Sydney Olympic Park Authority only published their yr plan in , identifying 8 main sites for development, including facilities for up to 10, workers and 3, residents.

They later decided to propose Vision envisaging a mix of uses within the urban area, resulting in a critical mass of residents and workers as well as transport infrastructure improvements.

Under the longer-term programme, the precinct would retain its current amenity and major event capacity, but its viability would be significantly enhanced, particularly vital as both the main stadia have suffered such viability issues since the Games ended. In several developments for the Sydney Games, the infrastructure was not approved at a local level, but by the Minister for Urban Affairs and that the planning was from a regional and national perspective with the result being sharp rent increases and ensuing homelessness in some areas.

In Auburn, the council retained control and ownership of many community facilities and services, enabling them to control costs and to offer employment to the local population.

Due to a lack of community participation in the planning processes, negative social impacts have resulted, not helped by restricting public access to community facilities and also by removing local authorities planning powers Owen, , Lenskyj, Cashman also argues that the benefits of hosting the games for the local population were very vague, especially in the case of Homebush, due to the envisaged benefits either being over inflated or simply being too complex to measure in monetary terms.

Additionally, often there is no post-games monitoring in place to measure the long term benefits coupled with a lack of objectivity in terms of what is to be measured. Yet, the organisers of the Games disagreed with Cashman by arguing that these benefits can outweigh the negative ones, despite the overcrowding, increased costs, taxes and disruption. Owen , writing about the Olympics, compared the urban governance policies of three local government areas in relation to the social and political legacies of their involvement in the games.

Owen further writes of the shift in urban governments from a managerial approach towards urban politics, to one in which entrepreneurial attempts to improve economic and social welfare take precedence over managerial concerns. The case of Auburn Council was different to that of Ryde and Waverley, as there appeared to be little tension between the council and the Olympic Organising authorities. This was due mainly to the fact that much of the area was already owned by the State and Federal Governments, having received poor management for many years and had become degraded and desolate wasteland.

The council involvement was mainly through providing supporting infrastructure, being very entrepreneurial and democratic in its dealings with the organisers. Unlike the other two areas, the Auburn residents were not losing the use of a facility whilst preparations for the games took place as the parkland was unusable anyway.

The council and local community groups recognised through the consultation process that they would inherit the legacy of the Sydney Olympic Park, which for the council would generate income and be a place for the community to use. However the council did suffer from a lack of openness and co-operation and information from the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games SOCOG London Legacy By applying the key findings of the International Symposium of the Olympic Games , to the London legacy planning so far, it can be concluded that: The legacy building starts with the decision to bid for the games — one of the key reasons for London winning the bid was on the basis that the legacy planning was recognised from the initial stage of deciding to bid for the Games.

Sustainable development is paramount within legacy planning in order to protect the environment, yet technological development is crucial for the games.

Intangible legacies are as important as tangible legacies, especially cultural legacies as the ultimate source of all other legacies, i. The IOC role within legacy planning is one of ensuring the effective transfer of knowledge between organising bodies and moreover to raise the awareness of the importance of legacy planning. The IOC would like to ensure that genuine, lasting sporting legacies are created.

Legacy will become a crucial component within the bid process especially evidencing post-games initiatives - Knowledge transfer playing a crucial role within London planning 5. More attention is required to research into the legacy of the games, especially longitudinal research and more comparative studies. Also the creation of libraries of Olympic related research and other documentation with all Olympic Study Centres inter-linked- several academic institutions are already involved in longitudinal research programmes.

Output from the conference can form part of the Legacy of the Olympic Movement — already being used by London Organising Committee.

In the UK, the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester were an excellent example of legacy planning helping to demonstrate the positive impact mega sports events can have on the domestic population in terms of raising awareness, participation levels and volunteering in sport.

In addition, the hosting of the Commonwealth Games played a noteworthy role in the regeneration of the area and a significant boost to the economy of the North West of England. The WHO, which acts in an advisory role to the IOC, took several different positions on whether or not viral testing should be carried out, ultimately stating in October that it did not feel that Olympic officials needed to conduct routine viral testing.

The WHO statement added that it was not "unconcerned with viral pathogens in water" and that water quality and monitoring would continue to be discussed in relation to the Games.

Athletes who might be exposed to contaminated water during the Games have offered mixed responses. Some said that they are concerned about even brief exposure to waters of Guanabara Bay; some sailors said that they will adopt protocols such as getting multiple vaccinations and washing themselves with bleach after competing. Others have said that they believe the issue has been overblown and that athletes typically face potential health risks in many places where they compete.

The police investigations were said to be part of a year-long probe that is targeting the water and sewage utility for pollution from treatment plants and possibly charging for services that it is not adequately providing, which, if proven, would constitute fraud. The benefits of hosting an Olympics Games often include acceleration of a wide range of existing plans, projects, investments, and activities.

Rio de Janeiro's expectations in this regard are evident in the Sustainability Management Plan and other documents that discuss using the opportunity of the Games to benefit the city by improving environmental conditions and practices and incorporating sustainability policies and ethic into the city's future.

