Summary
We were contracted by AoC Sport to review the college competition framework and processes. The main aims of the project were to;
- Make recommendations regarding the scale, scope and level of competitions that AoC Sport should directly provide and regulate, including number of sports, range of competitions and criteria that governs both sport selection as part of the programme and entry for institutions.
- Identify best practice from other sectors and / or other countries to help recommend any necessary changes to the processes and systems used by AoC Sport (managing entries, software used, communication etc.)
- Explore how the AoC Sport direct provision of competitions relates to the competition frameworks of individual NGBs and other providers.
- Recommend an appropriate balance between direct provision and provision which is commissioned or delivered in partnership.
- Recommend an appropriate financial model for AoC Sport’s competition, including the identification of any external income streams, commercial opportunities and an appropriate charging policy to institutions that enter the competitions.
Approach
We undertook a three staged process, first asking, then shaping solutions based on this consultation and finally a report with agreed action for the future development of AoC Sport competitions.
The first phase report detailed an overview of desk based research, telephone and email communications with colleges, NGBs, Chairs of Regional Operations Groups and the AoC Sport regional operations officers, followed by extensive consultation through nine regional workshops as well as direct consultation in Wales.
The workshops were attended by over 130 people including; college Heads of Department, coaches, School Sixth forms in some regions, College Sport Makers, sport development staff, County Sport Partnerships and National Governing Body representatives. Governing Body representatives attending the workshops were from football, rugby union, hockey, basketball, volleyball, netball, badminton, cricket, gymnastics, tennis, modern pentathlon and handball.
The second phase report consolidated the SWOT analysis and proposed solutions based on the consultation and these fell into a number of key areas:
- Principles of AoC Sport competition
- Defining and categorising sports
- AoC Sport recognition system
- Leagues and Cups
- Regional management
- Regional and National Championships
- Representative teams
- Registration, fixtures and results system
We consulted on these proposed solutions further through an online survey and had a number of specific meetings with key groups to shape the realistic and pragmatic solutions. We held a specific workshop with governing bodies of sport to shape their specific solution and plan to make sure any action was aligned to NGB pathways.
Outcome
The final report was based on those discussions and also identified an implementation plan to address the issues that were identified in the study.
Below is a photo from one of the consultation meetings we held:
