Project Phoenix comes to an end 「鳳凰計劃」宣告終結

Project Phoenix comes to an end

It seems like CEO blogs are like buses; you wait for ages for one to come along and then two come together!

 

Project Phoenix is officially finished. The three-year Government funded project to revitalize football in Hong Kong ran from November 2011 until October 2014. I am sure that people will have different opinions on how effective it has been. All I can say from my perspective is that I am now leading a very different organization to the one I joined just over two years ago. From inside the organization the contrast is quite striking. I understand that much of this may not be immediately apparent to people outside the organisation. The point is that we are now better equipped and resourced to govern, organise and manage football in Hong Kong. Of the 33 recommendations in Project Phoenix, the vast majority have been fully implemented. Most of the others are either work in progress or by their nature, will always remain on-going. I recently presented a detailed review of the project to the Government’s Football Task Force and they declared themselves ‘satisfied’ with progress. Apparently ‘satisfied’ in Government-speak is high praise indeed!

Change is never easy and I would like to have made more progress in some areas. For example, the lack of progress on the much-needed Football Training Centre is a big disappointment but that is not something that the HKFA can do without the support of other stakeholders.

The foundations we have put in place over the last few years are starting to yield results and 2014 has been a momentous year for the HKFA for many reasons, not least the fact that it is the Centenary of its founding in 1914. It is fitting therefore that this year has been characterized by development and achievement in every aspect of the organization and the work that it does both on and off the pitch. This could not have happened without coordinated, sustained hard work by the Board, the Secretariat and our many partners.

• It is difficult to summarise what has been an industrious and successful year but some of the main highlights include:

Completing the implementation of Project Phoenix and getting recognition from the HKSAR Government and other partners that the initiative has been responsible for building the foundations for the long term transformation of football in Hong Kong

• Preparing a new Five-year Strategic Plan (Aiming High – Together) and using it as the catalyst for a new five-year funding agreement with the Government which should complete the transformation process
• Establishing the new BOCG Life Hong Kong Premier League based on a Club Licence system with:

1. New Title sponsor
2. New brand, logo and corporate identity
3. 4 x increase in Prize money
4.   ‘Solidarity’ fund for poorer clubs
5. Pre-season Player Seminar
6. Appointment of Sportradar to provide Fraud Prevention and Detection Services
7. New Broadcast deal

• Taking a firm stand on and playing the lead role in protecting the integrity of football in Hong Kong
• Significantly expanding our football development activities and programmes resulting in more people playing football, more often and at a higher standard
• A particular focus on increasing the number of player opportunities in grass roots football, youth development and girls and women’s football
• A 434% increase in Coach Education courses
• The recruitment, training and assessment of additional referees and the creation of a Young Referees Academy
• One of our teams (South China) playing in the AFC Champions League Play-offs for the first time ever
• One of our teams (Kitchee) being very successful in the AFC Cup (semi-finalists)
• Our U16 team qualifying for the first time ever for the U16 AFC Regional Finals
• The Senior men’s team progressing to the R16 in the Asian Games
• The organization of significantly more events and competitions including a friendly match against Argentina, 2014 World Cup Runners up
• Introduction of new Futsal Competition in Schools
• Actively participating in a number of AFC/FIFA initiatives including:

1. FIFA Goal Programme
2. FIFA Pitch Improvement Programme
3. FIFA Performance Programme
4. FIFA Connect Programme
5. AFC Kick Off Programme

• Implementing a number of corporate initiatives designed to make the organization more effective, efficient and economic including:

1. Office Refurbishment
2. Review of Corporate Governance
3. Risk Assessment
4. New Internal Audit Committee
5. Working on new integrated IT system
6. Performance Appraisal system

• Hosted FIFA/AFC Regional Seminar and Centennial Dinner
• Enhanced Marketing and Promotion which has raised our profile and enhanced our reputation. A survey is being undertaken at Premier League matches which will be used to further focus our efforts on customer service  

In my opinion these are tangible indicators that things are moving in the right direction. I don’t think many of them would have happened without Project Phoenix. We are proud of what we have achieved so far - but we will not rest on our laurels. We understand that the world of football is forever changing and that the HKFA needs to continuously improve. We are determined to build on our recent successes, to strive for excellence in all we do and to use our new Strategic Plan to ‘Aim High’, and build on the success of Project Phoenix, may it rest in peace!