Most analysts see the biggest gains from hosting an Olympics to be urban upgrades that otherwise would occur over a longer term, if at all. Some believe that it is an obligation of an Olympics hosting city to improve its environmental conditions. However, once the event is awarded, there are few, if any, consequences for countries if they do not follow through—despite the IOC's statements that commitments are binding.

When the Summer Games were awarded in , some feared that development pressures associated with the construction would harm nearby natural environments such as the biologically rich Atlantic Forest and Coastal regions 95 and increase the city's population, especially by expanding favelas , urban slums where nearly one-quarter of its inhabitants live.

All Olympic Games have glitches and receive skeptical press ahead of time, and the Games are no exception. In the weeks immediately ahead of the start of the Games, activist organizations that have been tracking developments say that some promised objectives are succeeding—for example, urban renewal and public transport—but that environmental and sanitation goals will be missed.

They report that the promise to plant 24 million trees has been abandoned, and projects needed to mitigate untreated sewage discharges—one of the highest pre-Games priorities—are incomplete; overall, none of the major environmental projects linked to the Olympics will be completed before the Games.

Once the deadline of the start of the Games has passed, international pressure to finish those projects is likely to disappear. During the previous decade, a boom in global commodity prices fueled a period of rapid economic growth that—combined with the Lula Administration's social policies—significantly reduced poverty and inequality and lifted 36 million Brazilians into the middle class.

Like President Lula, many international observers viewed Brazil's successful bids for the Olympics and the World Cup as a confirmation of the country's rise. Brazil's international image has been battered in recent years, however, as the country has struggled to address deepening economic and political crises.

President Dilma Rousseff's economic policies exacerbated the situation, contributing to rising inflation and fiscal deficits and declining consumer and investor confidence. Brazil's economy contracted by 3. At the same time, a sprawling corruption investigation involving the diversion of public sector funds to political campaigns and politicians has implicated prominent business leaders and much of the political class. The Brazilian Congress has sought to channel the resulting citizen discontent into an effort to impeach President Rousseff, ostensibly for violations of the country's fiscal responsibility law; Rousseff is currently suspended from office in order to stand trial.

While some Brazilians and international observers view Rousseff's impeachment as a necessary first step to address the economic and political crises, others view it as an illegitimate attempt to remove a left-leaning president and install a more conservative administration that will protect Brazilian legislators from the ongoing corruption probe. These economic and political setbacks have damaged the country's reputation as a successful and socially inclusive democracy and weakened its international influence.

The Olympics will place a spotlight on Brazil, drawing renewed international attention to the country's potential as well as its challenges. The new Brazilian administration led by Interim President Michel Temer views the Summer Games as an opportunity to demonstrate the country's credibility on the international stage.

Alternatively, failures to complete construction on facilities and infrastructure, properly plan for logistics, or take appropriate precautions to protect the security and health of the athletes and fans attending the Games would likely further erode the country's international image. The Olympics also could have political implications for Interim President Temer and the politicians governing the city of Rio de Janeiro and Rio de Janeiro state.

Temer is expected to carry out official host duties during the Games as the acting head of state, and while domestic support for his administration likely will depend on its ability to resolve the country's economic and political crises, the Olympics could improve domestic and international perceptions of Temer's legitimacy and strengthen his hold on the presidency.

On the other hand, any problems that emerge would likely be blamed on Temer and his political party, which controls the city and state governments of Rio de Janeiro. Other costs related to the Summer Games, such as additional security personnel, have yet to be determined.

Many Brazilians view public expenditures on the Olympics as wasteful given the country's difficult financial situation and considerable social disparities. The Temer Administration is currently considering cuts to Brazil's pension system and other social services as part of its efforts to reduce the national government's ballooning budget deficit.

Likewise, Rio de Janeiro state, which has already cut expenditures steeply, declared a state of "public calamity" on June 17, warning that the government's lack of finances could "lead to the total collapse of public security, health, education, mobility and environmental management.

According to Moody's Investors Service, "the key benefit of the Olympics for the city of Rio will be lasting transport infrastructure improvements" that will reduce traffic congestion and potentially lower business costs.

In the run-up to the Rio Games, American athletes, as well as athletes from other nations, expressed concerns about doping and whether the organizations charged with protecting clean athletes were up to the task. Prompting this surge of concern were revelations that the Russian track and field team engaged in a doping scheme orchestrated by the Russian Athletic Federation RusAF; Russia's national governing body [NGB] for track and field and the perception, if not reality, that the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA was slow to respond when first made aware of the allegations in , as reported by both the New York Times and the television show 60 Minutes.

Although the U. In a June 20, , letter addressed to the president of WADA, the chairman of the Senate committee noted that WADA had been made aware, in , that Russian athletes were involved in a government-sanctioned doping scheme; that WADA's independence had been called into question; and that representatives of Olympic athletes had called upon WADA to expand its investigation to other sports in Russia and other countries.

One of the challenges identified by the committee is that "neither [WADA nor the IOC] is functionally organized to achieve [the goal of eradicating doping in sport]. On December 3, , a documentary aired on German television alleging "the existence of a sophisticated and well established system of state-sponsored doping with the All-Russia Athletics Federation ARAF.

