European Sport Governance, Citizens, And The State

Abstract

Theoretical debates surrounding relationships between government, Third Sector organisations, and the citizens they engage with have focussed on managerial concepts of co-production, co-management, and co-governance in the delivery of services. Considering European sport governing federations (specifically those of football/soccer) within the Third Sector, the scale of managing service delivery invites a closer look at co-involvement with citizens and the State along these theoretical dimensions. Co-production, in this case, can be defined as citizens acting together with federations in developing and implementing service provision, for example, volunteers actively involved with organising local level initiatives and activities. Co-management exists when federations work together with the State and citizens in the daily management of their sport governance role. Finally, co-governance actively involves government, federations and citizens in creating public policy and practice. These elements can co-exist; what matters for sport governance is that they involve a deep level of sustainable co-involvement and sharing of responsibility between federations, the State, and the citizens they represent..

Key words:

• Co-production
• football
• sport governance
• public management

Notes

1 For a discussion on the blurry nature of NPO/Third Sector terminology, see Brandsen et al. (2005).

2 Lucy Faulkner of the English Football Association is an outstanding proponent of the development of these policies, both in the UK and abroad.