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TEP brings progress

FA decision-makers have met as part of UEFA's Top Executive Programme.

UEFA's Top Executive Programme (TEP) has kicked off its latest series of nine round tables involving the presidents and general secretaries of all of UEFA's member associations. The vision behind the Top Executive Programme is to support associations' top executives in their role as decision-makers.

Revenues and cost-saving
The discussions in the first group, comprising Andorra, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta and San Marino concentrated in particular on individual and collective possibilities to increase revenues and/or cut costs, as well as on football and social responsibility. In the second group, Croatia, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Poland, Slovakia and Wales also discussed possible divisions of tasks between a national association and a league.

Real difference
The results of the TEP have become much more visible in 2007 - making a real difference. The previous series of TEP round tables played an important role in realising an old wish of many associations, namely enlarging the UEFA European Championship final round from 16 to 24 nations in accordance with the increasing number of UEFA members. No less than 47 of the 52 UEFA members voted during the 2007 UEFA Congress to study this seriously. Another direct TEP result, in cooperation with UEFA's Marketing and Media Management team, was the launch of the UEFA-adidas kit assistance scheme this summer, in particular aimed at supporting the smaller associations and saving hundreds of thousands of Euros.

TEP vision
The vision behind the Top Executive Programme is to assist associations' top executives in their decision-making role. The best way to do this is not to educate them, but to provide them with reliable information (via databases) and to work together with them in developing their game, their organisation and their business on a demand-driven and voluntary basis, using the power of the collective as well as UEFA's brand: action instead of talk - as the first results show.

Follow-up visits
Furthermore, TEP follow-up visits have been conducted to some national associations, either on their request or following changes in the association's leadership. The consultancy part of the programme has also continued. It is based on one-to-one support to member associations in need, focussing in particular on IT systems and the related business needs of the pilot associations who were involved at the start of the project. Finally, the development of a good governance standard for national associations is continuing, and is being discussed during 2007.