2013-2016 strategic plan - rowing...
TRANSCRIPT
2013-2016Strategic Plan
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Preface Vision 2020Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) has had a rich history
of success and continues to enjoy a reputation as
one of the leading sport organizations in Canada.
In large measure, the outstanding results at world
and Olympic championships have occurred as a
result of a focused strategic commitment to a world
class standard of excellence.
Excellence cannot be achieved without planning –
whether it’s an individual, a team, an association or a
corporation. RCA’s athletes, coaches, umpires, clubs,
provincial associations, staff and board have always
worked to a plan and have shown how success can
be achieved when everyone is committed to the
organization’s vision and goals. Nothing of any
consequence can be accomplished without that
commitment, sacrifice and drive to be the best.
Success in planning means finding the right balance
between the “inputs” required to “inform” the process and
the need to finalize and begin acting on the strategic
priorities. With this in mind, RCA formed a strategic
planning group consisting of board members and
staff to help with the development of the 2013-2016
Strategic Plan.
The process involved consultation with the membership,
discussions with the board and staff, input from various
committees and individuals, clubs and provincial staff,
including a comprehensive online survey. The final
stage in the process will involve the preparation of an
operational plan designed to turn the long term vision
and goals into annual tasks and responsibilities.
The outcome, Vision 2020 - the Rowing Canada Aviron
2013-2016 Strategic Plan, truly reflects the beliefs
of the membership, the direction agreed to by the
organization as a whole, and a commitment from all
the partners to achieve the goals within the plan in
a collaborative, respectful and purposeful manner.
Through the process, much was learned from listening
to RCA members, leaders and partners. To accomplish
the challenges ahead, RCA understands that it needs to:
» Assume a leadership role in all the key areas of
system and athlete development, including the
full integration of LTAD.
» Work closely with club and provincial partners
to close any system gaps and to clarify roles and
responsibilities regarding the design and delivery
of programs and services.
» Commit resources to help build capacity within PRA’s
and member clubs to strengthen and enhance these
partnerships that play a fundamental role in the
development system.
» Identify the ways and means to leverage resources
and invest in opportunities that will generate new
discretionary revenue and reduce the organizations
reliance on government support, and;
» Expand capacity in the two key support areas:
coaching development and marketing/
communications. These functional areas contribute
substantially to the successful delivery of both
domestic and high-performance development and
are therefore integral to the strategic plan.
To be the LEADING ROWING NATION in the WORLD.
Mission
To BUILD, DRIVE and INSPIRE growth and excellence within Canada’s rowing community.
Values
As members of RCA, we recognize the following principles to guide our decisions and behavior:
ExcellenceWe are committed to do our best in all we do.
IntegrityWe are honest, respectful and accountable.
Community We are a community of partnerships that is connected and passionate about the sport of rowing.
The values of Excellence, Integrity and Community have been longstanding values of the members of Rowing Canada Aviron and
today these values still resonate strong as the principles by which we choose to
guide our actions.
Excellence speaks not only to RCA’s commitment to performance at the highest
levels of competition and the importance of sustained podium
performances, but also to the value we place on building the best club system, the
strongest coaching development programs, the most effective talent identification programs, and the delivery of exceptional service to our membership. Excellence speaks to our drive to lead the way in all facets of our operations.
Integrity, emphasized by honesty, respect and accountability are values that are fundamental to the culture of rowing. Of equal importance is the sense of “community” that defines our sport and characterizes our relationship with key partners. “Teamwork” is emphasized at every level and the strength of our rowing community is dependent on its continued evolution.
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Goal OneWin gold medals at the Olympics, Paralympics and World Championships
Outcomes
» Results in the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games
that position Canada in the top three Rowing nations
in the world.
» Win five medals with three additional finalists at the
2016 Olympic Games.
» Win one medal with one additional finalist at the
2016 Paralympic Games.
» Win three medals with three additional finalists at the
2016 U-23 World Championships.
» Win one medal with one additional finalist at the
2016 Junior World Championships.
» Maintain the number of Canadian FISA Umpires (15)
available to support FISA International Events.
Objectives and Strategies
1.1 Ensure that a high performance system
is in place that maximizes opportunities
for Canadian rowers, including adaptive
rowers to be successful at the highest
international levels.
» Develop and maintain our national
training centre facilities and infrastructure
at a standard that provides a world class
athlete training environment.
» Ensure that world leading coaches are at
the helm of our national team programs.
» Establish a national training location for adaptive
rowing that can support the enhancement of
adaptive rowing as a high performance sport.
» Strengthen the integrated support team
networks at our National Training Centres to
ensure a superior system of athlete performance
and recovery programs.
» Develop partnerships that will help support the
daily living, training and competition needs of
our high performance athletes.
1.2 Build a strong coaching development
program that ensures the recruitment,
training and certification of coaches at the
quality and level needed to support athletes
in all stages of the excellence pathway.
» Develop Canadian coaches to be successful,
world leading coaches at the helm of our
National Team programs.
» Dedicate resources to coaching education f
or the high performance coach pathway.
» Improve access to Coaching education
resources through improved use of technology
(social media and website).
