handbook for Technical Directors

Technical department set-up / 3
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3. TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT SET-UP
Part 3 focuses on the management
responsibilities of the technical director. As
one of the senior staff of the association,
he is in charge of a department and
therefore must develop the necessary
organisational capacity, knowledge
of human resources management and
communication skills.
Some of this might be new to recently
appointed technical directors who have
been primarily focusing on football before
(training, coaching and teaching). It is,
however, a must for anybody who wants
to develop professionally and reach a high
level of efficiency.
The following sections will analyse the ideal
structure of a technical department, the
human resources functions of the technical
director, the financial responsibilities
and the logistical aspects related to the
position.
3.1 Structure of the technical department
As mentioned in Part 2, the technical
department is one of the key departments
within the association, as it deals with
its core business: football. The technical
director reports directly to the general
secretary.
The technical structure
Given the high number of tasks and
the importance of development for any
football association, the technical director
cannot work alone. He should be in charge
of a structure that enables him to reach
the association’s technical objectives and
bring his personal contribution to the
achievement of the strategic goals.
The functions and areas of activity of a
technical department vary considerably
from one association to another, and are
influenced by the association’s long-term
strategy, the identified priorities, as well as
the available resources and its history.