Section 1 Introduction

Transcription

1 STRATEGIC PLAN

2 Contents Section 1 Introduction Hockey in Ulster Where are we now? Current Structure Developing the Strategy Strategic Relevance / Context Northern Ireland Executive Programme for Government ( ) Department for Culture, Arts & Leisure (DCAL) Corporate Plan ( ) Review of Public Administration Sport Matters: The NI Strategy for Sport & Physical Recreation ( ) Sport Northern Ireland Corporate Plan ( ) Sport Northern Ireland: The Coaching Workforce ( ) Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety: A Healthier Future ( ) Obesity Prevention Framework ( ) IHA Strategic Plan IHA LTPD Framework Hooked for Life (2011)... 8 Section 2 Our Future Vision Key Strategic Objectives Section 3 - Our Priorities Participation Development Club Development Talent Identification and Development High Performance Development Coaching Development Umpire Development Governance Communication Section 4 - Summary Monitoring and Evaluation Conclusion References

3 Section 1 Introduction 1.1 Hockey in Ulster Ulster Hockey is one of four Provinces that together form the Irish Hockey Association (IHA). The IHA, as the overall governing body for the sport across the island, is the principal body responsible for the development of hockey at all levels. In its relationship with Irish Hockey, Ulster Hockey has responsibility for the administration, development and delivery of hockey within Ulster. Following the amalgamation of the Ulster Branch Irish Hockey Association (UBIHA) and the Ulster Women s Hockey Union (UWHU) to form the Ulster Hockey Union (UHU) in May 2009, the newly formed body has shown progress over the last four years. However, we still have much to do in order to continue to further develop hockey in Ulster at all levels. Looking ahead to the next four years we have established eight key objectives. They have been built on the strong foundations of our plan. We know that the successful implementation of our strategic plan will enable Ulster Hockey to build on the solid foundations that are now in place following the progress made over the past four years. That progress would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of staff and the many valuable volunteers we are fortunate to have within Ulster. The new Strategy aims to further develop the structures Ulster Hockey now has in place so that we can continue to develop hockey from grassroots to high performance level in Ulster. However, in order to achieve the aims and objectives contained within this new plan we will need the support of Government Agencies, the IHA and everyone involved in hockey within Ulster to play their part and assist us in continuing to progress our sport over the next four year period and beyond. 1.2 Where are we now? Over the past four years hockey has enjoyed growth in a number of areas of participation and development, which has been the result of focused elements of the Strategic Plan. However, some areas have also experienced a decline in participation numbers and that trend is continuing, particularly in boys and men s hockey. During the playing season the participation figures in Ulster Hockey were as follows: Table 1: Individual player participation figures Male Female Total Adult (age 15+) Junior (U11, U13, U15) Secondary schools Primary schools n/a n/a 1328 Total 14,209 3

4 Table 2: Club and School affiliation figures Male Female Total Clubs Secondary schools Primary schools n/a n/a 166 Total 342 As outlined in the tables above Ulster Hockey participation figures are represented by four main areas, namely; Adult Hockey Clubs; Youth Hockey Clubs; Secondary Schools; and Primary Schools. The tables outline the players registered in each programme as well as the number of affiliated clubs and schools. However, the worrying decline in participants in boys and men s hockey means a focus of this plan is to address that issue over the next four years. 1.3 Current Structure The Ulster Hockey Union is governed by a Management Board of volunteers (12). The Management Board has the following positions: Chairperson Vice-Chairperson Honorary Treasurer Finance Committee Chairperson Coaching Committee Chairperson Competitions Committee Chairperson Schools Committee Chairperson Umpiring Committee Chairperson Four General Members The President and Vice-President of the organisation attend Management Board meetings in an ex-officio and nonvoting role. The organisation also employs five full time members of staff and two part-time members of staff. All members of staff are dedicated to the development and administration of hockey within Ulster across a number of key areas of development. Members of staff include: Executive Manager High Performance Manager Talent Development and Coaching Officer Grassroots and Club Development Officer Administrative Officer (Full-time) Administrative Officer (Part-time) Active Communities Coach (Part-time) All staff report directly to the Executive Manager who in turn reports to the Management Board. The diagram below outlines the current organisational structure. 4