 

Mark Sutcliffe November 2014

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「鳳凰計劃」宣告終結

本人的CEO 網誌如同等巴士一樣，有時需要長時間守候一班車的到來，偶爾也會出現兩車呼嘯而至的情景！

一個以振興本港足球發展為目標、由二○一一年十一月開始至二○一四年十月結束、為期三年的政府資助計劃—「鳳凰計劃」終於功成身退！本人明白到不同人士對其成效持有不同觀點，就我個人觀點而言，我現時正帶領著一間與兩年前本人入職時截然不同的機構邁步前進！從足總內部看占這些變化是明顯的，本人深明機構以外的人難以即時察覺這些不顯眼的改動；然而，就是這些不露痕跡的轉變，令足總變得更加有效率地管治、組織和管理香港足球發展。在「鳳凰計劃」的三十三個建議改革方案中，大部分目標經已圓滿達標，而尚餘部分或在進行中、或根據其性質仍在發展。最近，本人已將計劃的檢討報告呈交予政府的足球專責小組，而成員亦表示「滿意」計劃的成效，由此看出政府對該計劃給予了高度讚揚！

改變從來不是一件容易的事情，本人在某些地方曾經努力尋求突破。舉個例，需求殷切的足球訓練中心始終寸步難移，固然令人失望，但缺乏其他業界人士的支持，足總不能單憑一己之力，便能將一切否極泰來。

在過去數年間，我們積極打好根基，為一切作好準備，如今已開始步入收成期。對於足總而言，二○一四是意義非凡的一年，特別是足總成立一百週年的大日子。由一九一四年成立至今，足總在各項領域不斷發展和進步，無論場內場外都要做到盡善盡美。在董事局成員、秘書處以及眾多合作夥伴的辛勤付出和緊密合作的共同努力下，才能取得今天豐碩的成果。

在過去艱辛歲月所作出的努力和貢獻，在此難以細表，然而部分重點亦可和大家分享，包括：

• 貫徹執行「鳳凰計劃」的倡議方案並取得香港特區政府和其他相關人士的認可，深明所採取的方案是為香港足球事業的長遠發展奠定穩固根基。
• 制訂新的五年策略計劃書《力爭上游 — 萬眾一心》（中文譯名），作為足總與香港特區政府達成新的五年資助計劃協議的催化劑，以達成改革進程。
• 在落實球會牌照制度下，成立首屆中銀集團人壽香港超級聯賽，包括：

1. 新的聯賽冠名贊助商
2. 一個全新的品牌、聯賽形象、商標
3. 比賽獎金升幅高達四倍
4. 「種子」基金以幫助較貧乏的球會
5. 季前球員講座
6. 委託Sportradar為本土賽事提供「反欺詐系統和偵測服務」
7. 新的電視轉播協議

• 恪守捍衛香港足球運動的廉潔形象，體現足球賽事的專業精神。
• 積極增加更多足球發展活動計劃，務求讓更多人享受足球樂趣，能夠經常參與以達致更高水平
• 特別重視草根足球、青少年發展以及女子足球項目，提供更多機會讓年青人參與
• 教練培訓課程激增了434%
• 為更多裁判員提供專業培訓及評估工作，並成立青年裁判訓練課程
• 本地球會(南華) 歷史性獲得亞洲聯賽冠軍盃附加賽參賽資格
• 本地球會(傑志)在2014年亞協盃中戰績彪炳(晉身四強)
• 香港十六歲以下代表隊歷史性打入亞洲足協U16決賽週
• 香港男子代表隊成功晉身仁川亞運足球項目的十六強賽事
• 舉辦更多的活動和比賽，包括與二一四年世界盃亞軍阿根廷進行友誼賽
• 引入全新的學界五人足球賽事
• 積極參與不同類型的國際足協／亞洲足協計劃，包括：

1. 國際足協「Goal」計劃
2. 國際足協「草地改善」計劃
3. 國際足協「Performance」項目
4. 國際足協「Connect」項目
5. 亞洲足協「Kick Off」項目

• 執行多項機構管治的相關措施，務求提升足總的架構管治和財務管理能力，其中包括：

1. 大樓翻新工程
2. 機構管治檢討工作
3. 危機評估
4. 成立全新的內部審核委員會
5. 整合新的資訊科技系統
6. 表現評估系統

• 舉辦「國際足協／亞洲足協地區性專題研討會」 以及足總百週年晚宴
• 加強市場宣傳和推廣工作，務求提升足總信譽和形象。同時，在本球季的香港超級聯賽賽事中進行問卷調查，進一步加強和迎合球迷的訴求！  

依我看來，上述一些有形的指標引證了一切皆在正確的方向前進。倘若在沒有「鳳凰計劃」的支持下，我深信大部分目標都不會實踐，因此我們對於目前所取得的成就而深感自豪，但我們不能永遠滿足於眼前的成績。足總深深明白全球足壇將會不停變革，而我們亦需要持續改善。足總決定將在我們最近所獲得的成果繼續追求卓越，透過全新策劃方案來「力爭上游」，讓「鳳凰計劃」所付出的心血不致付諸東流！

薜基輔

二○一四年十一月