Planning is the key to the future viability and success of all clubs no matter their level, activity or size.
Clubs need to plan for their long-term viability in order to sustain what they already have or to grow.
Planning helps to:
• Look at where the club has come from, where it is now, where it wants to go and how it is going to get there
• Identify the club's main objectives
• Encourage members to get involved in club development at all levels
• Improve financial performance and use resources effectively to achieve goals
• Adjust to changes in the current environment that impact the club
• Ensure that resources (human, physical and financial) are used effectively
• Evaluate the club every season
• Bring order into the hectic business of running a football club
• Without adequate planning, the committee frequently only deals with immediate problems and fails to consider future needs.
Preparing a club plan
There is no right or wrong way to prepare a club strategic plan. They can vary from a few pages to a fully laid out document with images, charts and diagrams. They will reflect the size and scope of your club.
There are some basics that must be addressed. Ask yourself:
• Does the plan provide a clear basis for the direction of your club?
• If a new committee member picked it up, could they easily use it to find out where the club is going in the next few years?
• Does the plan provide detail on how the objectives are going to be achieved, i.e. does it prioritise the strategies and tasks, include resource allocation and target setting?
• Has the development of the club plan involved consulting with your stakeholders? Remember your members are also stakeholders?
• Has your planning involved communicating with these stakeholders to give them some ownership of the club plan so they become willing partners in its implementation?
• Has your planning been inclusive? Remember, all people - regardless of their background - should be welcomed at your club?
