Refreeing questions: Expectations of the new RAG (ii)

This column has already welcomed our new RAG Executive into office and expressed some views (although unsolicited) on how improvements can be brought into the administration of the association.

It is useful to make criticisms, but it is more helpful if suggestions accompany such criticisms. 

Between 1978 and 2009 I was involved in many levels of RAG administration: District, Regional and National. That opportunity enabled me to influence the affairs of the association in my own small way. Unfortunately, when it appeared to some tin-gods that I was becoming a ‘nuisance’ and a ‘threat’, I had to be kicked out. But, God willing, I found new levels and opportunities - indeed better opportunities - to continue to make my contributions. This is God’sway, not me, but I mean the way of God.

In welcoming into office the new leadership of the RAG, it is my view that they should critically examine the existing structures and policies of the RAG in order to bring the association into a new and better era. As a corporate body, there is the need to plan not only for our immediate needs; but we must also have an elaborate medium and long-term plan. We must revisit our objectives and design workable strategies to achieve those objectives. We should aim at:

• Defining and planning the long-term future of the RAG;

• Increasing its rate of growth in the long run, and

• Ensuring that the RAG can meet the challenge of change and profit from new opportunities.

Although some achievements have been made already, we should still consider and fashion alternative choices which are feasible to the growth of the association. The most feasible alternative that is chosen should become the strategic focus of our new plan. 

For example, although we have almost always met our quota of seven middle male FIFA referees and the same number of assistant referees, we continue largely to be missing from world and CAF apex tournaments. If we find out that the ages of our FIFA referees have been the problem, what do we do?  Helping our favourites to reduce their ages when joining the list is against the law of nature. We may, therefore, have to recruit very young referees; indeed referees who would be qualified referees while at SHS, colleges of education and Level 100 and 200 undergraduates. In Britain, there are qualified referees who are about 10 years old. And there are referees who handle colts and school matches. They are also the ones who mature as FIFA referees. 

The Referees Association must have a corporate purpose and aspiration to realistically respond to the question: what contributions are referees really to make to the business of football in the country, Africa and at the FIFA level? In other words, what are our objectives and mission? We must take a hard look at and examine the overall business direction and conduct a review of both the external environment in which we operate and the RAG’s own internal capabilities to exploit the identified opportunities in our external appraisal. 

In other words, we must examine and study the operations of the clubs, their supporters and, above all, the GFA, its agents and even CAF and FIFA. Our mature referees rely on the assistance and directions of the GFA, CAF and the world football governing body. We should, therefore, take account of them in our plans and strategies. 

By defining our strategies we should focus on preparing long range forecasts based upon present strategies. We should also identify any gaps and indicate the extent to which new or revised strategies are required to achieve objectives keeping in mind the weaknesses revealed in the analysis.

Additionally, we should create action plans to implement our strategy. This involves budgeting, acquisition, diversification, product (referees) development plans etc. We should not forget that formulation of action plans and policies should be geared towards solutions to problems in areas like growth, efficiency and other corporate interests.

It is vital that we monitor the results of our plans, because in corporate planning, expected results must be managed to make them happen. Results monitoring against plans and amending strategies or taking corrective actions is necessary and desirable. Now, why do we have to subject a hobby association like the RAG to the scientific way of management? By resorting to strategic management and corporate planning, we would expose the association to the following benefits:

• Clarify our objectives to all members;

• All our members, both at district and regional levels, will understand where refereeing will go if no action is taken;

• This will help all referees have a certain future;

• It will also encourage commitment through consensus;

• It will provide the basis for measuring our individual performances and contributions to the RAG.

For our plans and strategies to succeed, it is important that they should be communicated effectively to all our members. The RAG has got a calendar of programmes and activities. This calendar is always distributed to all the regional associations who, in turn, copy them to their various district associations. This is good. But we still need a corporate plan with its strategies. This plan can be generated from the districts to the regions to be finalised at the national level. That way, a lot more of the members would be involved; and they would be willing to own it and belong to it. 

As national trainers tour the regions to run and conduct refresher and fitness courses, the various plans should be discussed and questions asked. Sometimes, ordinary members are not allowed to discuss broad policies of the RAG when they attend courses and some other meetings. It is unproductive to restrict questions of course attendants to only course matters or matters relating solely to the course, especially during national courses where almost all the Executive Committee members would be available. 

Words break no bones and, jaw jaw, they say, is better than war war. There is too much fear and so much of rumour-mongering among the rank and file of RAG. As leaders we should not be interested only in what we want to hear.

There is no need describing people as talking too much. Freedom of speech releases tension and anger!

Graphic Sports/Ghana