The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has appointed Philip French as its new Director of Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport Department (PASD), to start work on 1 March.

A British national, French is joining the IOC from the England and Wales Cricket Board where, as Director of Public Policy and International Relations, he was responsible for overseeing the organisation’s strategic development in public affairs and managing key external relationships.

The IOC says it has developed a comprehensive programme using sport as a tool for local socio-economic development and for humanitarian assistance. 

“The PASD is central in defining the strategies for the development and implementation of such grassroots and peace projects around the world, as well as for advocating for the integration of sport and physical activity in national and international policies and programmes,” the IOC said in a statement.

“It is also responsible for fostering partnerships with a wide range of organisations specialised in development and humanitarian aid, including the agencies of the United Nations (UN) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), in a bid to build a better world through sport.”

Before working at the England and Wales Cricket Board, Philip French held the position of Chief Adviser on Sport at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom government. With responsibilities ranging from grassroots and elite athlete funding ahead of the Olympic Games London 2012, the National Lottery, broadcasting and gambling, French led on drafting and delivering the government’s key strategic policies on behalf of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Mr French was previously Chief Executive of Supporter Trusts, a British non-profit organisation which aims to provide a platform for fans to influence the running of their clubs, and Director of Public Policy at Premier League, where he had responsibility for public affairs, corporate communications and community development. He previously wrote for the Guardian newspaper and was a consultant to UEFA in the UK.

A graduate in Economics with Government of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Philip French has acquired over his career extensive experience in public affairs, international relations, community development and stakeholder management. He is very well acquainted with the world of sport, from both the media and management sides, and will be a valuable addition to the IOC’s team of directors.

A fan of athletics, football, cricket and tennis, Mr French is also involved in a number of grassroots and charity projects.

Zimbabwe is making good progress as it prepares to host UNESCO Africa Engineering Week from 14 to 19 September, according to a senior World Federation of Engineering Organisations official. 

World Federation of Engineering Organisations vice president Yashin Brijmohan met with a number of stakeholders, including the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers, Engineering Council of Zimbabwe, UNESCO and government officials. 

"I'm quite pleased with the progress made so far," he told national newspaper The Herald.

"I believe in Zimbabwe and the country has shown a lot of potential in terms of hosting conferences of this nature.

"Zimbabwe is ready to host the event and I believe the local team will work hard to make this event a success."

Victoria Falls, the country’s leading resort, won the bid to host the second edition of the international event.

According to UNESCO, Africa Engineering Week aims to educate youth and the general public about engineering through outreach activities such as educational workshops, public awareness events, mentoring activities and university events that show how engineers are key players in the solutions to important global challenges, such as climate change mitigation and adaptation.

A conference on the theme of "Engineering Innovation for Accelerated Infrastructure Development for Africa", which aims to raise the profile of the profession, is expected to attract more than 500 delegates from outside the host nation. 

"Preparations are going on very well even though a lot of work needs to be done to promote the event," Eng Martin Manhuwa, president of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers told The Herald.

The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has agreed to work Generations For Peace in a partnership that will boost the impact and sustainability of the NGO’s Jordan Schools Programme, it was announced on Monday. 

The partnership will benefit 5,000 young people living in vulnerable refugee host communities in Jordan, Generations for Peace said. 

Population pressures and tensions are growing in schools in Jordan’s refugee host communities, due to the intake of a high number of Syrian refugees. The programme focuses on reducing violence and the potential for violence in these schools through sports and art leadership projects.

“This partnership will provide significant support for our Generations For Peace programmes in Jordan at a time when we must continue to reduce the tension and risk of violence among children and young people in schools and communities most in need,” said HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Founder and Chairman of Generations For Peace.

Through the partnership, Generations For Peace Clubs will be created in 12 schools in host communities across Jordan. 

Generations For Peace will select and train 100 students who demonstrate commitment and leadership, and equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to begin facilitating sport and art for peace activities in their schools. These young people will also lead on initiatives in their surrounding community that are designed to strengthen social cohesion, resilience and social capital.   

“We are delighted to pledge our commitment to this important programme,” said Didier Reynders, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Affairs.

