A new Strategic Plan for the Chess Federation of Canada

[Vladimir Drkulec]

There could be two stages to a long term plan: 1) Before covid is finished and 2) after covid is extinguished. The uncertainty is how long it will take stage 1) to end, even if that stage much more favours the growth of organized chess in Canada.

Covid will never be extinguished. It will always be with us like colds and the flu. It won't be as deadly as it was in the past unless some new variant emerges. Very few die from COVID these days. It is not really relevant for our purposes or pretty much anyone else's.

[Kevin Pacey]

Fwiw, I have a chess friend a few years older [he's 65+] who is still afraid to venture into crowds or especially bars [sitting face-to-face]. Not sure how common that attitude is, at least among the older (not I). Also fwiw, here's a slightly old link about covid (hopefully okay in this part of the chess forum, just for the sake of argument):

cnbc.com/2023/01/30/who-says-covid-remains-a-global-emergency-but-pandemic-could-near-its-end-in-2023:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/30/who-...d-in-2023.html

A later link [May 2023]:

cbc.ca/news/health/What the end of the [global] COVID emergency [as declared by WHO] means for Canada [Crisis exposed flaws in health-care system that must urgently be addressed: experts; Somewhat old 2nd Opinion on when will COVID be over, period, given as link...]:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canad...on%20hospitals.

I follow COVID news on and off, and there are still contagious new variants coming out of various parts of the world even nowadays. When it comes to a new long-term plan for the CFC, I don't know if a classical style business plan can use IF THEN ELSE algorithm style case planning for e.g. if new highly worrisome variants arise before 10 years on (or not), if my concerns about variants giving new life to COVID are founded. Looking back, if an updated plan (since 2012) had been made sooner than 2019, COVID might have thrown it off-kilter, but at least that was a Black Swan event out of nowhere.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

Fwiw, I have a chess friend a few years older [he's 65+] who is still afraid to venture into crowds or especially bars [sitting face-to-face]. Not sure how common that attitude is, at least among the older (not I). Also fwiw, here's a slightly old link about covid (hopefully okay in this part of the chess forum, just for the sake of argument):

cnbc.com/2023/01/30/who-says-covid-remains-a-global-emergency-but-pandemic-could-near-its-end-in-2023:

I don't put much faith in anything that WHO says about anything. Yes Covid is still with us but the deaths from Covid are no longer with us. Currently Covid is less deadly than the flu according to the government statistics and also the anecdotal evidence from doctors.

For me, Covid led to the end of in-person lessons. This lost me some students but they have largely had their places taken by new students. At the Hamilton CYCC in 2022 I had my last two in-person lessons with students from BC and New Brunswick and it felt alien and limited relative to what was possible with an online lesson (mainly returning to a position without having to rearrange the pieces on the board with the inevitable misplaced piece). I don't have to drive to lessons anymore so this usually saves half an hour each way.

I find that the more serious students, which are the most fun teaching are comfortable with online lessons and the bandwidth and ability to transfer chess information is greater plus I don't have the risk of car accidents (may my old Lincoln rest in peace and pieces) and hit and run incidents in library parking lots which really needed to be factored in when evaluating the utility and costs of face to face lessons.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/30/who-...d-in-2023.html

A later link [May 2023]:

cbc.ca/news/health/What the end of the [global] COVID emergency [as declared by WHO] means for Canada [Crisis exposed flaws in health-care system that must urgently be addressed: experts; Somewhat old 2nd Opinion on when will COVID be over, period, given as link...]:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canad...on%20hospitals.

I follow COVID news on and off, and there are still contagious new variants coming out of various parts of the world even nowadays. When it comes to a new long-term plan for the CFC, I don't know if a classical style business plan can use IF THEN ELSE algorithm style case planning for e.g. if new highly worrisome variants arise before 10 years on (or not), if my concerns about variants giving new life to COVID are founded. Looking back, if an updated plan (since 2012) had been made sooner than 2019, COVID might have thrown it off-kilter, but at least that was a Black Swan event out of nowhere.

[Kevin Pacey]

Hi Vlad. I private messaged you recently, in case you missed it.

Kevin

[Kevin Pacey]

Hi Vlad. I private messaged you recently, in case you missed it.

