handbook for Technical Directors

Technical department set-up / 3
25
Technical structure at
regional level
Although activities are often more intense
at the level of the capital city, the technical
director is responsible for the country
as a whole. In order to exploit the full
potential of the nation’s football, and
especially in big countries, it is essential to
be able to organise football development
in a systematic way everywhere. This can
only be done if the appropriate technical
structures exist in the regions and are
integrated with the regional associations/
leagues, or else organised/coordinated
from the headquarters.
Depending on the resources available and
the level of organisation of the regional
branches, the structure might vary from
just one focal point (paid or volunteer)
to a small structure that includes several
functions. Notwithstanding the level of
complexity of the structures at regional
level, it is of paramount importance that
their activities follow very clear guidelines
and that the technical development work is
conducted in a coherent way everywhere.
To achieve this result, excellent internal
communication and a performing feedback
system are an absolute must.
3.2 Human resources management
Necessary profiles
Each function of the technical department
is associated with a certain type of technical
and organisational knowledge and
skills. The person in charge of education
and coach licences will have a different
experience and personal profile than
the one in charge of grassroots football.
Defining the key skills for each position and
assessing them is one of the responsibilities
of the technical director. It is to be noted
that – although technical knowledge is a
must – staff also need to be proficient in
other domains such as computer literacy,
basic drafting skills (reports), organisational
capacity and good understanding of the
internal rules and regulations. Moreover, a
department functions like a team and must
be governed by team spirit, integration of
roles and excellent internal communication.
These are all qualities that play a pivotal
role in the efficiency of any department.
When a technical director is newly
appointed, he will have to evaluate
the employees under his responsibility
and assess how their profiles can best
contribute to the effort of the department.
If somebody presents some gaps in terms of
personal profile or experience, it might be
possible to improve his/her skills through
training or peer-to-peer work (for more
information on training see below).
It is absolutely fundamental that whoever
is in charge of certain functions is able to
fulfil his/her responsibilities and receives all
the necessary support from the technical
director. If the person’s profile falls short of
the minimum requirements and training is
considered irrelevant, a replacement must
be considered.
If positions are vacant, new staff must be
hired (see below).
How to recruit staff
Recruitment is a process that is usually
managed at association level, either
under the responsibility of the director
of HR (if such a position exists) or under
the supervision of the general secretary.
Notwithstanding who is in charge of
coordinating the whole process, the
technical director, as the person responsible
for the department, must be involved in
such a process, particularly in terms of:
- Defining the necessary profile in terms
of technical competence, autonomy
and team spirit (job description/job
announcement)
- Contributing to the criteria used for the
assessment
- Actively participate in the selection
process (shortlisting, interviews)
- Providing relevant input for the final
decision
Depending on the complexity of the
association’s structure and the specificity
of the position required, the recruitment
process can vary greatly. In some cases,
and for positions that require very specific
experience and skills, the selections will be
made among a very small group of people
that are easily identifiable (e.g. responsible
for women’s football in a country with only
a few former elite players/coaches). In some
other cases, particularly if there are many