EU-Project „North East ParaSport Exchange“ (ParaX)

The entire sector of Paralympic Sport is currently experiencing a profound change. In response to the growth of participation and public recognition of Paralympic Sports the challenges and expectations in terms of professionalization, transparency, accountability and ethical behaviour have increased. Many of the organisations active in the field of ParaSports have just recently started their path to professionalization. Knowledge and experience regarding effective sports management, good governance and human resource development still vary between the different organisations. 

The primary objective is to facilitate the development of ParaSport in the region of North-Eastern Europe, and to help establishing professional structures with a focus on effective management, good governance, human resource management, communication, networking and leadership. A structured mobility scheme for staff and volunteers is developed and employed to link the Paralympic Committees of the Baltic and Nordic States, in order to allow mutual exchange, to offer insight into good practices and to thrive from each others experiences. The thematic details are commonly elaborated and adapted to the actual needs of all participants, in order to create input that is applicable. 

In order to identify relevant development gaps and needs, matching good practices and related learning opportunities, first, a Needs Assessment and Matching Phase is undertaken. Then, two Mobility Blocks take place in Scandinavia, where ParaSports staff and volunteers from Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania participate in individually tailored programmes. In a Sustainability Phase, the mobility experiences will be systematically analysed and translated into individual and organisational action plans. The North-East ParaSport Exchange Project is funded by the European Union.