Kevin

Another private msg for you, again.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

A POSSIBLE STRATEGIC PLAN OUTLINE

I. Executive Summary

• Overview of the strategic plan
• Key goals and objectives
• Key performance indicators

II. Vision and Mission

• Reaffirm the organization's vision for the future
• Revisit and refine the mission statement

III. SWOT Analysis

• Assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing CFC
• Identify internal and external factors that will impact the organization's success

IV. Core Values and Guiding Principles

• Clearly define the core values that will guide decision-making and actions
• Set guiding principles to ensure alignment with the mission and vision

V. Long-Term Goals and Objectives

• Define the long-term goals for CFC for the next five to ten years
• Break down each goal into specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives

VI. Strategies and Initiatives

• Develop strategies and initiatives to achieve each objective
• Consider marketing, outreach, partnerships, organizational structure, and funding strategies

VII. Financial Planning and Resource Allocation

• Analyze the financial needs and resources required to implement the strategic plan
• Develop a budget and allocate resources to support the initiatives

VIII. Membership Growth and Engagement

• Set targets for membership growth over the next five to ten years
• Implement initiatives to attract new members and retain existing ones
• Enhance member engagement through events, programs, and online platforms

IX. Talent Development and Coaching

• Develop programs to nurture young chess talent and support the growth of Canadian players
• Invest in coaching and training resources to improve player skills at all levels

X. Community Outreach and Partnerships

• Strengthen relationships with local communities, schools, and organizations to promote chess
• Seek partnerships and collaborations to expand CFC's reach and impact

XI. Digital Transformation and Technology

• Embrace digital tools and technology to enhance communication, member services, and tournament management
• Develop an online platform for chess enthusiasts to connect and play

XII. Event Management and Promotion

• Plan and promote national and international chess events to attract participants and sponsors
• Establish a calendar of events and tournaments

XIII. Governance and Leadership

• Review and update the governance structure to ensure effective decision-making and accountability
• Invest in leadership development programs for board members and staff

XIV. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Establish a system to monitor progress towards goals and objectives
• Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives and make adjustments as needed

XV. Risk Management

• Identify potential risks and develop contingency plans to mitigate them
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements

XVI. Sustainability and Fundraising

• Develop a sustainable funding model for the organization
• Explore various fundraising strategies, including grants, sponsorships, and donations

XVII. Communication and Public Relations

• Enhance CFC's public image through effective communication and media outreach
• Use storytelling to showcase the impact of chess and the organization's initiatives

XVIII. Implementation Timeline

• Create a detailed timeline for the implementation of the strategic plan, including milestones and deadlines

XIX. Review and Updates

• Establish a process for regular review and updates of the strategic plan to adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities

XX. Conclusion

• Recap the key points of the strategic plan
• Emphasize the organization's commitment to achieving its long-term vision and mission

With a such long list of possible tasks -> How many people do you estimate the CFC would need? Just relying on volunteers I doubt that this can be accomplished.

Like this
"XVII. Communication and Public Relations

Enhance CFC's public image through effective communication and media outreach"

It is in the core of the CFC to provide a publication. Having even the budget, the newsletters gets out so rarely that it becomes more less like a yearbook.
Don't remember any other mass email from the CFC except the call for the AGMs.

[Kevin Pacey]

At least maybe a formula for an estimate of number of CFC volunteers available in future might prove useful. Take N = number of Adult CFC members + number Life CFC Members. Then number of volunteers available at some point in time might be estimated as N x K where K could be historically known, say K = 1 in 50 of N have become volunteers in the past (especially if local organizers have habitually in the past done any sort of recruiting attempt of volunteers).

[Vladimir Drkulec]

At least maybe a formula for an estimate of number of CFC volunteers available in future might prove useful. Take N = number of Adult CFC members + number Life CFC Members. Then number of volunteers available at some point in time might be estimated as N x K where K could be historically known, say K = 1 in 50 of N have become volunteers in the past (especially if local organizers have habitually in the past done any sort of recruiting attempt of volunteers).

Volunteers are important and we do seem to attract them though sometimes we have trouble integrating them into our mix.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

When asking students to evaluate a position, I sometimes ask them to imagine if they were not bound by the rules but could simply pick up a piece or several pieces and move them anywhere on the board, which pieces would they move and where would they put them?

A similar exercise in the context of developing a strategic plan would be to imagine an ideal end state for chess in Canada. What would that look like?

[Vladimir Drkulec]

With a such long list of possible tasks -> How many people do you estimate the CFC would need? Just relying on volunteers I doubt that this can be accomplished.

Like this
"XVII. Communication and Public Relations

Enhance CFC's public image through effective communication and media outreach"

It is in the core of the CFC to provide a publication. Having even the budget, the newsletters gets out so rarely that it becomes more less like a yearbook.
Don't remember any other mass email from the CFC except the call for the AGMs.

You actually have to be careful with emails as some people get upset when you send them. Very upset. People don't read the newsletters though they are of good quality when they are sent out.

We will likely try to do it with volunteers though there is a possibility to enlist outside help but we need to have everything laid out and have a good idea of what we are trying to accomplish before we enlist that outside help.