Club Leadership Development Programme 2020 Rollout

February 5^th saw the launch of the Rollout of the 2020 Club Leadership Development Programme by the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association. John Horan, President of the GAA, Helen O’Rourke, CEO LGFA and Kathleen Woods, President of the Camogie Association were present for the official 2020 launch of The Club Leadership Development Programme – Investing in Leaders, Investing in You.

CLDP Overview

The Club Leadership Development Programme (CLDP) provides learning opportunities to new and existing Club Officers in the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association Clubs to help them gain the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfil their roles.

The programme has been designed and is delivered by the GAA’s National Officer Development Committee (NODC) chaired by Mr. Paddy Flood.  It focusses on the practical aspects of the primary roles on a Club Executive, i.e. Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, PRO, Coaching Officer, Registrar and Irish Language and Culture Officers.

The NODC partners with the various functions in Croke Park, the Provincial Councils and County Development Officers to provide learning opportunities to Club Officers.

More than 6,000 Club Officers have participated in the programme since 2016 and for the first time in 2020, selected modules will also be offered to officers from LGFA and Camogie Clubs.

Module Catalogue & Online Calendar

The 2020 Rollout of the CLDP sees the availability of a suite of 18 Modules which will be scheduled on a county-by-county basis. County Development Officers are the primary point of contact for selecting modules based on demand from clubs, and scheduling workshops within their counties. An Online Calendar is also available and shows upcoming workshops throughout the country. Online Registration in advance of attending is encouraged and can be done via this link and by clicking on your county of choice.

Online Resource Hub & E-Learning

The 2020 Rollout also sees two modules which are available exclusively online – Club Officer Foundations and Leading Effective Meetings. There are also two modules available via Remote Webinar (Upholding Disciplinary Rules & Procedures & GAA Management System) – live online workshops which can be accessed anywhere with a strong broadband connection. It is envisaged that the volume of content which can be accessed remotely and online will continue to increase going forward.

How it works

Each County Development Officer is responsible for organising training events on a county or regional basis.

They typically consult with Clubs to determine the topics of most interest before organising modules.

Once the National Programme Coordinator appoints a trained Associate, face-to-face workshops will be confirmed, and the details made available in the Events Calendar.

Club Officers can find local events and register.  Confirmation details will then be circulated in advance of the workshop.

The Club Officer Foundation Certificate

The Club Officer Foundation Certificate aims to provide a certified learning path for new Club Officers.  It is the GAA National Officer Development Committee (NODC)’s first attempt to group together priority modules for new Club Officers to help them progress their learning over time.

It will be piloted with Chairpersons, Secretaries, Treasurers and PROs in GAA, LGFA and Camogie Clubs in four participating counties in 2020.

The Foundation Certificate involves 8 hours’ worth of learning which must be completed by 1 December 2020.  For new Club Officers, it involves four sections:

Section 1 – The online Club Officer Foundations module.

Section 2 – The workshop covering their role and responsibilities, e.g. Getting Started as a Club Chairperson / Secretary / Treasurer / PRO.

Section 3 – The Club AGM workshop in the autumn.

Section 4 – A choice between one additional workshop or two online modules – this will be decided by each participating County Development Officer.

Getting Involved

Over 500 participants have attended workshops already in 2020 across the country, be sure and register today via your County Development Officer or through the GAA’s Learning Portal. Simply log on, https://learning.gaa.ie/, create an account and register for courses here – https://learning.gaa.ie/lms/course/index.php?categoryid=301.

Upcoming workshops can be found here – https://learning.gaa.ie/OfficerTrainingCalendar

Don’t miss out!

Commenting –

President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, John Horan, said:

“The programme is a great opportunity for all club officers to develop their skills and increasingly perform to the best of their abilities in their roles. It is also a great opportunity for closer collaboration with the LGFA and Camogie Association and we are delighted that they will be involved with the programme this year.

“The online modules available are also growing in popularity, and the use of these E-Learning tools will make it a lot easier for officers to find time to take part and increase their knowledge base. The 18 modules offer a wide variety of content and learning opportunities and we are thankful for the clubs and counties who have and continue to engage with this programme as it is a vital step in the continuing development of our clubs, and club executives.”

 Speaking about the announcement, Chairman of the National Officer Development Committee, Paddy Flood, said:

“I am proud to represent the National Officer Development Committee here today, as we unveil the beginning of a new era for the Club Leadership Development Programme. The NODC is constantly working to keep Officers upskilled. It is our firm belief that every Officer should be entitled to relevant support and resources in carrying out their volunteer role, and equally that each Officer has a responsibility to avail of this support so that whatever unit of any of the Associations they contribute to, they can do so in an informed and skilled manner.

The efforts to streamline and co-ordinate Officer training efforts between the GAA, Camogie Association and LGFA has now officially begun, and it is our belief that this combined effort will ultimately benefit all three Associations across all levels. We look forward with a renewed energy and enthusiasm at the possibilities that exist in the Officer training field – with a suite of new modules now on offer to clubs throughout the country.”

President of the Camogie Association, Kathleen Woods, said: “I am delighted that the Camogie Association is partnering with our colleagues in the GAA and LGFA on the Club Leadership Development Programme as we continue to foster greater bonds between the three Associations.

 “This programme will be a great resource to Club members throughout the country and will help to empower them even further to undertake the vital work that they do at grassroots level to safeguard and promote our wonderful games. I would encourage all members and all Clubs across all 3 Associations to participate and avail of this great opportunity.”

President of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, Marie Hickey, said: “It is a source of huge pride that the Ladies Gaelic Football Association is working so closely alongside our friends in the GAA and the Camogie Association on the Club Leadership Development Programme, as we continue to work closely together. 

“In 2018, a draft memorandum of understanding was agreed between the GAA and the LGFA, and we have become increasingly aligned since then. Now, the Club Leadership Development Programme is another significant initiative and very much in line with our aims and objectives. This programme will provide a vital resource to club members in all three organisations and enable them to enhance the incredible work they do on behalf of our Associations. The overall aim is to foster and develop our games, so that they will stand the test of time, and I would urge all GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association members to fully engage with this programme.” 

For more information contact Eoghan Tuohey Officer Development Coordinator on eoghan.tuohey@gaa.ie