2015 Business Plan

Introduction

The purpose of this Business Plan is to highlight major items for attention in the year ahead. We re-state our vision, review our strengths and weaknesses, and identify realistic actions which will enable the WCF and croquet to move forward.

Vision

The WCF’s vision, set out in WCF Statutes 103.1 remains valid:

Vision

To make croquet a well-known, well-understood, well-respected and well-supported sport in countries throughout the world.

Assessment of the WCF’s current situation

 

Strengths

 

 

Weaknesses
  • Vibrant event schedule
  • Strong demand from players
  • Increasing number of players in many Members
  • Growing popularity of GC
  • Good financial reserves
  • Ready commitment from Members to host events
  • Active volunteer workforce

 
  • Static Membership
  • Several Members have small and static playing populations
  • Few young players
  • Very limited representation in some regions (Central and South America, parts of Africa   and Asia)
  • WCF events require a great deal of volunteer input, and this can be difficult to muster for some Members

 

Opportunities

 

 

Threats
  • Continue improving relationship with Members
  • Find ways to ramp up development in smaller Members
  • Take the sport to a wider audience through TV
  • Growing “over 50s” world population may expand pool of potential recruits
  • Promote GC as a way to increase the number of young players
  • Attract new Members in regions where there is some form of croquet played
  • Attaining 40 Members is now feasible: may unlock World Games, etc.

 
  • Will the growth in internet gaming reduce the number of young people interested in a sport like croquet?
  • Impact of GC on other codes
  • Gateball may compete for attention and limit our growth
  • Recovery from the Global Financial Crisis is modest and obtaining significant event sponsorship remains difficult

Activities

The work of the WCF falls into four main categories, namely:

  • World Championships
  • Development
  • Communication with Members
  • Administration and finance

1.       WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Completed goals in 2014

  • Held successful AC WTC, Over-50 and Women’s GCWCs in 2014.
  • Completed Event Agreements for Under-21 GCWC, GCWC and Women’s ACWC in 2015.
  • Introduced a new allocation procedure for World Championships.
  • Conducted a trial of the Block Seniority Method for seeding GCWCs.

Goals for 2015

  • Hold successful Under-21 GCWC, GCWC and Women’s ACWC in 2015.
  • Complete Event Agreements for ACWC and GCWTC in 2016 and ACWTC in 2017.
  • Re-run the annual bid process through to 2019.
  • Make permanent decision on seeding GCWCs.
  • Update ‘best practice’ guidance for Event Hosts in light of recent player surveys
  • Create Team Event Regulations including the promotion and relegation policy from Topic 15.

2.       DEVELOPMENT

The main requirements for this important area are:

  • Members coming forward with viable capital grant projects or other development      concepts requiring assistance.
  • Volunteers willing to undertake development work.
  • The provision of an adequate budget.

Completed goals

  • Coaching trips were organised to Germany, Latvia and Switzerland.
  • A plan for future development was formulated.

Goals for 2015

  • Assist Members with recruitment ideas, with particular focus on World Croquet Day in May 2015.
  • Hold another international coaching training course.
  • Arrange further coaching trips to smaller Members.
  • Develop video material, with particular focus on promotional and refereeing videos.
  • Encourage viable projects to develop smaller Members’ facilities, with WCF capital grant assistance if necessary.
  • Investigate countries where some croquet is played and encourage new Members to join.

The fuller development plan for the future is attached as Appendix 1.

3.       COMMUNICATION WITH MEMBERS

A healthy organization ensures that its Members are always fully informed about its activities and plans and, in the case of the WCF, of the current state of the future World Championship programme.

Completed goals

  • The WCF web-site has been maintained.
  • The newsletter to Members has been continued.
  • The 25th anniversary of the WCF was marked by issuing commemorative medals to winners of national championships.

Goals for 2015

  • Implement an improved and easily-administered WCF web-site which is capable of marketing the game as well as discharging its core function of providing essential information about World Championships and how the WCF operates.
  • Make details of consultations and decisions available on the WCF web-site.
  • Continue newsletter to Members.

4.       ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

The MC and Council have refreshed how they operate. The trial Council e-mail based decision-making process, which is aimed at empowering WCF Members and to make them feel more engaged, better informed and more in control, has been used extensively in 2014. It is proposed to make it permanent and the sole method of Council decision-making.

Completed goals

  • 2013 Financial Review approved and implemented with consequential amendments to Event Regulations, Finance Regulations and Investment Policy.
  • Investments reviewed and improved.

Goals for 2015 and beyond

  • Review and revise Statutes and Management Committee Administration Regulations.
  • Review and rationalize WCF and MC sub-committees.
  • Work with Australia, England, New Zealand and USA to align the roles of the AC International Laws Committee and the WCF GC Rules Committee.
  • Work with the MacRobertson Shield countries to bring the Shield fully within the AC WTC framework while preserving its current governance.
  • Establish a means of reducing the ‘key person’ risk for maintenance of the rankings.
  • Negotiate a long-term agreement for www.croquetscores.com.
  • Observe and analyse effects of new four-year cycle budgeting.
  • Ensure adequate and reliable support for WCF web-site.

The Management Committee

November 2014