Sport is rapidly moving into a more 'professional' culture, partly as a result of changes in legislation, but largely from the desire to improve. The most effective way for clubs to develop and improve is to be involved in a planning process that sets your club on the path to a better future. 

WHY PLAN?

There are many reasons why a club will benefit from planning:

·         Use your club resources more effectively

·         Identify and prioritise the club's aims and aspirations for the future

·         Recognise where the club has come from and where it is now

·         Improve team spirit by involving members in decision making

·         Forward planning is essential for accessing funding support, such as local grant aid

·         Ensure a professional approach

·         Demonstrate what the club can offer potential new players/ members

·         Can demonstrate the club's commitment to local schools or the Local Authority

·         The planning process can develop team work off the sports field

·         Cope with change

·         Check on the clubs progress

HOW TO PRODUCE A CLUB ACTION PLAN

There is no right or wrong way to produce a plan, but the following guidelines should give you some positive ideas on how to get started.  There are two types of plan:

DEVELOPMENT PLAN - a long term plan (usually 3 to 5 years), this plan focuses on the club's "vision" for the future

ACTION PLAN - a short term plan (usually 1 year), this plan prioritises the short term actions required to get the club on the right path to achieving its long term "vision"

WHO SHOULD TAKE PART IN THE PLANNING PROCESS?

The most difficult part of action planning is that it takes TIME, a limited resource for all clubs!

Before you start the planning process you will need to consider the best way of managing the process within your club.  It is important that members take an active role in shaping the club's future, therefore involve and consult the members wherever possible. Ensure that the participants involved in this planning process represent all interests in the club. However, it is highly recommended that a small working group is identified to carry out the necessary paperwork and action points.

Remember:      It is the club that has to DO the work, not the action planner & the process is almost as important as the final document itself.

Sport England offer a Running Sport workshop and introductory booklet ‘ Sports Development planning’ which is highly recommended for any club wishing to progress.

For more information call the Running Sport Hotline on 0845 7585136

ACTION PLANNING CAN BE SPLIT INTO FOUR STAGES:

1. WHERE ARE WE NOW?  - THE AUDIT

All clubs provide varying sporting opportunities for many different levels and abilities, therefore before you can begin to plan for the future it is important that you consider the clubs current circumstances.

By carrying out an AUDIT the club can identify its strengths and weaknesses, as well as look at any possible opportunities or threats for development. This process will provide a clear base for setting some realistic aims and objectives for the clubs future.

2. WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE?  - THE AIMS

Having undertaken the audit you will have established your current status (where are we now) and started the process of identifying the clubs main objectives for the future (where do we want to be). To ensure that the aims and objectives are achievable it is important to keep them realistic. You should now be ready to formulate an ‘Action Plan’ to identify how you will achieve these objectives.

3. HOW WILL WE GET THERE?  - THE PLAN

Once the club has completed the audit and identified the aims, the third stage - action planning, should fall easily into place.

The Plan identifies how you will begin to work towards the club's ‘vision’ and achieve it's aims.  Therefore you will need to break down each aim into specific targets for your club to achieve in the first year and some proposed targets for future years.

In order to produce an Action Plan you will need to go through the following five questions:

·         The Target - WHAT do you want to achieve?

·         The Action - HOW can it be achieved?

·         Timescale - WHEN will it be done?

·         Led by - WHO is going to do it?

·         Cost - What will it COST in terms of money, time, people and facilities.

·         Success – How do you know you have achieved your target how will you measure it.

4.  THE REVIEW

Once the action plan has been agreed and is a working document, it is vital that the plan is reviewed and updated periodically, at least annually.   

Monitoring and reviewing your club’s progress is invaluable for ensuring that the club continues to move forward. Provided that the targets set in the action plan are measurable, the process should be simple and not too time consuming.

This process will not only look at future developments but it will also help to reflect on where the club has come from and where it is now. Importantly the club should then formally recognise the volunteers (committee members, administrators, coaches and officials) who have put in the hard work to make it happen!