Offered as part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s long-term Information, Knowledge and Games Learning (IKL) programme to support the planning, delivery and legacy for upcoming Olympic Games hosts, the Observers Programme for Paris 2024 provides future Organising Committees with unique learning opportunities, enabling them to gather key Games-time data and information that will be essential for optimising their own Games plans.
More than 400 officials from the Organising Committees for Milano Cortina 2026, Dakar 2026, LA28 and Brisbane 2032, plus representatives of the newly-elected French Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Committees, are currently in Paris as part of the programme, which is the most comprehensive ever offered by the IOC.
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Over 21 days, more than 80 different activities have been planned across six learning tracks, including observation of Games-time operations, expert-led presentations, roundtable discussions and various “Day in the Life” experiences with specific stakeholder groups.
“The Observers Programme is really an opportunity for future Organising Committees to see and understand what goes on during the Games,” explains Chris Payne, IKL Associate Director at the IOC. “Having an understanding of the scale and complexity of the Games is hugely beneficial in their own individual learning journeys, and this is consistently one of the most valuable learning programmes we run.”
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Optimised and innovative planning
With similar programmes during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 subject to certain limitations due to the COVID-19 countermeasures, Paris 2024 is providing future hosts with the opportunity to leverage the full experiential learning opportunities provided by the Observers Programme.
Reynold Hoover, CEO of the LA28 Organising Committee, is among those to recognise the importance of the activities delivered through the IKL programme, and how key it is that current and future Games organisers can come together to exchange knowledge.
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He said: “The Olympic Games Paris 2024 are the only opportunity for us to see the Summer Games in action, at scale and with spectators, prior to 2028. The IOC’s Observers Programme, in collaboration with Paris 2024, has been invaluable to provide our staff and partners with behind-the-scenes access and a massive amount of information on every facet of the Games, which will surely inform our own plans for 2028. We thank the IOC and Paris 2024 for their well-organised, efficient and thoughtful Observers Programme.”
Similarly, Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee CEO Cindy Hook has been impressed by the activities offered by the programme, which is being delivered jointly by the IOC and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee.
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“The IOC and Paris 2024 teams have delivered an incredible learning experience,” she says. “As we are in the foundational planning stages to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it’s important we learn from our counterparts and understand in real time how one of the biggest events in the world is delivered.
“My team and I are grateful for the access, time and thought that have been put into the Observers Programme for future Organising Committees to participate in. We will return to Australia post Games with new-found knowledge and connections, ensuring we continue optimised and innovative planning.”
“Seeds of knowledge”
While each Olympic Games are unique, with their own individual flavour and vision, IKL Associate Director Chris Payne believes the Observers Programme Paris 2024 is providing the inspiration for future hosts to take what they have learnt and develop it in their own context.
According to Payne, the response that he has received from the future hosts about their experiences in Paris also underlines the value of the Observers Programme.
We've had really positive feedback so far from all the participants. It's obviously working, they're appreciating it, they're learning a huge amount and, hopefully, they’re benefiting from it.
Chris PayneIKL Associate Director
The IOC first developed a knowledge transfer programme during preparations for the Olympic Games Sydney 2000. This led to the creation in 2003 of the Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM) programme, to enhance the transfer of knowledge to future Organising Committees.
Now known as IKL, the programme remains focused on putting each Organising Committee on the path towards the successful delivery of its edition of the Olympic Games, with the IKL Unit offering a wide range of services, materials and learning opportunities to Organising Committees throughout their preparations.
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This includes interactive training sessions, a vast library of Games reference guides and access to knowledge and learning platforms that contain vital information from previous Games editions. All of these resources help Organising Committees develop their own vision and understand how a host city and its citizens can benefit from the long-lasting impact and legacy of the Games, which aligns with the aims of the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 strategic roadmap.