“Our recent visit to see the work of Generations For Peace in Za’atari Village host community demonstrated the power of sport and its ability to break down stereotypes and bring young people from Jordan and Syria together.”

Belgium’s Ambassador to Jordan, Thomas Baekelandt, said “These young people have enormous potential and we are delighted to support them in their role as change-makers who can ensure a brighter future for their communities.”

[Source: Global Sports Week] The French Development Agency has become the first non-commercial Olympic Games partner with rights to the Olympic Rings. The unprecedented announcement was made at the opening of the first Global Sports Week Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre. The partnership will provide for a concrete financing programme to support projects aimed at fostering development through sport around the world.  

Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, said: "Sport can change everything. And we want this ambition to go beyond the French borders through this new strong cooperation between Paris 2024 and the French Development Agency.”

Remi Rioux, Executive Director of AFD, also commented: "This partnership is unique. We have never connected the power of sport and the power of development projects funding. The Olympic and Paralympic Movements are a universal initiative and it is only natural to unite them with the international development programmes.”

Flash quotes from the Global Sports Week Arena Stage

In the Opening Session, Tony Estanguet, Roxana Maracineanu, Andrew Parsons, and  Nadia Nadim were challenged by four young international leaders about the role of sport around key social issues.

Andrew Parsons, International Paralympic Committee President, said: "The first thing the international sport movement has to do is stop sweeping issues like doping or abuse under the carpet. We need to face them, otherwise young people don't buy it, they don't have trust to engage with us."

He added: “Yes, international sport has joined the party too late on climate change. But the strength we have is the athletes. It’s important they understand their power to drive change with the right messages.”

Roxana Maracineanu, French Minister of Sports, said: "Athlete welfare has been at the heart of my mandate as a Minister from the very start. This is one of the key reasons why the Sports Ministry wants to take place in the debates happening here this week."

“There is never one day, in my conversations with other government ministers, when I don’t see a way for sport to help provide solutions for other policy issues, such as health, environment or education."

Nadia Nadim, professional football player, PSG, and Champion for girls’ and women’s education, UNESCO, said: "Access is the biggest barrier for young people to get in sport. It's easy for young people to be on their digital platforms at home, but to play sports they have to drive an extra mile."

Guillaume de Monplanet, SVP, General Manager, adidas France, said:  "adidas saw the sport evolve and we evolved and changed with it. We noticed that our business impacted a lot of people around the world. Our core belief is that through sport WE can change lives (not only see sport change lives). This is a real mind shift."

He added: "Textile industry is one of the 5 worst industries in terms of the environmental impact. We have a big responsibility. By 2024 we will be at 0 virgin plastic in our products. Today we are at 50%, it is a long way to go, but we are moving in this direction."

Danone announced on stage at Global Sports Week that the company-run sport event Danone Nations Cup will be the first international competition to join Common Goal, an organisation putting the good at the heart of sport. 1% of the Danone Nations Cup revenues will be given to Common Goal.

Mathias Vicherat, SVP, General Secretary, Danone, said: “Kids represent 30% of the population and 100% of the future. For 20 years we at Danone have been organising a competition for kids to play soccer in 30 countries. By joining the Common Goal, we will be able to further promote the Sustainable Development Goals such as diversity and gender equality around the world.”

The reasons behind the evolving event hosting landscape can be debated: better informed government officials; a new point of view from the public; PR-sensitive executives thinking about impact on sponsors – but there is no disputing that a major shift has occurred in the global event hosting landscape. The referendums and political hand-wringing taking place before major event bidding are prime examples of this evolution.

This “new normal” provides a unique opportunity for government and rightsholders to align on mutually-beneficial outcomes, with both sides required to come to the bargaining table with current and accurate data to develop a plan that has meaningful results for the host community.

Government can, and should, take responsibility for the pre-event work. Through online surveys, social listening and in-person attendance at community meetings, government officials can develop a firm understanding of the outcomes a host community would find most useful. This informed perspective will allow government officials to have direct conversations with rightsholders – a critical portion of the conversation that is often not addressed. Rightsholders are often willing to consider working with a government to provide them what they need, but typically, the government simply responds with “what are you offering” instead of leveraging this opportunity to create a meaningful impact. To create a meaningful environment of partnership and collaboration, government officials must approach this moment with specific deliverables the host community seeks.

