PDC FED FORUMS

Introduction

The primary goal of the PDC is the institutional strengthening of the various arms of FIDE including federations, continental bodies and FIDE itself. FIDE comprises 195 members of which greater than 70% are under-developed as it relates to chess activity and management within their countries.

The PDC has been given the mandate to manage the FIDE development fund and in 2019 seventy-seven federations were approved for funding totaling just over US$1 million.

Team PDC however feels that in order to develop programs for the benefit of members, it is important to include the members so that they are part of this important process.

It is in this context, that Team PDC felt the need to engage in a new initiative- PDC Fed Forums. Team PDC has collected quite a bit of information on the operations of federations and therefore feels it is best positioned to engage federations in talks surrounding their development.

Objectives

Team PDC’s Fed Forums is a mechanism used to engage the federations via a series of smaller groups, e.g. as a zone and/or by language, since even within zones there may have different languages spoken by the members. This engagement will seek to do the following:

• Determine the specific needs of the federations in that group.
• Provide feedback on the performance of federations based on reports submitted as a result of prior funding.
• Identify areas where there may be common solutions to needs to optimize the use of the development fund.

Target Group

The target members for these discussions are those primarily in development levels 2-5. However, there may be some instances that federations in Development level 1 may be included based on their unique circumstance.

It is expected that at least 2 members of each federation will participate in these meetings and not just the President.

Operation

• These talks will take the form of virtual meetings for 60-90 minutes.
• They will occur at least once a year complemented by active follow up by councilors.
• The PDC Chair, Councillors and PDC Secretary will participate in these meetings.
• The PDC Chair will chair these meetings/’talks’ and will be supported by the councilor responsible for that zone or group of member federations.
• Minutes will be taken during these meetings with defined action items.
• There will be active monitoring of these action items with the view to completion within the specified times.
• The PDC will enlist assistance from persons within FIDE if there is need for translation.

Knowledge-sharing

Based on the discussions, team PDC will structure a series of knowledge-sharing activities which may include: Workshops, webinars or Panel Discussions. PDC will mainly tap into internal resources, e.g. other commissions or experts within FIDE to assist in the delivery of these sessions. This of course is in addition to any written resources or documents that will be shared on PDC’s website.

Communication and Profiling

These meetings will be recorded, and the outcomes will be shared via various means including the PDC website, social media and directly with participating federations.

Benefits

• Enhanced engagement with Federations which will foster greater buy-in.
• Development of programs that are more relevant to members.
• Greater understanding of FIDE priorities and concept of development.
• Increased collaboration among federations.
• Increased collaboration with other commissions.
• Optimal utilization of funding.

Concluding Remarks

As the commission responsible for assisting in the development of federations, it is key that Team PDC embarks upon activities that seek to actively engage its primary stakeholders. After all, FIDE is only as strong as its various parts and it has a responsibility to work with member federations to becoming sustainable organizations so that FIDE itself can be stronger and remain relevant.

Team PDC feels with the right support this initiative can have a significant positive impact on the relationship between FIDE and its members which will augur well for overall development and growth as an institution.

On behalf of Team PDC