FINA National Federations Development Handbook

Chapter 2.3
National Federation structures
58
Introduction
Choosing a structure that suits the right winning needs of your federation can
be difficult. For some aquatics federations it may be about communication, for
others about grassroots. Either way the end results are the same. All federations
want to be successful and reach their end goals.
Setting up a strategic plan is simply thinking about your future actions. It is
determining where your federation is going, so you have to determine what
you want to achieve in the short, medium and long-term. Only when you know
where your federation is heading you can understand how you can get there.
The whole idea behind having a strategy is to let everyone in your federation
know about your vision and objectives. If you don’t let everyone know what or
where you are going, they won’t be focused. Let your staff and members know
your plan, this will get them moving in the same direction! Success does not
happen, it is planned. So get organised, set one big, clear idea that will inspire
your federation and then tell them about it!
Structural models
Planning for aquatics is not complex. As mentioned earlier, strategy and effectiveness
must be at the core of your federation’s planning process, but an
adequate structure must also be considered. Too often, federations look into
specific and detailed questions related to the structure of the organisation. Your
plan quickly turns into a discussion about the number of departments, systems
of reference and reporting, etc.
There needs to be a more planned discussion about structures, which could be
based on more general considerations surrounding various structural models.
Some good structural models include the following:
Functional versus divisional
When a federation is organised by functions it means that it thinks in terms
of functional departments, e.g. marketing, finance, sports development, etc.
Even if the federation delivers different services, the marketing department is
responsible for the marketing of everyone. Likewise, the financial department is
in charge for all financial questions across the organisation.
Diagram 2.3 a
Divisional structure
Marketing
NATIONAL
FEDERATION
Coaching
Promotion Development Promotion Development