5 Operations Governance President Vice - President Management Board Executive Manager HPM TDO GDO ADMIN ACC As we move into the new four year period some of the above roles will be restructured. Therefore, the operational staffing structure for will include the following posts Talent Systems Coach (TSC) Coaching and Club Development Officer (CCDO) Participation Development Officer (PDO) The new Ulster Hockey operational staffing structure is as follows Executive Manager HPM CCDO PDO ADMIN ACC TSC 1.4 Developing the Strategy Ulster Hockey carried out a significant internal review process in relation to achievements against the organisation s Strategic Plan ( ). This was undertaken whilst the organisation completed the Sport NI PerformanceFocus funding process from February 2012 to November This process enabled Ulster Hockey to critically assess current operations against the targets and objectives in the organisation s Strategic plan, as well as standards established for Governing Bodies of Sport by Sport Northern Ireland. Following the Sport Northern Ireland funding process Ulster Hockey also embarked on a number of consultation events with stakeholders during November These events focused on ensuring that stakeholders had the opportunity to shape the future direction of their sport by providing feedback to Ulster Hockey on a wide range of topics. The events involved consultation in the following areas of work within Ulster: Grassroots Development 5

6 Club Development Talent Identification and Development High Performance systems Coaching Umpire Development Key findings and recommendations from the consultation events have been used to build on the progress of the last four year plan and shape the new plan for the period. This review and consultation process has been instrumental in achieving the final draft of Ulster Hockey s new Strategic Plan for Completing the final document has required the involvement of UHU staff and volunteers as well as the contribution of stakeholders and partners. That contribution has assisted Ulster Hockey in getting us to the stage we are now at. We are confident that the new UHU Strategic Plan can drive the work of Ulster Hockey forward over the next four year period and galvanise the support and involvement of all stakeholders as we all work together to achieve the ambitious targets and objectives contained within the new plan. 1.5 Strategic Relevance / Context The UHU Strategic Plan ( ) is relevant to, and has the potential to impact on, the work of other key agencies whose strategic aims are similar. The Plan takes into consideration current priority areas established by Sport Northern Ireland, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety and the NI Executive. It also recognises the current developments within the Irish Hockey Association (IHA). Detailed below are the key strategic documents, which have influenced the creation of the UHU Strategic Plan ( ) and will influence the work to be undertaken by the Ulster Hockey Union, and its stakeholders, during the lifetime of this document Northern Ireland Executive Programme for Government ( ) This document outlines the NI Executive s commitment to building a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland. The Executive has identified five key Strategic Themes which show their commitment to growing a sustainable economy and investing in the future, namely; tackling disadvantage; improving health and wellbeing; protecting our people and the environment; building a strong and shared community; delivering high quality services. The priorities most relevant to the development of hockey are improving health and wellbeing, promoting tolerance, equality, and inclusion. Ulster Hockey can play its part in helping to achieve the over-arching theme of building a peaceful, just, and prosperous society in Northern Ireland where everyone can enjoy a better quality of life in the future Department for Culture, Arts & Leisure (DCAL) Corporate Plan ( ) The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) identified its vision in the Corporate Plan. The vision is focused on creating, a confident, creative, informed and vibrant community. Ulster Hockey, through this plan, has a role to play in helping to achieve this vision. A comprehensive programme of sport and physical activity opportunities for the voluntary sports sector will help to increase confidence and improve delivery of sport on a local level Review of Public Administration The Review of Public Administration in Northern Ireland proposes to reduce the number of local authorities from 26 to 11 by If these proposals are implemented they will have implications for councils in relation to community planning, economic development, local sports provision and leisure facilities provision. This will also have an impact on our existing stakeholders with the emergence of a single Education Skills Authority in 2013 which will impact on the education sector. 6

7 1.5.4 Sport Matters: The NI Strategy for Sport & Physical Recreation ( ) DCAL has overall responsibility for developing sports strategies NI. DCAL, in partnership with Sport NI, published Sport Matters: The Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport and Physical Recreation Sport Matters visualises a culture of lifelong enjoyment and success in sport, envisaging a new shared sporting future for Northern Ireland. It seeks to build upon and improve the quality of life in Northern Ireland through increased participation in sport and improved performance. The strategy focuses on key areas for development including: Participation; Performance; and, Places. Through its own Strategic Plan ( ) Ulster Hockey has a role to play in helping DCAL and Sport Northern Ireland to achieve the targets and objectives contained within the Sport Matters Strategy. More specifically the Participation and Performance strands of the Strategy are key areas that Ulster Hockey can have an impact on Sport Northern Ireland Corporate Plan ( ) This document sets out Sport Northern Ireland s key priorities for action up to 2015 and provides the strategic direction for SNI to achieve its corporate vision of a culture of lifelong enjoyment and success in sport which contributes to a healthy, fair and prosperous society. The SNI strategic priorities are Active People; Successful Athletes; Quality Facilities; Enabled Partners; A Competent Sporting Workforce and; A Trusted and Effective Leader. The main strategic priorities that Ulster Hockey has an impact on are: Active People increasing participation opportunities for people, especially among underrepresented groups. Ulster Hockey s programmes are designed to encourage children and adults to become more active in their lives Successful Athletes As a Governing Body of Sport Ulster Hockey is playing a part in helping SNI to develop a world leading high performance system to enable NI s most talented athletes to prepare and compete internationally. A Competent Sporting Workforce through our own coaching plan we are focused on developing an effective sporting workforce for hockey. The emphasis on sporting success at international level has led Governing Bodies of sport to search for new and innovative ways to improve the performance of individuals and teams. Investing strategically in elite high performance sports systems has become essential, and this is also the plan for Ulster Hockey. The diagram below, produced by Sport NI, highlights the key areas of priority required to achieve sporting success. 7