Government officials should come to the table with key pieces of data in-hand:

• Preferred sport or cultural activity of your constituents, by neighborhood, would allow government and rightsholders to focus on specific areas of a city that could be more receptive and supportive of hosting the event
• Education, arts, and health and wellness needs, by neighborhood, would allow government and rightsholders to consider short-term impact and long-term legacy plans that result in locally meaningful outcomes
• Planned infrastructure development would allow government and rightsholders to accurately involve event-necessary works to be integrated into already planned and funded projects
• Economic development goals, by neighborhood, would allow government and rightsholders to understand which local businesses can be event partners
• Tourism data that explains hotel occupancy, visitors by market, interest and spend, in addition to plans for growth into future markets

Throughout the lead-up to the event, during the event and post-event, rightsholders should evolve beyond event producer to community partner. With the understanding that taking any free minute away from event preparation is difficult, elevating the needs of the host community into the day-to-day decision-making process has many benefits. This mindset has the potential to result in a host community that:

• Strives for a positive event experience for participants, staff and partners
• Understands and appreciates the event’s tangible and intangible outcomes
• Attends the main event and supports ancillary events
• Enthusiastically welcomes the event’s return

Rightsholders also have the opportunity to significantly increase their positive impact on the host community by organizing their partners, sponsors, participants, fans and investors. Each one of these stakeholder groups has a vested interest in the success of the event, and therefore, has a vested interested in the host community. The greater understanding the rightsholder has of the social responsibility and financial goals of each stakeholder group, the better alignment they can foster with an informed government and interested host community.

This approach may require rightsholders to reconsider which members of their organization have influence in their strategic planning. Specifically, rightsholders will need to examine if the most significant decisions their organization undertakes are weighed fully against commercial and community benefits. The rightsholders that can maximize commercial returns around community-focused decisions are the organizations that are most well-prepared for this moment in time.

Lastly, rightsholders must understand government. There are many factors that influence the government decision-making process and pace. For instance, your event may align with all of the goals of the government, but it may not be an ideal time for a government leader to commit to your event from a political perspective. This is just one example of the difficult and frustrating process of working with government. In these situations, try and help your government partner get to “yes”. If there’s a groundswell of support from the community for hosting your event, then committing to the event just became a lot easier.

Improved and informed dialogue between government and rightsholders has the potential to deliver results to host communities that they find meaningful and transformational, while keeping rightsholders commercially successful. With data-driven insights and measured outcomes at the center of these negotiations, plans and work, this moment of event hosting evolution can result in events driving meaningful transformation in neighborhoods, cities and countries.

About the Author

Mike Hopper has spent his career at the intersection of sports, government and community relations, while working side-by-side with Mike Bloomberg and George Steinbrenner. 

Prior to establishing Advance Brand Consulting, Mike held senior positions with SPORTS195, Teneo Consulting, NYC & Company – NYC’s Official Tourism & Marketing Bureau, the New York City Mayor’s Office, and the New York Yankees. He now leads Advance Brand Consulting, which focuses on cultivating the relationship between sports leagues and teams, governments and communities, to ensure each party achieves their goals while understanding the goals of the others.

Mike Hopper spoke at Host City 2015, the largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

In all sectors, we gain invaluable experience from working alongside skilled professionals from overseas. This brings all kinds of benefits – and sport is no exception, except for the fact that it is structured around international competitions.

Does foreign talent in leagues really overshadow the development of national teams, or is that just an excuse for other issues around local football development? And what difference would quotas make, if any?

Everyone seems to have a view on these subjects and there were plenty to be heard at Soccerex Global Convention.

Andy Burnham MP, Mayoral Candidate, Greater Manchester

“The English Premier League was set up with a very specific objective: to improve the England team. Clearly that hasn’t happened.

“Can you have the best league in the world and the most successful team? Of the countries that have tried to do that I think Spain has got the closest to managing that, but I think here we haven’t managed that.

“And I think we need to give more thought to that, because a strong national team is something that builds pride in football and boosts participation at the grass roots.

