BCU Coaching Review
To: All BCU Members
From: Brian Chapman, BCU Chairman
Date: 6th March 2010
I am pleased to announce that the BCU Coaching and Governance Management Review Group has reported back to the BCU Board with its recommendations.
Before outlining the recommendations from the review and the key points endorsed by the BCU Board it is important to set the scene in relation to the UK wide approach towards coaching matters in sport.
The UK Coaching Framework:
All organisations involved in both the development and delivery of coaching in the UK have been tasked by UK Sport, the 4 home nations Sports Councils, and Sportscoach UK to use the UK Coaching Framework as a reference point, and align their efforts and resources to its objectives.
http://www.sportscoachuk.org/index.php?PageID=2&sc=5&uid= (to view this link you will need to register on the website to obtain access to the pages. This is a very simple task of entering an email address and receiving a password.)
The UK Coaching Framework (UKCF) was introduced in 2007 by the UK Government, with Sports Coach UK being its appointed delivery organisation.
The UKCF provides the reference point for developing a system to take Coaching in the UK towards being a world-leading system by 2016.
The UKCF is going to be used so that both the development and delivery of the Coaching system is relevant across the UK. This will take into account the needs, policies, strategies and priorities of National Governing Bodies and Home Country Sports Councils.
Individual Governing Bodies of sports, be they canoeing or football etc, are playing the lead role in sport-specific delivery, and work for the UKCF. Sports Coach UK are leading the development of the wider UK coaching system.
The UKCF was introduced some time after the introduction of the UK Coaching Certificate. However awards now directly contributing to the UK Coaching Certificate sit within the overarching UKCF.
The British Canoe Union desires its coaches to be endorsed by a nationally recognised system, and in turn, for its coaches to achieve the recognition and status that they deserve. In addition, the BCU recognizes the need to attract funding to deliver and to further develop its awards.
To achieve these aims, the BCU has always sought first and foremost to do what is right and proper for the sport of canoeing and the membership of the BCU. The BCU cannot, and does not, seek to do this in isolation, but through effective partnership with external agencies to ensure that BCU coaches obtain that recognition and status.
Sports Coach UK are the government agency responsible for both the UKCF and the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC). The UKCC and its operations are to be reviewed during 2010.
It has been some time since the Paddlesport Review of 2000, and the BCU Board felt that it was imperative to undertake a governance and management review of its coaching structures to ensure that they are fit for purpose to meet the challenges faced by the sport of canoeing.
The BCU wishes to use the UK Coaching Framework to progress the development of canoeing for our sport, on our terms.
For clarity, the term ‘BCU Coaching’ refers to all of the activities that the BCU undertakes concerning Coaching.
The Review:
The Review Group was tasked with examining the BCU Coaching Governance and Management structures within the BCU Coaching system. The review was not an in-depth dissection or review of the current BCU qualifications or awards. However, comments from members in relation to them, were referenced in the process of the review.
The Review Group consisted of the following members:
Chair David Gent, BCU Vice President
Member Paul Owen, Chief Executive, British Canoe Union
Member Stuart Smith, Chief Executive, Scottish Canoe Association
Member Stephen Craig, President, CANI
Member Richard Harvey, Chief Executive, Canoe Wales
Member John Anderson, Performance Director, British Canoe Union
Member Abigail Ellis-Burdett, Sports Coach UK
The review’s terms of reference have been published on the BCU website. The BCU Board tasked the Review Group to recommend how to modernise the BCU strategies and decision making structure of BCU Coaching to meet the needs of the sport into the future. This was undertaken with the aim of ensuring that coaching development and activity is measured against best practice coaching models, and is effective for canoeing in relation to the UK Coaching Framework.
The Key Recommendations of the Review:
The Review Group have presented their findings to the BCU Board, and the BCU Board agreed the key points below for the future development of BCU Coaching.
Key Point 1
A new Vision for BCU Coaching
The Review Group recognized the importance of developing a new vision for BCU Coaching to herald the beginning of a new phase in its strategic development outlined below. The vision recommended to and adopted by the BCU board is:
The vision of BCU Coaching is to create a cohesive, ethical, inclusive and valued Coaching system, where skilled coaches support young people and adults at all stages of their development in canoeing.
Key Point 2
A new structure for BCU Coaching
The Review Group concluded that the current structure for the management of BCU Coaching had served the BCU well for many years but required modernization to reflect current best practice and to ensure that BCU Coaching’s activities are steered by a robust Coaching Strategy.
A clear division is required between ‘Strategy’ and ‘Operations’ to differentiate between the development of the BCU Coaching System and the development of the Coaching Awards and qualifications.