8 Based on the SPLISS (Sport Policy Factors Leading to International Sporting Success) model, the model has nine core components, namely; financial support & integrated approach to policy development; foundation and participation; talent identification and development system; athletic and post-career support; training facilities; coaching provision and coach development; scientific research; international competition; agency partners. This model is particularly useful for Ulster Hockey when planning our performance pathway for our players Sport Northern Ireland: The Coaching Workforce ( ) Sport NI has investigated the characteristics of sports coaching in NI discovering that although the outlook is generally positive, there are some issues which coaches believe could be improved, including a shortage of volunteers, lack of finance and balancing coaching with other commitments. The Ulster Hockey Strategic Plan seeks to address these issues within our sport and emphasises the important role that coaches, and the wider coaching workforce in general, can play in the development of sport at all levels Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety: A Healthier Future ( ) This document provides the vision for health and well-being in NI up to It provides scope for the development and provision of sports / physical recreation activities which can improve health and well-being by reaching those in most need of support and least likely to access intervention programmes. Whilst in this case delivery is likely to be led by Local Authorities it is essential that Ulster Hockey works in partnership with local authorities in order to work to improve health and well-being across NI Obesity Prevention Framework ( ) This document aims to reduce the level of obesity in NI to the level by 2021 by focusing on two main areas; improving diet and increasing participation in physical activity. Ulster Hockey will increase levels of physical activity through the many programmes it currently has in place and the new programmes it will develop over the next four years IHA Strategic Plan At the time of writing this Strategic Plan the Irish Hockey Association has no current Strategic Plan in place. Therefore, the UHU Strategic Plan is written on the basis that strategic objectives will be reflected in the IHA plan, once it is finalised in April/May IHA LTPD Framework Hooked for Life (2011) The IHA s Long Term Player Development (LTPD) model is designed to give a structured and cohesive approach to player development in Ireland based on Istvan Bhali s LTAD framework which is utilized worldwide for athletes. The goal of the IHA s LTPD model is to recruit, capture, develop and retain players for life whilst maximizing their potential. This model underpins the work that Ulster Hockey does in its development of hockey at a regional level and is designed to provide consistency to programme and player development across Ireland. The model is player centred with a view to providing a pathway in which a fun and enjoyable game is delivered through quality coaching. The model is developed around six stages with age only as a guide. A player's stage will be determined by their physical maturity, the level at which they play, and when they enter the sport. Although the diagram is linear in its presentation it is recognized that many areas overlap across stages. The model puts the Player, the Coach, and the Game at the forefront of development across all sports. The diagram below identifies the six stages within the Hooked for Life framework which forms the basis of the work that Ulster Hockey does in developing hockey at all levels. 8

9 The diagram below highlights the player pathway within the overall Hooked for Life structure, and in particular the pathway of elite players within the model. The representative teams are represented in the phases they are placed. The model also reflects the primary process for recruitment and assessment into national programs. 9

