62OLYMPIC REVIEWKNOWLEDGE TRANSFERSUPPORTNETWORKSUSANNA CLARKELOOKS AT THE INTERNATIONALOLYMPIC COMMITTEE'S PLATFORM OF KNOWLEDGETRANSFER, WHICH CARRIES LESSONS LEARNT FROMONE ORGANISING COMMITTEE TO OTHERSThe day a city decides to bid for the OlympicGames marks the first day of a very steep learning curve. Most members of the bid and then Organising Committees and their public partners will be embarking on this journey for the first time. Moreover, the many different sports, together with the cultural and educationalprogrammes, the Olympic torch relay, the ceremoniesand many other exciting activities taking place across the city, make the Olympic Games perhaps the most complex undertaking that a host city will ever face. This is where help from the International OlympicCommittee (IOC), through its Knowledge Transferprogramme, proves invaluable. The IOC is the linkbetween past, present and future OrganisingCommittees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs). It selectshost cities, monitors the project, and assists theorganisers in their Herculean task. But one of its mostimportant roles is also one of the least visible: tocapture all the valuable experiences from OlympicGames host cities and present them in a way thatbest helps those who need to learn from them. This is the IOC platform of knowledge services and itsupports the entire organisation of the Games. "Managing knowledge is at the core of ourmission," explains Gilbert Felli, the IOC ExecutiveDirector for the Olympic Games. "Carefullydocumenting what Games organisers do, sharing bestpractices and making available everything we'velearnt from the recent past has become an invaluablesupport to the OCOGs and their partners. SuccessfulAboveThe IOC'splatform ofknowledgeservices allowsGames OrganisingCommittees tolearn from theexperience offormer organisers

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFEROLYMPIC REVIEW63knowledge management and transfer is aboutchecking there is always enough high-quality oil inyour engine. It enables you to perform and itcontributes largely to organisational excellence. But itgoes beyond the field of play and the event itself. Itencompasses sustainability and legacy aspects,making sure that whatever is built for the Games isalways designed with legacy in mind."Knowledge Transfer also goes further than merelyassisting Organising Committees. As Philippe Furrer,who heads the Olympic Games KnowledgeManagement (OGKM) programme at the IOC, explains:"Who knows what the world will be like in 20 years? It requires the IOC to remain on top of things, to beaware of new trends and consumption modes, as wellas new methods and technology. Working hand-in-hand with OCOGs and all other partners helps usunderstand and define the parameters of futureeditions of the Games."The IOC's platform of knowledge services aims tohelp bid cities and Organising Committees developtheir own vision and understand how a host city andits citizens can benefit from the long-lasting impact of the Games, while managing the opportunities andrisks that such an event produces. The programmeconsists of three main elements: services, personalexperience and information. SERVICESThe services include workshops and seminars, as wellas a network of advisers with Games experience thatthe OCOGs are able to call upon throughout theirlifecycle. OCOGs can take advantage of a series oftailor-made and interactive workshops and seminarsrun by advisers and held in the host city. There are 20 to 30 held each year on topics such as telecomstechnology, signage and sustainability.PERSONAL EXPERIENCEOCOGs are also able to gain personal experience onGames preparations and operations, which isinvaluable for their learning process. One of the bestways this can be achieved is through the secondmentprogramme, in which members of OCOGs take short-term positions at another Organising Committeeduring Games time. ?