Why PlayForward?
Social, ecological, and digital transformations are reshaping the sport industry and creating new professional challenges. Future sport professionals must be able to rethink sport events – whether local or global – and plan and organise them in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable way, while making effective use of digital technologies.
Sport should also be recognised as a powerful instrument for social cohesion, capable of fostering democratic values and civic engagement across borders and beyond conflict.
What competences must a modern Sport Manager possess, and how can these be developed effectively? PlayForward has embarked on a three-year journey to design and test an innovative solution.
PlayForward Solution
PlayForward focuses on modernising the competence profile of the Sport Manager and designing a microcredential leading to a new professional qualification – the Sustainability Manager in Sport.
Sustainability is understood as an integrated concept encompassing social, environmental, and economic dimensions. It includes, among others, the use of AI-powered solutions throughout the sport event lifecycle, the assessment of environmental impact, and the active involvement of local communities, non-governmental organisations, and citizens in sport initiatives.
At the heart of PlayForward lies an innovative three-stage pedagogical model that effectively links how students learn with what they learn.
PlayForward Objectives
PlayForward project focuses on four main objectives:
- To update and validate the competence profile for the Sustainability Manager in Sport by integrating the dimensions of Civic Engagement, Green Sport, and AI-driven Business and Marketing
- To develop and ensure the long-term integration and recognition of the Microcredential Sustainability Manager in Sport
- To design, test, and implement an innovative action-oriented pedagogical model for the Sustainability Manager in Sport Microcredential
- To promote cross-sectoral adoption of the PlayForward approach and results
PlayForward Implementation
The transnational PlayForward team will begin by identifying the key competencies for the Sustainability Manager in Sport, validating them through expert panels, and consolidating them into a comprehensive competence profile. These findings will inform the development of the corresponding Microcredential “Sustainability Manager in Sport”, as well as its recognition mechanisms within higher education institutions and the sport industry.
A three-stage, action-based pedagogical model for Microcredential delivery will be developed, encompassing theatre-based online learning, job shadowing in a sport institution abroad, and service learning in a local sport organisation. The associated pedagogical resources will be created and integrated into a digital teaching–learning ecosystem.
The Microcredential will then be tested with transnational students, aiming for around 50 completions. A series of supporting tools and promotional events for various stakeholders will be developed to facilitate the adoption of the PlayForward approach.