10 Section 2 Our Future 2.1 Vision In order for Hockey in Ulster to progress and develop, we must all share a common understanding, belief and vision for the future of our sport Vision Hockey in Ulster to be recognised as an innovative and dynamic sport, which is accessible for everyone to get involved, stay involved, identifying and developing talent and helping the best to excel at the highest level Whilst this is the vision for hockey in Ulster the Management Board of Ulster Hockey is charged with the responsibility of delivering the vision and achieving the goals of the plan. As such the Board takes leadership of the Plan and will strive towards implementing it for the benefit of the sport and its stakeholders in Ulster. Within this plan the vision for the sport has also been broken down into a series of (mini) visions for each of the Key Strategic Objectives identified below. 2.2 Key Strategic Objectives The Ulster Hockey Union has identified eight Key Strategic Objectives that will form the strategic focus of the organisation over the next four years ( ). These objectives reflect the achievements within the previous four year plan ( ), and the key themes identified by Sport Northern Ireland throughout the PerformanceFocus process, as well as the current status of hockey within Ulster. The seven Key Strategic Objectives are: Objective 1: Participation Development Vision More people enjoying hockey in more places, more often To increase the number of participants playing hockey by at least 10% over the period of this strategy, and improve the quality of the player experience within Ulster Hockey programmes with specific focus on increasing participants in boys and men s hockey. Objective 2: Club Development Vision Create a club infrastructure that is capable of growing and further developing our sport and enhancing the player and volunteer experience By 2017 build capacity within Junior and Senior Hockey clubs by raising the standards of clubs through the enhancement of the Hockey Club Accreditation and development scheme Objective 3: Talent Identification and Development Vision Enhance our quality based player pathway system, to identify talented players, develop them and support them to achieve their full potential Enhance the current Ulster Hockey talent identification and development systems in order to raise player development and performance standards by

11 Objective 4: High Performance Athlete Development Vision Helping the best to become better and achieve at the elite level To establish a high performance hockey culture within Ulster which measurably raises our performance standards at Club, Provincial and International level by Objective 5: Coaching Development Vision The right coach, in the right place, at the right time Implement a robust coach development pathway to improve the quality of coaches operating at all levels within the Ulster Hockey system by Objective 6: Umpire Development Vision Maximise the quality and quantity of hockey umpires in Ulster By 2017 develop and implement an Umpire development pathway, which is matched to the developmental needs of the umpire, and is focused on improving the standard of umpiring at all levels within the game. Objective 7: Governance Vision - Ulster Hockey be recognised by all stakeholders and members as a modern, dynamic and fit-for-purpose sporting organisation By 2017 Ulster Hockey will operate with strong leadership and be viewed as a highly regarded and well managed sport with sound financial and business management systems and governed in accordance with the highest standards. Objective 8: Communication Vision To enhance the public profile and brand awareness of Ulster Hockey By 2017 Ulster Hockey will have implemented an organisational communication and marketing system that will enhance the public profile of hockey with specific focus on attracting new players, coaches, officials, volunteers, sponsors and business partners. 11

12 Section 3 - Our Priorities The following section details the priorities established by Ulster Hockey in eight strategic areas. Each priority area has a number of objectives identified which aims to support the organisation in achieving its overall vision. 3.1 Participation Development Ulster Hockey has shown some progress over the last four years in developing strong participation development programmes which enable its members to participate in hockey regularly. These programmes are now framed around the participation development phases contained within the IHA Hooked for Life LTPD model. In common with many other sports, hockey s skill set is best developed at a young age and this need has been addressed with a comprehensive range of participation development opportunities within primary, post-primary and club settings, which have been refined and are now well established. However, we recognise that we cannot continue to rely on our current participation structures to attract and nurture participants. This section of the plan identifies new and innovative ways to grow our participation base over the next four years and raise the quality of our programme delivery so that the player experience within our sport is enhanced. Participation development is extremely important for the overall development of hockey and the implementation of our player pathway programmes. Therefore participation development includes: Primary School aged development programmes Secondary School aged development programmes Junior Club participation programmes (U9 U15) Adult Club participation programmes Ulster Hockey s Participation Development Objectives for are: 1. To Implement the player pathway and syllabus for hockey skills development contained in the IHA LTPD Hooked for Life framework within club and school settings in Ulster 2. To develop and implement Primary Schools hockey player development programmes which will increase the number of schools and individuals participating in hockey (both boys and girls) 3. To develop and implement Junior Club hockey development programmes which increase the number of clubs and individuals participating in junior club hockey programmes (both boys and girls) 4. Support and enhance the development of hockey in Secondary Schools through age appropriate competition structures for both boys and girls 5. To improve the range of opportunities for people to participate in hockey, as a player, coach, official or volunteer, through greater partnership working 3.2 Club Development Clubs are an integral part of hockey in Ulster and play an extremely important role in attracting, developing and retaining players within our sport. Therefore, the development of clubs forms an important part of Ulster Hockey s strategic priorities for the next four years. Building capacity within clubs will assist us with our overall aim of enhancing the player and volunteer experience in our sport. We recognise that running a club is not an easy task and that affiliated clubs need our support in order to improve their structures, systems and processes over the next four years. Club development is a priority for this strategy and in particular the creation of an environment where the club system within hockey becomes an integral part of participation development. To facilitate this it is imperative for Ulster Hockey to provide clubs with the necessary tools so that they can operate in a fit for purpose manner and provide a safe and welcoming environment for their members. This strategy will allow Junior Clubs to work towards 12