The investigation, which began in January , concluded with the publication of two reports, the first of which focused on the allegations presented in the German television documentary. The report included two notable caveats. Although there were "reliable indications" that other sports in Russia had doping problems, the IC stated these sports were outside the scope of what it had been directed to investigate.

McLaren would lead the investigation. Russia's paralympic team has also been affected by the doping revelations. The suspension means the Russian Paralympic Committee is not permitted to enter its athletes in the Rio Paralympic Games, which will be held September , On June 21, , the IOC convened an Olympic Summit for the purpose of ensuring "a level playing field for all athletes participating" in the Games. Olympic Committee to take all necessary actions to prevent "doped athletes" from participating in the Games, to broaden their efforts to include sanctioning any athlete support personnel who are implicated in doping, and to refrain from requesting accreditation for the Games for "any person currently implicated in an anti-doping rule violation.

Though it does not appear that the scope of Kenya's doping problems approaches that of Russia's, Kenya has been beset by a series of issues.

Kenya cannot assure the world that any of its athletes is drug-free, at least based on evidence collected by its national antidoping program. World Anti-Doping Agency officials say the Kenyan antidoping agency exists in name only. The government established the agency in the past year [] but has yet to finance it, WADA officials recently told [the journalist]. Focusing on athletes who might participate in the Rio Games, samples obtained during the Beijing Games were re-tested in the first round.

The results indicated that 30 athletes from 6 sports and 12 countries had tested positive. The implications of this situation, including the IC Report and the IP Report, extend beyond the consequences for Russian sports organizations, athletes, and officials. Other athletes in particular, non-Russian athletes have a vested interest in the outcomes of the investigation and related matters. Generally, the representatives of the athletes organizations, in separate communications, expressed dissatisfaction with WADA's or the IOC's actions, and advocated for both organizations to do more to protect clean athletes and to protect sports in all countries.

Effective August 2, , the Olympic Charter states that the IOC's role is, in part, "to protect clean athletes and the integrity of sport, by leading the fight against doping The Olympic Mo vement is all about the clean athletes. They are our best ambassadors, they are our role-models, they are our treasure. Therefore we have first and foremost to protect the clean athletes. We have to protect them from doping, match-fixing, manipulation and corruption.

We have to change our way of thinking. We have to consider every single cent in the fight against these evils not as an expense but as an investment in the future of Olympic Sport. We have to realize that catching the cheats is extremely important but only a means to an end—the protection of the clean athletes. Since changing the Olympic charter, the IOC has taken, or proposed, several steps to enhance the protection of clean athletes.

The executive board proposed that WADA establish an independent entity for testing and results management, that the new entity include a unit dedicated to intelligence collection, and that "sports oganisations should transfer their doping control operations to this new organisation. This change, according to the board, would centralize the system of sanctions and be cost efficient while creating a more "harmonised anti-doping system among all sports and all countries.

International Standard for Laboratories Olympic Committee, "U. Olympic Committee Announces Member U. Two sports—golf and rugby—return to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. IOC members voted on October 9, , to readmit these two sports to the Olympic program. Previously, golf was included in the Olympic program in Paris and St.

Louis , and rugby was included in Paris and , London , and Antwerp In these four previous Olympics, each rugby team had 15 players. The Rio Olympics will have the sport "Rugby sevens," which means each team has seven players. Bonnie D. Associated Press, "U. Clinkingbeard, Research Associate. Policy Considerations , coordinated by [author name scrubbed]. Michael A. Johansson, et al. Letter from Amir Attaran et al. See also Lena H. World Health Organization. Ardath Grills et al.

Other studies support a similar conclusion. Letter from Scott A. Blackmun, Chief Executive Officer, U. Recent travelers and pregnant women are also urged to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes to prevent transmission of the virus to or from mosquitoes. Unlike conventional kidnappings, which "are elaborately planned, with rich victims and prolonged negotiations," express kidnappings generally occur quickly and involve small amounts of ransom money. Information contained in this section of the paper is derived from open-source unclassified research.

Classified information possessed by U. Intelligence Community or international security agencies may offer a different threat assessment. Hereinafter, Sustainability Report. Environmental sustainability is a broad concept that essentially says that the needs of man can be met without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Hereinafter, OGI Report. The Plan acknowledged that a major challenge in shutting down dumpsites was the fact that they represented the only source of income for an estimated 1, waste pickers in Rio de Janeiro who provided subsistence for their families by scavenging materials on the sites.

Measures to help these individuals, after closure of open dumps, in at least one case involved governmental payments into a Waste Pickers Fund, which would disburse monies to waste pickers over a period of future years. Sustainability Report, pp. Primary treatment is designed to remove suspended and floating solids from raw sewage.

Liz Clarke, "U. D1, D9. A1, New York edition. Relations , by [author name scrubbed]. The monetary figures in this paragraph were generated using an exchange rate of 1 U. WADA is an independent, international organization whose "key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code Code —the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries. Additional, detailed information regarding these concerns is presented in the following subsection.

The Appendix contains a list of acronyms used in this section of the report. Rebecca R. Richard H.