RAT sessions for NFs
THE Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) conducted Oceania National Olympic Committees’ (ONOC) Readiness Assessment Tool (RAT) sessions this month is in line with its Strategic Goal “to provide support for the development and growth of National Federations (NFs) through positive collaboration”.
In addition there was particular focus on addressing the Resurgence Pillar, “National Federation Capacity and Expertise Development.”
The objective of ONOC’s RAT is to help national federations prioritise, identify, assess, compare and monitor their development requirements with the view to improve in the delivery of functional areas to support their members.
FASANOC chief executive officer Lorraine Mar, in welcoming participants, said the objective of the session was to allow national federations to assess where they are now and what they could do towards the next stage of development.
Lorraine said the course was an opportunity for NFs to gauge what they needed to do to advance to the next level.
“We see the RAT as a win-win situation for both NFs and FASANOC, because the RAT exposed the gaps for NFs to work on while they also gave FASANOC an indication on areas to focus assistance for NFs. We cannot move forward unless we all move forward together,” she said, and reminded the NFs that FASANOC was only as strong as they were strong.
Mar said there was an opportunity for individual sports to reach the podium during the 2032 Olympic Games in Queensland, Australia but the work would have to start now.
“We were fortunate that most of our 39 registered NFs have shown interest in the RAT sessions,” she said.
“Their interest and work following the RAT will provide for improved governance and administration of NFs.
“The RAT is not designed to pass judgment or to determine funding levels to be applied to NFs. Rather, it is a tool for identifying the priorities for development that are required before a NF undertakes a strategic direction and as such will enable organisations to better determine their funding priorities.”
Mar said a number of NFs had implemented four-year plans, operational plans, constitution reviews, Financial Operating Procedures and Standard Operating Procedures since last undertaking the RAT and having their membership undertake relevant Oceania Sports Education Programmes to address RAT outcomes.
“This has contributed to increased qualified coaches at community and national levels and improved athletes’ performances
FASANOC chief executive officer Lorraine Mar welcomes the NF members. at the Pacific Games and Commonwealth Games,” she said.
“FASANOC will focus on strengthening Team Fiji entourage through OSEP training courses to ensure competitive team participation to the Olympic Games and to all Games in the future.”
The RAT is a web application that will assess, compare and monitor the current elements that make up a NF in the context of the Pacific region and compare it with the elements that are expected to be in place in order for a specific activity or program to be able to function. The assessment is measured across eight pillars of development, sometimes referred to in planning documents as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The RAT is available for national federations to access and assess themselves against common programs and activities available in the Pacific region as an online tool under www.oceaniasport.com. Consultancy support in assisting the NFs to put in place the elements they need in order to successfully undertake the activities they aspire to, will be available through the ONOC and its member NOCs and the Olympic Sports Federations of Oceania (OSFO) and their member regional federations.
The delivery of FASANOC’s RAT courses is being overseen by FASANOC’s sports education officer Jane Wong-Niubalavu with assistance from Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) OSEP Zone 1 coordinator Jubilee Kuartei. The FASANOC’s sports education program being funded through support from the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity Program and ONOC’s National Activities Program.