13 achieving the Ulster Hockey Club Accreditation scheme, which has been in place since December Ulster Hockey will assist clubs wishing to work towards achieving the accreditation and over the next four years will also develop the scheme to enable adult clubs to work towards achieving accreditation too. The formation of effective school-club links is also crucial for growing our sport and an integral part of the Participation Development and Club Development sections of this Strategy. Ulster Hockey is seeking to capitalise on the large number of school aged players participating in hockey in both primary and post-primary schools. This strategy seeks to implement new programmes aimed at increasing and sustaining links established between clubs and schools, thereby encouraging more young people to participate in hockey. Ulster Hockey s Club Development Objectives for are: 1. To develop and implement a club development Planning process for Ulster Hockey 2. To improve Ulster Hockey communication systems to ensure enhanced communication with clubs 3. To improve Ulster Hockey s knowledge and understanding of each affiliated club s development position 4. To provide support and guidance to affiliated clubs, through improved education and support systems, in order to enhance club development systems 5. Further develop and enhance the Ulster Hockey Club Accreditation scheme to increase the number of clubs achieving accreditation and expand to include adult clubs 6. To develop and implement an Ulster Hockey recognition, reward and profile raising programme specifically for Club Development programmes 3.3 Talent Identification and Development Ulster Hockey has a long history of work in the area of talent identification and development. The organisation s success through this work is reflected in the competitiveness, and success, of its teams, as well as the high percentage of Ulster players involved in the senior international programme and whose commencement on the player pathway can be traced to the initial vehicle employed by UHU to identify those considered to have a talent for hockey. The continuing quality of our endeavours is further supported through repeated gold and silver medal winning performances at the UK School Games in the period 2008 to This event sees Ulster compete internationally against England, Scotland and Wales. Repeated successes, particularly on the female side, continue at inter provincial level too as does a sound volume of players from both genders gaining national selections at each age level. Together, this reflects the success of the systems and structures that have continued to be employed and refined by UHU over the last 4 years. It is to be noted that work in this area has been, and continues to be, driven by Ulster Hockey and is not led by the Irish Hockey Association. Work the IHA conducted, in partnership with SNI and supported by UHU, in 2008 for talent identification has been a one off and the development programme linked to the identification process concluded in The intention to develop a National Talent Strategy has not materialised either. However, Ulster Hockey s work in this area continues, as it has in various guises since the 80s, under guidance from Sport NI, and stimulus from within UHU. As we plan for the next four years a number of challenges occur. While we have well established structures and methods for identifying, confirming and developing talent there is a need to broaden our approach to the identification and development of talent beyond our structure at U15 level. With, initially, a particular emphasis on the male side where the depth and level of talent post U16 is a concern. Reducing levels at U15 level are also noted and are to be accounted for in the annual review of our well established programme to develop identified talent at that level. 13

14 Talent search programmes below U15 level are another area we are seeking to enhance. We have been well served through partnership working in various areas across Northern Ireland. Our aim now is to incorporate, and build on this, towards a broader approach that will focus on the delivery of talent searches, with accompanying programmes, in the age bracket 10 to 12 across Northern Ireland. This should improve our presence in an increasingly competitive marketplace for the capturing of talent. The delivery will be distinguished from U15 level as the searches and programmes will occur within each locality. It will be the first time we have sought to have a province wide coordinated approach to identifying, capturing and nurturing talent at that age. The decision to bring the area of Talent Identification and Development under the management of the High Performance Manager is aimed at assisting the overall direction, deployment, coordination and management of work in this area. The introduction of a full time Talent System Coach into the staffing of UHU also highlights an emphasis towards increasing the focus on the development of players whose talent is in the process of being confirmed. Much of the time spend from this role will be with leading under age players either individually; in small groups; or performance squads. Improvements on how we track talent; equip our profilers and manage coaches working in this area are other areas for attention. All of which have been accepted outcomes from a self-assessment process introduced in 2012 by SNI to judge our work in this area against best practice. In addition our own reflection recognises the need to improve our communication with players; parents; coaches; and the wider hockey community on how the various structures and programmes on our player pathway operate and link together. Overall, our intention over the next 4 years is to retain the core of the system presently in place while addressing identified needs for further refinement; enhancement and breadth. Ulster Hockey s Talent Identification and Development objectives for are: 1. To improve how we communicate our approach to the identification, development and confirmation of talent 2. To improve methods employed for the identification and confirmation of talent 3. To broaden approaches to the identification of talent for hockey 4. To maintain the U15 structure as the principal vehicle for the identification and development of talent 5. To improve robustness of the UHU talent system 3.4 High Performance Development To continue to drive forward its current high performance base Ulster Hockey recognises it is essential to have an identity which is synonymous with a high performance culture. Since early 2010 work in this area has been restricted by decisions the IHA has taken in relation to their direction for High Performance. This has resulted in Ulster Hockey s time now being spent solely on enhancing and developing methods designed to positively impact on leading under age players. All of this level of work takes place detached from the IHA as determined by their operating model. Given this environment; absence of information advising of a planned change of approach by the IHA; and clear message from the membership of Ulster Hockey the focus on continuing to provide sound developmental opportunities for leading players within Ulster Hockey will continue. As always, the aim of all work designed and discharged in this area will continue to be to advance the competitiveness of Ulster athletes in national selections; performance levels of national squads they seek to represent; and performance levels of Ulster Performance squads. The overriding principle established is the provision of a better equipped athlete year on year. 14

