Keeping Sport Real Today and Tomorrow: The ITA launches 2023-2026 Strategic Plan
Keeping sport real today and tomorrow
The new ITA Strategic Plan was crafted during 2022 by the organization’s senior management, which identified pain points, weaknesses and threats as well as success factors, strengths and opportunities, and outlined the areas of focus for the next four years. As part of this work, the Chair and members of the ITA Board of Trustees made valuable contributions to the strategic goals. The Strategic Plan was finalized with a commitment to seek and incorporate feedback from a wide range of stakeholders from the anti-doping and sports communities; such as athletes, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Sports Federations and their governing bodies, and national and regional anti-doping organizations. Inspired by the ITA’s official slogan, it aims to inspire everyone involved in the implementation of the plan to “keep sport real today and tomorrow”.
“As I look back over the past four years since ITA’s inception, I can say with confidence that I am impressed by what our team has been able to achieve in such a short time with the support of many key stakeholders,” said ITA Foundation Board Chair Dr. Valerie Fourneyron. “With dedication and focus on quality performance, ITA has managed to earn the trust of the sports community and prove that independence and expertise in the field of clean sport is of paramount importance. We managed to convince many stakeholders of the advantages of a partnership or cooperation with the ITA. However, the first years of our existence have also shown that there is still a lot to be done – with regard to further advocacy for independent anti-doping programs, the further positioning of the ITA, the further development into an organization that makes a major contribution to promotion of clean sport around the world. The ITA Strategic Plan 2023-2026 addresses these challenges and aims to build on the organization’s strengths. The Board, which I have the honor to chair, and I very much look forward to supporting the ITA operational team in the implementation of this ambitious plan in the years to come.”
ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen: “This new ITA Strategic Plan will serve as a compass for me and the ITA team over the next four years. So far we have achieved more than we set out to do since our organization was founded. More than 60 sports organizations have chosen to believe in our common goal of providing athletes with clean sports programs they can fully trust. We conducted two successful anti-doping missions for the Olympic Games. We have established collaborations with dozens of relevant stakeholders. We were able to gather almost 100 motivated anti-doping experts under our roof. We have put a lot of effort into innovation, prevention, education and a business model that combines quality with efficiency. But this is just the beginning of our journey. There is still a long way to go and the next phase of our development aims to solidify the long-term future of the ITA. We are here to serve athletes and the wider anti-doping community by upholding the values that make sport such an important part of society: fair play, integrity and respect. My team and I are ready to roll up our sleeves and ensure we keep working towards this mission and never stop improving.”