MUZSY / SHUTTERSTOCK

TALKING POINT

Successful strategies for navigating austerity cuts include flexible pricing, partnership working and income diversification

Dr Dan Parnell Senior lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University

navigate austerity

share management functions and access to

included flexible

participants; and being well-networked, with

pricing strategies,

links across other similar local and regional

strong partnership

organisations and community stakeholders.

Local authority sport and leisure services

working and income

continue to be at the sharp end of funding

diversification.

Ultimately, participation in sport is based on the user experience. The challenges

cuts and it has never been more important

In summarising

associated with austerity cuts are reducing

to consider how organisations navigate these

t h e p ro t e c t i v e

the quality of these experiences. To

management strategies utilised by

strategically move forward, more platforms

organisations and facility managers to

are required to allow large-, medium- and

transition and operating within a period of

navigate austerity, three characteristics

small-sized organisations and facilities

super-austerity. Recently we explored the

should be viewed as favourable. These are:

to network, share, inform and support

management strategies of non-profit sport

diversifying income streams; a link-up with a

and to assist in the development of

facilities in this era of austerity.

larger, established community organisation to

collective strategic capabilities.

constrained fiscal times. Local government is in a phase

The headline findings highlighted two major challenges – reduced local authority services (ie, funding for maintenance, repairs or parks teams) and increased site operating costs. The management strategies adopted by facility managers to successfully sportsmanagement.co.uk

More platforms are required to enable organisations and facility managers to develop collective strategic capabilities Issue 128 ď‚– November/December 2016 35