» Ensure that proper rowing technique and
standards are being instilled at the earliest
stages of coach and athlete development.
» Increase the number of coaches committed
to adaptive rowing.
1.3 Develop and maintain a pool of Internation-
ally-experienced FISA umpires to ensure the
expertise needed to educate and support
athletes, coaches and regatta organizers.
» Continue national umpire identification, training,
mentoring and selection program for national level
three umpires who aspire to a level five license.
» Continue to internally select, nominate and support
Canadian FISA umpires (Level 5) for FISA regatta
jury duty.
1.4 Provide a competitive development struc-
ture that gives athletes on the high per-
formance development pathway (Train to
Train/Train to Compete/Train to Win) pro-
gressive training and racing opportunities
to achieve the goal of learning to win.
» Build a strong system of national
development regattas that includes
Spring and Fall Development regattas
and the National Rowing Championships.
» Strengthen the RADAR system of athlete
monitoring to ensure we are maximizing the
number of athletes progressing along the high
performance pathway.
» Develop a strong Talent Identification network
and Talent Development Centre program that
delivers on the recruitment and development of
athletes, including adaptive athletes.
» Ensure the Chief Umpire curriculum includes
a training module for National Development
events and the National Rowing Championships
so that RCA Umpires understand and are well
briefed on the objectives and rule variations for
these events.
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Goal Two Vision 2020Grow participation in the sport of rowing at all levels
Outcomes
» Increase the number of RCA Sport, Competitive
and Para Rowers by 10% per year.
» Increase the number of NCCP Qualified Instructors/
Coaches in each province.
» By 2016, 70% of RCA registered coaches
are NCCP trained.
» Increase the number of qualified umpires (male
and female) available to support domestic regattas
(10%/year).
Objectives and Strategies
2.1 Engage and retain new members
to the sport.
» Ensure that recreation and high performance athlete/
participant recruitment strategies are integrated.
» Develop a skills package and supporting materials
that addresses the early LTAD stages and recreational
needs of members (Learn to Train, Train to Train,
Active for Life).
» Develop a marketing strategy that leverages the 2015
Pan-Parapan Games and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro
Olympic and Paralympic Games as opportunities to
increase participation in rowing.
» Improve the capacity of the website and other social
media networks to promote the sport and better
serve RCA members.
» Present an annual communication plan at the
RCA national conference based on key events,
opportunities and strategies.
» Capitalize on the growing interest in non-traditional
rowing events (example: open water rowing,
touring, indoor rowing, cottage rowing) to
increase participation and membership.
» Complete the development of the Member
Registration system that will enable Clubs, PRA’s and
RCA to effectively communicate with members and
better track and meet their needs.
» Through leadership, influence and strategic initiatives,
ensure that rowing maintains its status as a sport in the
Canada Games, 2021.
» Increase the number of new licensed umpires
(in particular, female umpires) and the retention
of current umpires through targeted recruitment
and communication strategies, ongoing education
and mentorship initiatives and improved umpire
tracking systems.
» Provide leadership, align strategies and resources
and strengthen partnerships with our Clubs and
Provincial Rowing Associations to grow and sustain
program delivery.
2.2 Canadian rowing fully adopts the RCA
Long Term Athlete Development Model.
» Provide developmentally appropriate events for
rowers (including adaptive rowers) in the Learn to
Train, Train to Train, and Active for Life stages of LTAD
with skills events competition formats fully adopted
where appropriate.
» Provincial and national regatta calendars reflect
the principles of LTAD and Provincial and National
Multi-sport Games have adopted Regatta formats
that are aligned with RCA’s LTAD model.
» Conduct a full review of Junior rowing programs in
the context of LTAD.
» RCA’s Long Term Athlete Development Model is
understood and embraced by volunteer leaders,
Umpires, Coaches, rowers and parents.
2.3 Provide leadership and build capacity at
the provincial and club levels to increase
membership growth.
» In consultation with the Provinces, develop a
framework for program delivery and clarify roles
and responsibilities at all levels.
» Provide development opportunities, tools and
resources and pursue partnership opportunities
to address critical program gaps.
» Provide leadership/volunteer and program
development opportunities as part of the National
Rowing Conference.
2.4 Develop, and coordinate with PRA’s the delivery
of, a National Coach/Learn to Row Instructor
Certification that produces coaches who are
excellent leaders of RCAs early LTAD stage/active
for life programs.
» Increase the number of NCCP Certified Coaches and
Learn to Row Instructors with the skills and expertise
to deliver quality rowing programs for able bodied
and adaptive rowers.
» Progress to a system that adopts mandatory training
and/or certification requirements to ensure a high
standard of program quality, participant safety and,
participant retention.
» Clarify roles and responsibilities at national and pro-
vincial levels for NCCP delivery and communication.
» Use technology effectively to improve communi-
cation, advance ongoing education and improve
database tracking.
» Restructure resources at the national level to
improve the delivery of coach education and
development programs.
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Goal ThreeBuild a dynamic and sustainable organization
Outcomes
» Increase the percent of non-government
revenue supporting the programs of RCA (20%).
» Achieve a “good” to very good” RCA member/
participant satisfaction rating (Annual Survey).
