The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced an updated Prioritization Policy and revised Signatory tiers for its Compliance Monitoring Program, providing an updated framework for monitoring compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards.

Announced on 26 October 2026, the policy and revised classifications were approved by WADA’s Compliance Review Committee (CRC) on 5 August 2026 and will take effect on 1 January 2027.

The updated approach is designed to support consistent, transparent and risk-based compliance monitoring while recognizing the different responsibilities and circumstances of Signatories across the international anti-doping system.

How the updated framework works

The policy maintains four tiers for National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) and International Federations (IFs), and three tiers for Major Event Organizations (MEOs).

All Signatories remain responsible for fulfilling their obligations under the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards, regardless of their classification.

Where non-conformities are identified, Signatories receive a Corrective Action Report (CAR) outlining the actions required. The Prioritization Policy determines which unresolved non-conformities may lead to formal compliance procedures, taking account of the Signatory’s tier and the category of requirement.

For NADOs and IFs:

  • Tier 1: Compliance procedures may be initiated for unresolved Critical requirements after three months, High Priority requirements after six months, and General requirements relating to data privacy after nine months.
  • Tier 2: Critical and High Priority requirements are subject to three-month and six-month corrective action timelines, respectively.
  • Tier 3: Unresolved Critical requirements may trigger compliance procedures after three months.
  • Tier 4: The framework specifies certain Critical requirements subject to compliance procedures if not corrected within three months, including Code implementation, reporting in ADAMS, results management and compliance reporting.

Separate tier-based arrangements apply to MEOs. The revised policy also provides for compliance follow-up concerning specified education requirements in certain circumstances.

Updated Signatory classifications

WADA has also published revised Signatory tiers, based on criteria including international sporting performance, Olympic and Paralympic program status, sport-specific doping risk indicators and the level and global reach of major sporting events.

Among the changes, Bulgaria moves from Tier 2 to Tier 1, while Qatar and Singapore move from Tier 3 to Tier 2.

For international federations, the International Cricket Council moves from Tier 2 to Tier 1, while the World Squash Federation moves from Tier 3 to Tier 1.

Importantly, these classifications determine priorities within WADA’s compliance monitoring framework and should not be interpreted as assessments of an organization’s compliance performance.

Supporting consistent anti-doping governance

The revised policy reflects the continued development of WADA’s Compliance Monitoring Program, including an expanded scope of compliance accountability for certain lower-tier Signatories.

It also maintains an important distinction between the obligation to comply fully with the Code and the prioritization of monitoring and compliance procedures.

As the international anti-doping system prepares for the 2027 regulatory framework, the updated policy provides Signatories with an opportunity to review their internal processes, corrective action arrangements and compliance responsibilities.

WADA encourages all Signatories and relevant stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the revised framework before its implementation.

The complete policy, supporting documents and updated classifications are available on WADA’s official Prioritization Policy webpage.