How a Legal Project Manager would have picked the England team
Last week we sat down with Mo’ Patel to discuss the intertwining of his career as a Legal Project Manager and his passion for football management and coaching. A large part of that piece looked at the skills required to do both jobs in the face of the challenges each career presents.
Vario believes that at the core of Legal Project Management is the principle that legal professionals are best suited to doing legal work. Whilst this might seem obvious, the reality is that a large portion of their time is spent having to work on non-legal matters. A key part of our offering is therefore to assist legal teams in building a structured but flexible project plan that ensures that the right people are doing the right work at the right time.
One of the biggest talking points before any major football tournament is the debate over which players will be in the squad and on the plane. Now that the tournament is underway, many fans will have put this debate to one side, at least until their team is eliminated.
However, we wanted to continue that particular conversation through the lens of Vario’s service offering. So, as a follow-up to our last piece, we asked Mo’ to produce a high-level project plan for how he would go about picking the England squad.
Project Plan: Selecting the England Squad for Euro 2024
ENGAGE
Objective: to engage stakeholders and gather comprehensive input on player selection criteria and potential squad members.
Steps:
1. Identify Stakeholders
- FA officials
- Coaching Staff
- Scouts and analysts
- Players
- Media representatives
2. Define Selection Criteria
- Performance metrics (club performance, international experience)
- Player fitness and injury history
- Positional needs and tactical fit
- Team chemistry and off-field behaviour
3. Conduct Stakeholder Meetings
- Hold workshops and meetings with the coaching staff, FA officials and players
- Conduct interviews with team scouts and analysts
- Organise focus groups with fans and media representatives for broader perspectives
4. Gather Data and Feedback
- Collect performance data from clubs and international matches
- Use sports analytics tools for in-depth analysis
- Solicit feedback from stakeholders via surveys and interviews
DELIVER
Objective: to execute the selection process and finalise the squad list.
Steps:
1. Shortlist Potential Players
- Analyse collected data to create a preliminary list of candidates
- Apply selection criteria to narrow down the list
2.Evaluate Shortlisted Players
- Review match footage and detailed performance reports
- Conduct fitness assessments and medical examinations
- Organise training camps and friendly matches to observe player dynamics
3. Make Final Selection
- Hold a final meeting with the coaching staff and FA officials to discuss findings
- Reach a consensus on the final squad selection
- Prepare an official announcement and press release
4. Communicate Decision
- Inform selected players and their respective clubs
- Communicate with non-selected players to provide feedback
- Announce the squad to the public via a press conference and social media channels
CLOSE
Objective: to finalise preparations and ensure the squad is ready for the tournament.
Steps:
1. Finalise Logistics
- Confirm travel and accommodation arrangements for players and staff
- Ensure all necessary documentation and permits are in place
2. Conduct Final Preparations
- Organise final training sessions and strategy meetings
- Hold team-building activities to enhance squad cohesion
- Conduct media training for players to handle press interactions
3. Make Final Selection
- Hold a debriefing session with coaching staff to review the selection process
- Document lessons learned and areas for improvement
- Prepare a final report summarising the project outcomes and insights
Whilst not every project will involve picking a squad of English-qualified footballers, every Vario LPM will apply the same “Engage, Deliver, Close” approach. If you’re interested in finding out how we can help your legal team, please get in touch.