» Increase RCA’s representation at FISA.
» Improve RCA’s overall sport ranking in the
Sport Canada – SFAF process.
Objectives and Strategies
3.1 Implement a governance and organization
structure that is responsive to the needs of
the membership and complies with regulatory
and funding accountability standards.
» Report annually on the achievement of Strategic
Plan directions and develop annual operational
plans that ensure resources are continually
aligned to strategic priorities.
» Implement a small, policy focused board that
provides strong leadership in achieving the
organization’s strategic objectives, clearly defines
roles and responsibilities and, recruits board
members based on required competencies.
» Develop a robust Nominating Committee
structure and terms of reference that recognizes
the key role of this committee in ensuring the
integrity of the new governance model and
succession planning for key roles.
» Review and align committee structures and
terms of reference to the new governance
structure and strategic priorities.
» Develop and implement a marketing/
communications strategy to highlight new
programs, publicize outstanding results,
recognize volunteers, athletes, and coaches
and serve as a platform for fundraising
and sponsorship activities.
3.2 Invest in a revenue generating strategy
and reduce the organizations reliance on
government support.
» Develop marketing, sponsorship, fundraising or
planned giving strategies that will produce long
term results and provide the greatest return
on investment.
» Explore the potential for greater alignment/
partnership with the Canadian Rowing
Foundation in building a long term
fundraising and investment strategy.
» Build on the activities of RCA’s National Team
Alumni to create a sustained engagement
of our alumni that connects with and supports
our national team athletes.
» Work closely with the Canadian Henley Rowing
Corporation on sponsorship strategies for the
Royal Canadian Henley Regatta that increases
revenue for both partners.
» In partnership with the COC/Pan Am 2015
Games and Row Ontario, explore the
development of a signature Toronto Harbour
event that increases the sports profile and
leverages sponsor and revenue opportunity.
» In conjunction with funding partners and FISA,
determine the feasibility of hosting future
World events in Canada/North America based
on the new FISA Hosting guidelines.
3.3 Work with PRA’s and Clubs to integrate
strategies for volunteer recruitment
and recognition.
» Identify current challenges related to volunteer
recruitment and, in conjunction with the clubs
and Provinces, develop strategies to encourage
ongoing involvement and retention.
» Review the current RCA awards policy and
recommend a new policy that considers:
the role of RCA in athlete, coach and volunteer
recognition; the alignment of awards to national
athlete, coach and volunteer development goals
and; the criteria for determining award recipients.
3.4 Maintain a strong leadership position,
nationally and internationally to ensure
continued influence on policy and decision
making that impacts the sport of rowing
and the organization.
» Establish a Canadian representative on the FISA
Events Commission.
» Continue to support RCA representatives that sit
on COC, OTP and FISA boards and committees
and ensure succession planning for these roles.
Performance Management
In order for a plan to succeed, progress must be
measured and individuals held accountable for the
results. The RCA 2013 to 2016 strategic plan will be
an integral part of daily operations and staff performance
will be measured against performance indicators and
long and short-term objectives. Additionally, the board
will review progress on a regular basis and build their
meeting agendas around the strategic plans and
priorities. The board and RCA staff will report to the
membership at annual meetings and coordinate
communications and message delivery with the clubs
and provincial associations on a regular basis.
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ConclusionIf RCA is to realize its vision and goals, resources must
be reallocated and aligned with the strategic goals
and priorities. These efforts must include greater
collaboration between clubs, staff and volunteers
on messaging, program delivery and communication
strategies. The process will also require a clear
delineation of roles and responsibilities among
all the partners.
Additionally, the key functional areas of marketing/
communications and coaching development must
be resourced appropriately to maximize opportunities
as well as help build capacity for program and athlete
development, both at the high performance and
domestic levels. It was acknowledged during the
planning process that these areas were critical and
required RCA’s immediate attention.
Since the majority of funds received by Rowing Canada
are non-discretionary government contributions
primarily allocated to high performance, it is
understood that RCA must begin to develop alternate
streams of revenue to ensure a sustainable future and
provide resources for other program areas, including
participation development. Before embarking on such a
strategy however, the organization must weigh the cost/
benefits of different approaches in order to maximize
limited resources.
Additionally, it is important to emphasize that RCA does
not currently have the in-house expertise or resources to
commence a dedicated fundraising program or develop
and implement a comprehensive sponsorship strategy.
Any new revenue generating program will require new
and sustained investment in this area in order to ensure
a reasonable return over the long term.
RCA is a national leader with a celebrated past and an
exciting future. The organization needs to continue
to focus on what is most important and do it extremely
well. The strategic plan is designed to reduce
complexity and ensure that resources (human and
financial) are channeled within an orderly framework.
With the full integration of LTAD (Long Term Athlete
Development) and a focus on the key strategic priorities,
there is every reason to expect that RCA will succeed in
realizing its most important goals.
The 2013-2016 Strategic Plan is the foundation for an
integrated system based on partnerships and if RCA
is totally dedicated to this objective and commits its
resources accordingly, it will fulfill its vision of being
“the leading rowing nation in the world by 2020.”
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