Are the roles and responsibilities for the

board, management, staff and

volunteers clearly established?

Jean Camy, EOSE

University of Lyon, France

Training 2:

“Focus on people”

Tallinn, Estonia

9 – 11.11.2012

Introduction (1): From where do I speak?

• An “old” sociologist observing and analyzing sport

activities and organisations since forty years

• Also “specialist” of human resource management in sport

organisations ( dealing with individual, team and

organisational development)

• Having chaired several French and European non for

profit sport related organisations (mostly formal

associations) with a practical experience of governance.

Introduction (2): Are roles and responsibilities for

the board, management, staff and volunteers

clearly established?

• Key words:

• “Board, management, staff, volunteers” (division of labour)

• “Roles and responsibilities” (accountability)

• “Clearly established” (formalisation/rationalisation)

• Structuring the sport voluntary organisations

• People governance/management in grassroots sport

organisations

1- Structuring the sport voluntary organisations

1.1 Which organisations do we consider?

1.2 General principles of the structure of organisations

1.3 Which existing statutes, roles and responsibilities?

1.1 Which sport organisations do we

consider?

International federations

National federations

Regional leagues

Grassroots sport clubs:

Sport organisations designs ROLES CLUB (E.U.)

2.000 000 ?

REGIONAL

LEAGUE

(France)

NATIONAL

FEDERATION

(France)

INTERNATIONAL

FEDERATION

BOARD

(elected

volunteers)

8 to10 board

members

8 to10 board

members

10 board

members

10 to 20 board

members

PAID STAFF

(managers,

coaches, etc…)

1 to 2 FTE paid

personnel

3 to 5 full time

staff

10 to 60 full time

staff

10 to 200 full time

staff

OTHER

VOLUNTEERS

(coaches,

accompanying..)

20 to 40

volunteers

Event

volunteers

Event volunteers

Event volunteers

MEMBERS

(association)

150 members

Clubs (from 5 to

1000)

Clubs (from 50 to

10 000)

National federations

(from 10 to 200)

Roles and responsibilities of the different kinds

of sports organisations ROLES CLUBS REGIONAL

LEAGUES NATIONAL FEDERATIONS

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS

Global role Deliver sport practice

Organise sport practice

Structure and organise national sport

Define and regulate sport practice

Internal relations (within the federal system)

Main role but limited power (feel “exploited”)

Depends from country to country (decentralized)

Represent national sport Support clubs activities

Head of the system in terms of regulations

Relations with other stakeholders (public authorities, sponsors, etc…)

Relations with local public authorities (main source of funding) limited sponsoring

Depends from country to country (decentralized)

A crucial role in centralized countries for their relations with the State and sponsors

The most visible part of the system…Could be very rich and powerful

1.2 General principles to understand the

structure of organisations

Mintzberg’s model of organisation

(functional division of labour)

Mintzberg’s views on the different ways to

coordinate organisations • Mutual adjustments (speak with each other; limited

formalisation)

• Direct supervision (orders; limited formalisation)

• Standardisation of work processes (everything defined by the techno-structure: taylorism)

• Standardisation of results/outcomes ()

• Standardisation of qualifications (the training gives the standard: recruitment and development are key)

• Standardisation of norms, values and beliefs ( its around the values and beliefs (“ideology”) that people agree and work together)

Machine bureaucracy

Production of norms and regulations

Techno-structure

Strategic APEX

Operating core

Role of values/beliefs (ideology) in the

governance of sport associations

Association are “mission led” organisations (Mintzberg)

• Associations (non-profit voluntary organisations) are specific organisations if we compare them with for-profit entreprises and public services

• They are based on a common/shared vision/mission on which individual members regularly agree

• and to which they give their free participation and financial contribution (fees) to achieve that mission

• because they believe in its importance

« Missionnary » configuration

Ideology: values and beliefs

1.3 Which existing statutes, roles and

responsibilities within grassroots sport

organisations?

Standard model of the governance of

voluntary associations

BODIES ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Elected Board (volunteers)

Leads/organises

Management Administrates/manages

Staff and other volunteers Operate

Members Decide (through General Assembly)

Recent developments in sport associations

• More and more demanding members (still members? or

users? or clients ?)

• More and more responsibilities for boards

• More and more paid staff

• More and more “professionnalisation of volunteers”

• More and more “volunteering paid staff”

The three pillars of the division of labour for

the management of a sport association

Roles and responsibilities of the board, management, staff and

volunteers

Competencies and capabilities of members (board, management, staff and volunteers)

Tasks required by the functioning of the

association

2. People governance/management in grassroots sports associations

• 2.1 Take care of the peculiarity of volunteer resources

in grassroots sport associations

• 2.2 Make their commitment clear, efficient and

valuable for people

• 2.3 Boards: building (performing) teams (Kalzenbach

and Smith)

• 2.4 Key behaviours for team members

2.1 Take care of the peculiarity of volunteer resources in grassroots sport associations • Volunteers have limited time and it is not possible to

take more of their time to train them formally;

• Volunteers take no longer lifelong commitments (turn over)

• Highly qualified volunteers are rare and sought after (competition)

• There is a huge tacit knowledge within organisations which has been traditionnaly transmited through « compagnonship » (no « formalisation » and little improvement ).

• Capitalize on that to create learning communities

2.2 Make their commitment clear, efficient

and valuable for people • Map the key roles and functions run in voluntary sport

organisations;

• Map and formalize (through « e-manuals ») the key related

competences;

• Share the knowledge and competences (developing « learning

communities /organisations » such as treasurer’s communities of

practice…);

• « Professionalize » volunteers (developing their competences)

through mentoring and learning communities

• Recruit « volunteering » professionals (not to exploit them but to

be sure that they understand the specificity of an association)

2.3 Boards: building (performing) teams (Kalzenbach and Smith)

• A deep sense of purpose

• “Complete work” (decision making norms; creativity in problem solving; effective team meetings management; cooperation procedures )

• Ambitious performance goals

• Mutual accountability

• Complementary skill set / interchangeable skills

• Shared leadership

• Regular team evaluation

• In our case (crucial): open to whole association members

2.4 Key behaviours for team members

• Relations with others (Tolerance to others (level1)

Acceptance of others (level2) Recognition of others (level

3) Confidence with others (level4))

• Cooperation

• Co-responsibility

• Acceptance of the norms of the group

Conclusion: The three challenges of people

governance in grassroots sports associations

• Have a clear vision and mission for the organisation: maintain

and update it democratically: what are we there for? Too much

organisations are losing their goals and concentrate only on

efficiency and development (“instrumental”)

• Consider positively the diversity of statutes and interests of the

people. Volunteers are rare don’t waist their dedication and

energy. Diversity brings richness not only complication! Be flexible!

• If you want people (and your organisation) to be accountable, give

them opportunities to develop. Principles organisation and

procedures can help accountability but people education remains

the key.

Thank you for your attention!

jean.camy@univ-lyon1.fr