Of late, offices throughout the country have been facing an increase in attrition rate leading to manpower shortages. One such office is the Bhutan Olympic Committee. To address the shortage, the coaches and employees of the BOC are currently undergoing a professional development course for multitasking and proper management of the federations and associations.
Sports associations such as the Bhutan Karate Association just have two full-time employees at the moment. The coach says he has to take up financing and administrative work besides coaching.
“Most of the federations are facing a shortage of manpower. Similarly, in my federation, there is a shortage of staff. The coaches sometimes not only take the responsibility of coaching, but we also have to take additional responsibilities like programming and accounting. This is challenging,” said Tshering Dorji, coach at Bhutan Karate Association.
Officials from some other federations say they cannot focus on their work as they have to take up multiple roles.
Although there is no record reflecting the number of employees who left their jobs, the BOC officials say many are resigning.
However, the BOC officials recently started a two-and-a-half-month-long professional development course which will not only contribute to the professional growth of sports managers but will also have a far-reaching impact on the overall efficiency and performance of the sports organisations.
The BOC says the representatives from the sports federations and associations will be taking part in the course every year.
The course focuses on continuous learning or practical sessions.
The topics covered in the course include developing project proposals, budgeting, developing a strategic road map, planning sports trips, and utilizing AI tools.
“Sports administrators or managers, most times, come from backgrounds which might not be very technical. So, courses such as this are designed in accordance with the objectives of the BOC as a whole. So, this should encapsulate capacities or knowledge that is required for a person even without technical background in a sporting office,” said Sonam Dendup, Programme Officer of Bhutan Indigenous Games and Sports Association.
With such initiatives, participants like Tshering Dorji from the Bhutan Karate Association are hopeful of effectively managing the organisation.
“With this sports administration training, it greatly benefits federations with limited staff and capacities. It also helps in developing the long-term plan of the federation,” said Tshering Dorji, coach.
Officials are conducting the course on a pilot basis this time. They plan to improve it based on feedback and suggestions.
“To gauge what they have learned from this course, they will be assessed at the year-end or even during intervals, so that people having participated in this course can actually put into work what they have learned during the course time,” added Sonam Dendup.
According to the BOC, there are 16 federations, five sports associations affiliated with it, and 15 district sports associations.
Karma Samten Wangda
Edited by Tshering Zam
