Are agile methods suitable for voluntary associations and non-profit organizations? That the answer is clearly “yes” proves the climbing association (Kletterverband) Vorarlberg.

Many associations struggle with the challenge of organizing the management and organizational structure in such a way that cooperation works efficiently and smoothly and all participants are satisfied. The STAGILE® Management Framework is very well suited for this purpose, with the same results as in software or industry projects: Higher transparency, better output and more satisfied members.

When Martin Reischmann took over the management of the climbing association Vorarlberg in May 2019, he immediately started the “agilisation” and strategic reorientation of the association. As a first step he organized a strategy workshop, in which the mission statement was renewed and the vision for 2025 was defined. With the help of the planning game method, a roadmap for 2020 was then drawn up. The operative processing is carried out with the core elements of the STAGILE® method and with the help of the ALEAS Board.

The meeting structure was also reorganized. “The time between coordination meetings seemed too long and not result-oriented enough,” says Martin Reischmann. SPRINT planning meetings are now held every six weeks, with SCRUM meetings in between. If possible, the SPRINT meetings are held in person, the SCRUM meetings are usually held remotely. Martin Reischmann emphasizes the value of a suitable tool: “The switch to digital voting sessions, which was partly forced by Covid-19, was made much easier by the use of the ALEAS Board”.

In addition to the fact that the focus on strategic initiatives and further development has increased massively due to the introduction of agile working methods, the implementation of operational tasks has also increased significantly.

The positive effects can be seen at various levels:

• Significantly increased satisfaction of the association members
• Project implementation was significantly optimized, for example, the “Rotare” project was realized very effectively and efficiently.
• Very positive feedback on the development of the association from important stakeholders – athletes and their families, the government of Vorarlberg, the Olympic Center, the Austrian Climbing Federation, …
• Great athletic achievements of the athletes – top rankings, increase in nominations for the national team, …

The agile methods and formats have now become firmly established, are an integral part of the daily work and are definitely one of the success factors for the successful development of the climbing association.

The climbing association Vorarlberg

The Kletterverband Vorarlberg (KVV) is responsible for the top/performance sport of climbing in Vorarlberg. The KVV pursues the goal of placing as many climbers as possible in the Austrian national team and to promote top performances, so that top placements at European and World Championships are possible, in order to finally be able to see Vorarlberg climbers as Olympic starters.

You can find further information about the climbing association Vorarlberg (KVV) under www.klettern-vorarlberg.at as well as www.instagram.com/kletterverbandvorarlberg

Photo by Mark Amann (KVV trainer)