15 As we move forward into the next 4 years an emphasis on building the name of Ulster Hockey outside of Ireland, as introduced through the adoption and implementation of the strategic plan for , will continue. To date that has been taken forward below Ulster Senior level. Importantly, the consultation process for the formation of this strategic plan advised that it should be occurring at senior Ulster level too. It is also relevant to record that SNI has previously advised that a move beyond competition within the British Isles at junior level is probably now appropriate as we seek to improve stimuli to the ongoing development of our leading players. A major challenge will be to consolidate the presence, and place, of the Ulster Hockey Academy within our system and on our pathway. To date, the Academy has had a troubled existence. The re-launch of the Academy, in partnership with the Sports Institute Northern Ireland, who will now, in conjunction with specific staff from UHU, support athletes within the Academy, presents a promising future. The opportunity presented is excellent to athletes with a mind to push their hockey talent on. Ensuring Ulster Hockey presents a model that will allow them to avail of the opportunity presented in a manner that accounts for their school and club commitments is a challenge the hockey community must meet together. Our increased investment in U16 and U18 programmes in recent years has been soundly based. The benefits of having leading players train together more frequently is a well-established concept in performance sport that our geography makes highly attainable and we should continue to incorporate. Populating the environments they experience with increasing elements of sports science, and particularly, video analysis is a challenge to meet as is the need to create an environment that allows UHU to have their leading coaches regularly involved with our leading players within performance programmes. With, invariably, all of the latter involved with leading clubs, or schools, and in full time employment outside of hockey, creating a model that makes this feasible is crucial. The sport is currently well placed to improve, and take forward, the work that has been established at junior level in recent years. With appropriate leadership; financing; and ambition, an ever improving high performance environment for Ulster Hockey is attainable. It is important for Ulster Hockey to remain open to working in partnership with the IHA on the reformation; deployment; and management of a high performance system at Irish level that embraces the structures, thinking and activities occurring within Ulster Hockey. Ulster Hockey s High Performance objectives for are: 1. To enhance the development of leading under age athletes 2. To enhance the development of leading senior players 3. To continue to grow the name of Ulster Hockey outside of Irish Hockey 4. To maintain, or establish, practices that enhance our work in high performance 5. To continue to access funding opportunities to support athletes 3.5 Coaching Development Coaching has always been an integral element of the work and development of Ulster Hockey. The importance of coaching, coach development and the role coaches play at all levels of hockey cannot be underestimated. The Ulster Hockey aim to produce better quality players at all levels of the game will be dependent, among other things, on improving the quality of coaches operating within an age appropriate coaching structure. The 6 11 age group is a crucial part of the IHA Hooked for Life LTPD framework in developing skills, enhancing enjoyment of the game, developing healthy lifestyles and creating a new generation of talented players. Ulster Hockey will utilise grassroots participation development programmes to enhance the opportunities for young players to develop. 15