“In the 25 years of the Premier League we’ve had one semi-final, at our own home European championship in 2016.

“Could Brexit mean something different for football? Could Brexit mean that English football takes a step away from the European directives in relation to free movement in sport - and could we look at introducing quotas for our homegrown players, so that the Premier League doesn’t become a playground for the world’s best talent, but actually we make sure that we bring through more English homegrown players in our domestic league.

“We look at the European Championships in France in the summer and I observed the England team’s disappointing performance, and it seemed to me that there was a lack of heart; a lack of hunger, or desire. And you have to ask the question; is that something that the modern game is increasingly bringing – a sense that there’s nothing playing for, because these players have it all.

“And you look, by comparison at Wales, at Iceland and Slovakia, and there was a different sense of team spirit. I think the game also has to ask where its priorities truly lie.

“The nature of the game has changed, I believe, since the 25 years that the premier league started.”

Li Jiuquan, Director of Marketing Department, Chinese Football Association

“I think there are conflicts for some clubs; they want to have more international players.

“Some suggest that we should have more foreign players in the clubs so we can have better performance in the club championships. They say if we have more international players we will have better performance. But we need to have a balance between the league and the national team.

“Is it good for china to have foreign coaches? It depends how you see it. If you say big names can bring something new, they can bring their knowledge and the Chinese coaches can learn from them, it’s good. But they get their positions and for the Chinese coaches have no practice at all. For most of the CSL clubs, we have almost no Chinese coaches.

“Personally I think there might be some problem, because the Chinese coaches have no chance to practice. It’s the same for the national team; if all the strikers are foreign, we have no good strikers.”

Simon Li, Chairman, International Football Connections Limited

“In my experience in the Chinese Super League they have a four plus one rule: four foreign players that can come from outside Asia, plus one Asian player.

“That might change to three plus one, from January 2017. The league below can have only three foreign players full stop.

“For the league below there is no restriction – apart from one important thing: no foreign goalkeepers allowed.”

Gerard Houllier OBE, former Liverpool FC Manager

“Quotas can work for under21s, but they are not suitable in Europe. In France, for example if you were to say you were to have five French and six European or whatever, I don’t think this would work.

“If a player has been developed in your country, if that player is at the same level as the foreign player I would always take that player. At Liverpool, if two players were the same level I would take the local above the foreign.”

The above are a combination of exclusive interviews with Host City and statements made to the conference at Soccerex Global Convention

Qatar may be under scrutiny for treatment of workers as it invests US$200bn in infrastructure projects before the FIFA World Cup in 2022, but senior figures in football administration point out that the event is an important part of the country’s process of human development. 
“The government of Qatar made a clear vision in 2008 to transform from being dependent on natural resources and they aim to be an economy based on knowledge and people. As a result, well-being becomes the number one priority of the nation,” Mushtaq Al Waeli, Executive Director, Strategic and Institutional Development, Qatar Football Association (QFA) tells delegates at World Football Forum in Paris.
This development plan, National Vision 2030, has four pillars: economic, human, social and environment – and football is a key element of that vision. 
“Through sports you ensure people are engaged in physical activity. It’s also a vehicle of social cohesion and integration,” says Al Waeli. 
“The social structure of the country is based on people coming into the country from different cultures. Integration is key. Sports – football in particular – has that magic and charm of bringing people together.”
Bidding for the FIFA World Cup was a statement of intent to put the Middle East on the world stage – not just for the nation but for the region. “When we started the bid process in 2009, the message to the world was clear: this is not just a tournament for Qatar,” says Al Waeli. 
“We are united with the region – the Middle East and western Asia. The message is to say we have the right for this major event to come to our land and it will be an amazing tournament – from the visitor experience to the field of play.
“We are also delivering legacy: a physical legacy of venues, and also contributing to how to prepare for any event that comes beyond or before the World Cup. We are creating a new process of developing sports and events.”
But the World Cup is about much more than sports events for the host nation. “I think Qatar has made all that effort and bid for the 2022 tournament – not only showing the great passion that the nation has for football and to bring the tournament to the region – but also to drive the progression towards realising National Vision 2030. It’s a catalyst, a key milestone,” says Al Waeli.
However, the value of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in is rarely presented in such a positive light in the media. Few people feel this more acutely than Alexander Koch, FIFA’s Head of Corporate Communications. 
“We are working very hard in order to leave a positive legacy of the events,” he points out. “Looking at Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, I could talk for an hour about all the efforts that are being done and all the progress being achieved with this new focus. We hope that these positive elements will find their way into the media,” he says.
“When it comes to Qatar, we are being criticised for worker’s rights situation, for environmental aspects: how can you play in a desert country; what is the legacy; why are you going where there is no football tradition; and so on. 
“But you can turn this all around and see what the legacy will be in an event like Qatar, and what the actual effect is for the people and the foreign workers in a country like Qatar.
“Do you really believe that this is negative, with all the media attention and for the first time ever people have a contract signed by the international trade union and Amnesty International and so on?”
A “Workers’ Cup” has been set up for people working on World Cup venue construction projects. Attendance has been high, with around16,000 people having attended matches so far.
Khalifa Al Haroon, Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, Qatar Stars League says: “We aim to be as inclusive as possible. That’s why we are organising the Workers’ Cup. Any company that wanted to compete had to sign up to the Workers’ Charter, to makes sure human rights are upheld – and to give these people the opportunity to become players. This is something we will be continuing as long as possible.”