A 3 layered system is proposed with:
1. A Coaching Strategy Group reporting to the BCU Board - The purpose of the BCU Coaching Strategy Group shall be to ensure that the BCU Coaching system meets the needs of BCU members and the wider sport.
2. Reporting to the Strategy Group will be a Coaching Operations Group implementing the policies and decisions that have been agreed and ensuring that the overall strategy is delivered efficiently.
3. The final layer is specific working parties, who will work on various tasks, e.g. developing the technical aspect of an award, using ‘task and finish’ principles.
Key Point 3:
The UK Coaching Framework was adopted by the BCU Board on 22nd September 2007. The BCU Coaching System will be strategically developed with reference to the UK Coaching Framework. The BCU Coaching System will be developed for and reference each canoeing activity representing all of the unique aspects of canoeing as opposed to differentiating between “competition” and “recreation.”
It will seek to:
• Develop a new Coaching strategy for 2010 to 2016.
• Map the BCU Coaching System against the UK Coaching Framework.
• Produce a detailed Participant (Paddler) Development Model (PDM) for each area of canoeing activity. The Participant (Paddler) Development Model (PDM) provides a method for showing how participants should develop in and through sport. The model is generic and high level. It is evidence based related to participants’ needs, goals, motives and age/stage of development. It is guided by key principles and identifies core components.
• With reference to the individual PDM above, produce a detailed Coach Development Model (CDM) for each area of canoeing activity. The Coach Development Model provides a reference point for coach development. It maps the development of coaches as they progress from novice to master to the key participant needs defined in the PDM
• Ensure that each Canoeing discipline is served effectively and efficiently by the BCU Coaching System.
• Develop a Technical Skills specification for each discipline.
• Produce a BCU Coaching Delivery Plan 2010-2016.
Key Point 4: Strategic Review and Alignment of Awards
The Review Panel would like to thank the BCU members who took time to write in with comments regarding the Review. Many of the comments related to the actual content of the UKCC Awards rather than the overall Governance and Management of Coaching. Other comments supported many of the views which were considered and are now translated into the overall findings of the Review Group.
Following recommendations from the Review Group the BCU Board has tasked the Coaching Strategy Group to further review:
• The structure of the awards and pre-requisites related to cost and time;
• The need to demonstrate Coaching ability across both canoes and kayaks.
• The need to have a relevant and more direct entry into some areas of competition.
• Ensure that all awards and qualifications are aligned to the new and emerging PDM and CDM.
Key Point 5
Risk Assessment
All coaching matters will be subject to a strategic business risk assessment and management process. The BCU overarching strategy and developing Paddler and Coaching Models will be used to ensure that the needs of the sport and members are preserved and that the coaching system represents them. Additionally, this process will ensure integration of coaching across all areas of the sport and ensure that the development of Coaching within the UK Coaching Framework is suitable for our needs.
Key Point 6
Communications and Efficiency
The BCU will develop an effective Communications Strategy for Coaching, investing in the appropriate resources to provide this, combining the use of web based and written materials.
Additionally, the method of distributing information concerning awards will be made consistent and cost effective.
This will be combined with a review of the associated paperwork needed to run and administer awards with the desire to have an effective and manageable process for those working within coaching or undertaking an award.
Key Point 7
Review of BCU Awarding Status:
To maintain the integrity of BCU Awards, the BCU currently has a separate part of the organization which is designated and recognized as an “Awarding Body”. This ensures that the two distinct functions of training and awarding are separated. In order to maintain its status as a recognised Awarding Body, this part of the organisation is subject to external review and audit.
The BCU Coaching Strategy Group will undertake an operational and cost/benefits review of maintaining an internal BCU Awarding Body function against an alternative option of moving the Awarding Body function to an external agency.
What Next? What does this mean for Coaches and the BCU membership?
In the interim term, the BCU Coaching Awards and Qualifications will remain as they are currently published. Paddlers should progress with their awards and coaching progressions as usual.
The development of the new Paddler Development Models and Coaching Development Models, and the proposed revised governing structures will see positive changes for coaching in our sport. However, as these structures and strategies are not developed as of yet, this will not lead to overnight changes or the non-recognition of the awards or status that paddlers or coaches have already achieved.
What you can expect is more communication from the BCU on progress as it is made, and a commitment from the Coaching Strategy Group to consult with members and partners on the development of the Paddler and Coaching Development Models that are outlined above.
The Coaching Governance and Management Review Group recognised the importance of continuing to move forward ensuring the quality and integrity of the BCU’s system of Awards and qualifications. The Review Group and the BCU Board were mindful of the outstanding contribution many members had made through their commitment to the BCU Coaching Service in helping the BCU to have one of the highest regarded Coaching Services within sport in the UK.
Yours sincerely,
Brian Chapman
BCU Chairman