Strategy and Growth

This area focuses on organisations having an agreed long-term strategic plan, with clarity of vision and purpose. The plan assesses the future landscape for the sport (domestic and international) through data and insights, and defines a vision for the organisation within that. There is stretch and ambition for growth in the organisation’s objectives, coupled with a spirit of entrepreneurialism and managed disruption. The plan has been developed through strong engagement with and support of key stakeholders, from board members to staff, volunteers, members, athletes and home nation bodies.

This area includes three main components:

• Strategy and Purpose
• Growth and Innovation
• Alignment and Influence

Long-term vision and strategic plan for the organisation and wider sport - supported by their communities, insights/data-led, regularly monitored and fit for the future.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. Clarity of purpose, a long-term vision and tangible milestones are vital to ensure clear direction for any organisation, its workforce and the wider community that it works with. Knowing where we are trying to go as organisations and why are crucial to making progress in the right direction. Understanding this progress is critical to knowing whether we are having the intended impact in the right areas and allows for course correction if we are not.

Example indicators:

• The strength of the organisation's identity and how that informs its future strategy and purpose.
• A published strategy with short, medium and long-term goals.
• Clarity of strategic priorities and choices, and how well they link to the vision and purpose of the organisation.
• The extent to which the strategy is understood and supported by the people in the organisation (and wider sport); how well it drives executive planning processes;  and how well this is tracked, with clear Board ownership and monitoring of its delivery.
• Alignment of values, systems, processes and resources with the purpose.
• The extent to which the organisation’s strategy is informed by data and insights, including level of understanding of the current and future landscape, and its impact within the sport.

Sporting enterprises with commercial acumen and entrepreneurial mindset - using data and insights to inform and deliver innovation and growth.

Growth in sport doesn’t just happen by accident. There are many factors that fall within and outside of our control which make growth more likely. In order to make the most of these opportunities, it is important to be insight-led, agile and responsive to change - cultivating a curious and innovative culture and developing solutions with an outcome in mind.

Example indicators:

• The use of research, data and insight to make informed and future-focused decisions across the organisation.
• How appropriate, sophisticated and holistic the use of data is, i.e. how member, fan, stakeholder information is collected, stored, profiled and utilised to provide insight, optimise experiences for target groups, and grow audiences - linked to relevant KPIs.
• The extent to which a growth mindset and a culture of risk appetite and innovation exist within the organisation (i.e. ability to seek out new opportunities; confidence in tapping into networks to inform new plans and structures; use of technology).
• The extent to which a learning culture exists within the organisation (i.e. how proactive it is at seeking new solutions to problems, how effectively it learns from latest thinking (inside and outside sport) to maximise its impact).
• How attuned the Board and Senior Leadership Team are to relevant sporting, events, commercial, economic and political trends that might impact the organisation and wider sport, and how these relate to commercial opportunities (e.g. sponsorships, TV/media deals, commercial assets, private equity).
• The capability and capacity of the organisation to explore, secure and maximise major events and commercial opportunities, as well as manage its risk appetite.

A well connected, integrated, strategically aligned organisation with strong partnerships locally, nationally and internationally, which support and enhance the key components of the strategy, as well as the sustainability and growth of the sport.

Working in collaboration with key local, national and international partners is vital if sports bodies are going to make real headway in tackling the big issues and challenges across their respective sports and within our sporting system. Collectively, we can have a much bigger impact and make better use of our limited resources. Organisations playing effective connecting roles at the heart of the sporting system - and working in partnership - widen their collective reach and impact and allow for greater diversity across our networks.

Example indicators:

• The strength of the organisation’s relationships and voice within the respective European and international federations, informed by wider developments in the landscape and aligned with the organisational strategy.
• Existence of a cross-sport strategy, behind which the relevant component parts of the sport at local, national and international level coalesce, with relevant engagement plans and communications.
• The integration of high performance and major events programmes into the organisation's strategy, operations and culture, maximising benefits for the sport as a whole.
• The level of alignment and connectivity throughout the sporting pathways, especially where elements are owned or administered by different home nations.
• The strength of relationships and strategic alignment with key partners and sponsors (including Home Country Sports Councils, UK Sport, Home Nation NGBs, and British bodies) that support the delivery of the organisational and sport strategy.