16 Raising the quality of coaches working within hockey will be a key element of this strategy. In particular, there will be a move to increase the number of active coaches working within the sport and all coaches will be encouraged to develop their coaching knowledge, expertise and qualifications through an enhanced CPD programme. Coaching Development within this Strategy will focus on the following key areas: Coaching Development Planning The Coach Education System Management and Support Targeted development of talent / high performance coaches Recognition, reward and profile. The Coaching Development Objectives for are: 1. To develop and implement a coach development plan for Ulster Hockey utilising current information through the development of the UHU Season Master database 2. To enhance the UHU Coach Education system through identification of key personnel to assist with progression along the coaching ladder and raise the standard of coaching across the workforce 3. To develop an effective performance management system and clear communication structures to ensure efficient programme delivery 4. To provide targeted development programmes for talent and high performance coaches to raise the standard of play throughout the competitive structure. 5. To develop and implement Ulster Hockey recognition, reward and profile raising programme specifically for coaching development. 3.6 Umpire Development Ulster Hockey has consistently over its history produced some of the top umpires in Irish, European and FIH circles achieving world panel status and umpiring at the pinnacle of the sport. However, our sport cannot continue without umpires. We not only require umpires but we require the correct calibre of umpires and the standard of umpiring must support and promote the rules, standards and quality of hockey in Ulster. The strategic objectives for umpiring aim to create a pathway for umpires to develop resulting in a flow of umpires into the game. These objectives will provide focus to ensure that Umpires are provided with opportunities to develop their umpiring at whatever level they choose and for those that wish, and are capable, a pathway is available through to world panel and the opportunities this will bring to both the individuals involved and Ulster Hockey are recognised. The key strategic objectives and focus of umpiring within the game include: Develop a structure to provide a pathway from grassroots to elite umpiring, working with all key stakeholders in the game, players, coaches, clubs, Management Board and umpires at all levels. A sustainable funding structure to ensure umpires are compensated for facilitating the game throughout the season, cost of developing umpires while ensuring it does not overburden the clubs. Constant communication and development of the relationship between clubs, coaches and umpires. Continue to be able to provide umpires to national and international hockey. Providing a standard structure with policies and procedures that ensure standards and quality of umpiring regardless of individuals involved. A clear pathway for all umpires. The Umpiring Development strategic objectives for the period are: 16

17 1. To align the of Ulster Hockey umpire development pathway with IHUA and the overall Irish structure to maximise opportunities for ALL umpires within Ulster to reach their potential level. 2. To develop an elite panel of umpires for Premier League umpiring of all men s and ladies matches. 3. To develop and implement an umpiring pool in conjunction with the clubs for all Senior Leagues hockey (Senior 1 & 2 men, Senior 1, 2, 3 & 4 ladies) and act as feeder group to the elite panel of umpires with clubs being required to provide umpires for these games. 4. To restructure Umpiring finance to ensure it is fair and reasonable, attracting people to the game to ensure other issues do not become an easy reason to walk away from sport. 5. To develop and implement long term development objectives for all strands of officiating within the sport to ensure : Continued development objectives and targets set for elite panel to ensure it is constantly achieving both European and International appointments Regular interaction with clubs and coaches at senior level Regular dialogue with all interested in umpiring through road shows and development sessions Develop practical opportunities within the pathway for umpires to help develop skills and knowledge Growth of those that have completed candidate programme and passed exam and umpiring at club or junior level Interaction with schools (players & teachers) and developing ability within that area, enabling senior pupils to support junior matches etc Utilise the development and underage framework to develop umpire capability 6. To develop and support a coaching and grading structure through the development of a panel of assessors and graders with the correct skill set and support to be able to mentor, coach and assess umpires on a regular basis. 3.7 Governance Historically hockey in Ulster has been very fortunate with the quality of its Governing Councils throughout the years. Sound structures have been developed over the past 100 years through the UBIHA and the UWHU, which have successfully met the challenges both bodies faced in progressing their respective discipline of the sport. However, following the amalgamation of the two Branches in May 2009, the sport recognised it had to respond to challenges in relation to how the new body was governed. The new body dealt with all challenges in an open, transparent and professional manner. This was evident through the SNI Governance and Management Audit process where Ulster Hockey became the first Governing Body of Sport to be awarded SNI s highest level of assurance, Substantial Assurance, a mere 18 months after the body existed. This is testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff and valuable volunteers involved in making that achievement possible. However, we still have work to do in this area to ensure sound operating systems within the organisation. Good governance continues to be the foundation of the organisation and includes all aspects required to run the business in a smooth, open and transparent manner. Therefore Governance includes a number of areas namely; Organisation Structure: including roles of the Board, staff (both paid and volunteer) and member organisations and the relationships with and between each; Legal Compliance: UHU s compliance with all relevant legal frameworks; Control Environment: how UHU operates, its management structure and risk management systems; Operational Systems: policies and procedures including management of all internal systems to ensure the smooth operation of the organisation; Finance: sufficient fiscal resources required to deliver the organisation s Key Strategic Objectives; 17

