UEFA Toolbox in Football Management The Organisation of World Football

Elected and appointed representatives

Elected and appointed representatives

Why are they needed?

National associations are complex, multi-stakeholder organisations and there are a variety of different
governance models which exist around the world. Typically, the executive committee of a national
association should be made up of both elected and appointed members. It is necessary to have a clear
process for becoming a member, to ensure strong and competent representatives to lead the association
in the right direction.

Explanation of the tool

A national association’s top management needs to ensure that information on the executive committee,
including whether each member is elected or appointed, is communicated to all employees and is made
easily available to the public and to the stakeholders of the association (e.g. on the organisation’s
website).

Characteristics of an elected representative:

• They are voted in by the members of the national association, usually at the general assembly.
• The term length is usually up to four years; sometimes re-election for a second (or third) term is
allowed.
• Age limits are usually a minimum of 18 years old and a maximum of 70 or 75 years old.
• It is important for a national association’s members to be able to elect their own representatives to
the executive committee to provide them with confidence that it is acting in their best interests.
• It is also recommended that the executive committee features a balanced gender representation.

Characteristics of an appointed representative:

• They are either employed by the organisation to undertake a specific role (e.g. the general secretary)
or are appointed to a specific role by the president or executive committee without the involvement
of the members.
• Appointed members of the executive committee should possess specific skills or competence to
play a key role, which explains why the president or other executive committee members wish to
bring them on board.
• Recently, many national associations have chosen to appoint independent non-executive directors
to their executive committees to ensure greater scrutiny of finances, strategy, governance and
leadership.

A national association’s executive committee is responsible for ensuring that football is developed across
the country in the most efficient and effective manner. This includes:
• proper and efficient allocation of resources;
• overseeing any financial distributions to the organisation’s members;
• monitoring the work of the organisation, for instance the management of the national teams, the
domestic competitions, the commercial development, the governance and regulation of the game
as well as increasing participation and involvement.

The president is perhaps the most notable elected member as they take the leadership position as chair
of the general assembly and executive committee. They should provide confidence to the other
executive committee members that the organisation’s resources are being invested wisely and in line

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Elected and appointed representatives

with both the organisation’s strategy and the principles of good governance. The vice-president’s role
is to support the president in this regard.

As a national association has members that are keen to ensure their interests are being looked after,
elected members often come from specific areas of the football environment. Their role is to ensure that
their specific area (e.g. grassroots football) is properly considered and effectively resourced (from both
a financial and a personnel perspective) and that a clear strategy is in place in order to continue the
development of football in that specific area. A potential challenge is to ensure that elected members
are representing the wider membership and not just their own personal area of the game. To ensure this
is carefully managed, some national associations have appointed independent non-executive directors
who have no direct connection with any member of the national association. Typically, they will come
from a corporate background and are there to ensure that the organisation is being run in the best
possible manner and the executive committee is operating to the highest standards of governance. It is
also not unusual for the general secretary to attend the executive committee meetings as an appointed
member without voting rights.

An executive committee may also need to set up standing committees to assist it with its work (e.g. audit
and risk, international affairs and any club licensing needed as per the FIFA or confederation club
licensing regulations). Given that such committees require specialist skills, especially in the areas of
finance and law, members tend to be appointed rather than elected. However, good practice dictates
that these committee appointments should be for a defined period of time (e.g. four years for disciplinary
and club licensing).

Tips to remember for elected and appointed representatives

• It is important that within a national association’s statutes, members have the opportunity to elect
the president, the vice-president(s) and ordinary members of the executive committee.
• The executive committee should oversee the recruitment and appointment of the general secretary;
this should not be left to the decision of one person alone.
• It is seen as a positive move to have a balance of elected and appointed members on an executive
committee.
• Independent non-executive directors are becoming increasingly common and can be a force for
good governance, ensuring the executive committee is leading the organisation effectively and
efficiently.
• A national association should ensure equality and a diversity balance on its executive committee; it
may be necessary to implement a quota of at least one woman, for example.

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Elected and appointed representatives

Example: Executive committee of a national association

This is an example of how a national association organises its executive committee, showing whether the members are elected or appointed representatives. The
structure of this executive committee places a heavy emphasis on football development and its member clubs.

Elected
president

Elected Elected Elected General Independent non- Women's football

Elected vice- Elected vice- executive director representative
representative - representative - representative - secretary
president president (appointed) (appointed)
senior clubs youth clubs grassroots (appointed)

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Elected and appointed representatives

A template for you to use

Elected
president

Please note, the number of seats on the executive committee can vary from one national association to another.