A ladder to the stars
Qatar is the only country that has a National Sports Day that is a national holiday when everyone takes a day off to take part in sport. The country also stages a number of other different community events, such as the Asian Communities Football tournament. 
“We are creating different levels of leagues, from professional to amateur, to encourage people to play the sport and maybe be future superstars,” says Al Haroon.
Crucial to the creation of Qatar’s potential future football stars is the Aspire Academy, which is open to the general public.
“The QFA is focussed on training players on how to invest their income. It’s not just about football; it’s about creating an industry that didn’t exist four years ago. 
“We won the AFC U19s in 2014 and hosted the AFC U23 in 2016, which we were told was the best organised. That knowledge is being passed on to the players and the general public.”
Mushtaq Al Waeli says: “I had the honour to be part of the Aspire Academy’s creation. The first youth that joined went on to win the Asian Youth Cup, so the system proved that it’s working.
“The elite from the clubs, we bring them to a different part of the academy so they play with the best teams in the world. We work on creating a holistic player who is ready to compete anywhere in the world. If we qualify for the 2018 World Cup you will see players that came through that system.”
Even if Qatar doesn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup it will automatically qualify for 2022 as hosts. But is automatic qualification necessarily a good thing for the country? Peter Hutton, CEO of major broadcaster Eurosport is not convinced that Qatar will be ready to compete at that level. 
“You have to be realistic – it’s important to play teams that are in the same sort of FIFA team rankings area as you, and to have targets that are just above you and look to achieve target by target. 
“What’s not helpful is to go to an international tournament and then be wiped out, because your whole sense of identity with your country as national football pride actually falls apart. 
“And that’s the concern for Qatar – how will the Qatar national team play when they get to the World Cup, because if they don’t do well, then that can be negative story.”

The Josoor Institute
Mushtaq Al Waeli is acting director of the Josoor Institute, a centre of excellence for the sports and events Industries.
He says “Josoor is an Arabic word that means bridges. We wanted to connect the knowledge of the present, the past and the future. 
“It’s all about knowledge. We are not just a training institute. We aspire to become a centre of excellence. We develop knowledge through research, we embed knowledge through training and education, and we consult on the future. 
“We created Josoor when Qatar won the right to host the 2022 tournament. They set up a government vehicle called the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy, to keep our promise that we will deliver an amazing tournament in the best possible time. We also wanted to create excellence in human capital development; that responsibility was given to Josoor. 
“Our remit is not for Qatar only. We want to reach everybody who has an interest in working in sport or event industries or wants to move from one academy to another.” 
Launched in 2013, the Josoor Institute delivers a set of products, including certificates and diplomas, working with partners in Qatar and overseas, including leading educational institutions.

This article was written by Ben Avison of Host City at the World Football Forum 2016. The comments from Mushtaq Al Waeli and Khalifa Al Haroon were made in conversation with Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, Salford University