18 Human Resources: appropriate trained personnel to deliver and manage the organisations programmes and Key Strategic Objectives; Performance Management System: how the strategic plan is monitored, reviewed, implemented and communicated. Ulster Hockey s Governance Objectives for are: 1. To ensure the organisational structure is fit for purpose and operates effectively 2. To ensure that the operations of Ulster Hockey comply with all legal responsibilities and recognised standards 3. To ensure an effective control environment is in place to govern how the organisation operates and minimise the risks facing the organisation 4. To ensure that Ulster Hockey has in place effective and efficient fiscal procedures and controls 5. To ensure appropriate policies and procedures are in place which govern the operational systems and provide relevant protection to staff and volunteers 6. To implement an effective and efficient Performance Management System to ensure smooth operations of Ulster Hockey 7. To develop and implement an organisational Business Plan designed to measure the business performance of the organisation 3.8 Communication This section of the UHU Strategic Plan has been developed to help Ulster Hockey to improve its internal and external communication systems and how we market and promote our sport. Non-profit, voluntary organisations, such as Ulster Hockey, are continuously being challenged to be more strategic in their communications efforts. Communications activities must add up to more than a series of isolated events such as the dissemination of an occasional publication or press release. Being strategic requires us to be more deliberate, innovative, and less reactive in our communications practice. Organisations like us are being encouraged to regard communications as essential to their overall success and integrate it throughout all areas of operations. Communication has been identified as an area that has been under developed during the last four year plan, and this was highlighted through the consultation process undertaken as part of the development of this plan. Improved communications is essential for Ulster Hockey to expand its business operations and improve how we interact and communicate with our members and partners. It is important for us to ensure that the quality of information that is conveyed within the sport to Members, our internal communication, is significantly improved. It is also imperative that we identify how we will improve our external communications, specifically our links with our external stakeholders, including the media, sponsors and partner organisations. Ulster Hockey s Corporate Communication objectives for are: 1. To develop and implement clear organisational communications structures to ensure improved communication and promotion of hockey with all internal and external stakeholders 2. To implement co-ordinated marketing and promotional opportunities in order to enhance the profile of Ulster Hockey 3. To improve the utilisation of current communication tools adopted by Ulster Hockey to ensure improved communication and promotion of hockey with all internal and external stakeholders 4. To improve relationships with all media providers to enhance to the profile and media coverage of hockey in Ulster 5. Develop a corporate brand for Ulster Hockey that is synonymous with quality both on and off the pitch 18

19 The operational action plans for each area of priority are detailed in section 5 of this document for the year. Section 4 - Summary 4.1 Monitoring and Evaluation Implementation of the strategy will be a standing item on the UHU Management Board Agenda. Progress will be monitored by staff through their individual work programmes, by SNI through 100 Day review meetings and by Ulster Hockey through quarterly review meetings. Achievement against agreed targets and objectives will be regularly assessed. Monitoring will be undertaken to measure: The number of participants playing hockey through UHU managed programmes; The range, quality and geographical area of facilities used for UHU programmes; The profile of all participants (e.g. community/ethnic background, disability, and equality); Number and qualifications of coaches; Number and range of CPD programmes coaches participate in; The number and quality of clubs using Club Accreditation Framework; Performance of Ulster Squads at Interprovincial and International level; Number of Ulster players representing Ireland at each level; Performance of representative teams at International level; 4.2 Conclusion Over the past four years Ulster Hockey has made significant progress in the development of the organisation and of hockey at all levels. However, as this plan highlights, there is still work to be done in order for hockey in Ulster to continue to progress. Hockey is a sport enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities and participation levels are continuing to rise, particularly at the grassroots level. However, the profile of the sport requires significant focus to ensure greater media exposure in the coming years. In the current economic climate there are many barriers facing Ulster Hockey in their endeavours to continue to make progress, particularly as we enter a new four year funding cycle with reduced funding. However, the willingness of schools, clubs and our valuable team of volunteers is crucial as we move into a new and exciting phase of development for hockey. This strategy clearly sets out the strategic priorities that will help to broaden the participation base, create stronger structures within clubs, improve the quality of coaches within our programmes and ultimately have better structures in place to enable our most talented athletes to reach their full potential. By 2017, the sport of hockey in Ulster should have been taken to a new level in its development, which will provide a bigger platform for future progress of the sport at local, regional, national and international levels. 4.3 References DCAL (2009) Sport Matters: The Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport & Physical Recreation

20 DCAL (2011) Corporate Plan and Balanced Scorecard DHSSPSNI (2012) A Fitter Future for All: Framework for Preventing and Addressing Overweight and Obesity in Northern Ireland NI Executive (2011) Programme for Government SNI (2011) Corporate Plan

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