ZOC gears for the future

Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee will from today undertake a six-day strategic planning exercise for the period 2016–2020.

The exercise, which will end next Wednesday, will be held at their offices in Harare and the main activity will involve a workshop to be held tomorrow and Sunday where the ZOC Board and a number of invited stakeholders will deliberate on and plan the direction and focus for the organisation for the next five years.

The strategic planning process will take place under the facilitation and guidance of Elias Musangeya, a former director-general of the Sports Commission from 2003 – 2005.

He is currently the director and founder of Glob-local Sport Solutions, a UK-based consultancy company that is contracted for services by UK Sport.

Musangeya is also a business partner with Reach Sports Management and his areas of expertise cover competency enhancement in leadership, building strategic relationships, strategic planning and programme development and delivery to name but a few.

The ZOC Strategic Planning Workshop is fully funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its commission known as Olympic Solidarity.

The workshop comes at a time when ZOC sees the curtain come down on the 2011–2015 strategic plan during which the organisation continued to register significant achievement and success.

Notable accomplishments during that period include: participation at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games; a debut appearance at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games; participation of the largest team under local Olympic patronage at the 2nd African Youth Games held in Gaborone , Botswana, in May 2014 (59 athletes); participation at the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China; securing a record 10 scholarships for athletes for the Rio 2016 Games; and securing the rights and funding to build an OLYMPAFRICA Centre in Epworth.

Qualification by athletes and team sports for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games in Brazil is underway, with the current projected total team size sitting at 32.

The process of formulating the new plan will involve internal and external review of the outgoing plan and an assessment of the critical direction and proposed pathway for the organisation.

The facilitator will take the group through plenary and group sessions focusing on fundamental areas such as setting the vision, SWOT analysis, identifying strategic drivers and critical success factors as well as formulating the action plan, to name but a few.

Key guiding documents for the process include the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter, the ZOC Constitution and the IOC Agenda 2020.

A fair amount of groundwork has already been undertaken via email with questionnaires having been sent out to the Board and selected stakeholders to solicit their comments and views.

The ZOC has distinguished itself as an organisation that understands and values long-term planning and strategic management. It will, throughout the process, aim to position itself as a professional and efficient organization.

Clearly success for the ZOC in the upcoming five years will require input and support from key stakeholders.

“It is gratifying to note the backing already registered from affiliates, but more critically from the Ministry of Sport and Recreation. The ZOC will seek to ensure that it remains relevant in relation to the National Sport and Recreation Policy, playing its role in                                                       the delivery of High Performance sport activities and programmes.

“In addition, the ZOC takes cognizance of its role in national sport development and will ensure it remains alert to and lends support to national goals and objectives,” said ZOC chief executive Anna Mguni yesterday.

The first ZOC Strategic Plan was established in 2002 running up to 2005, developed under the guidance and facilitation of Canadian expert Joan Duncan, thereafter David Mutambara and Edward Siwela led ZOC in formulating the 2006–2010 and 2011– 2015 plans respectively.

Strategic management has endeared ZOC as a leading sports organisation in Zimbabwe, providing the organisation with a clear and indisputable competitive advantage.