WI get down to W/Cup 2007 preparations

ANTIGUA: Amidst the pomp and ceremony experienced during the recent visit by top International Cricket Council (ICC) officials to the region, that formally made the West Indies official hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007, the region was rolling up its sleeves and getting down to an intense period of preparation and implementation.

At the signing of the Host Agreement between the ICC and WICB on November 3, our President, Teddy Griffith declared that the West Indies were approaching the hosting of the sporting event with the “utmost seriousness and resolve.” This disposition has been demonstrated in a number of ways — through a host venue selection tender, a global search for consultants in Human Resource Management and Development (HRM&D) as well as receiving a commitment from CARICOM Heads to set up mechanisms to ensure that preparations for the ICC CWC 2007 run smoothly. The popular saying declares, “Timing is everything.” The Board is aware of the importance of time in the preparation process and has recently released to the media and integral stakeholders a final schedule for the Host Venue Selection process as well as an updated schedule for the bidding process for an HRM&D consultancy. There are a number of key dates of which the region needs to be aware. Firstly, countries wishing to host matches have until May 6, 2004 to submit bids.

Other key timings in the master schedule include the distribution of bid books to heads of Government and bid committees on February 19, 2004 and the deadline for committees to submit letters of intent to formally bid for matches on March 10, 2004. A month that the region’s peoples can eagerly anticipate is July 2004 when the award of matches to host venues is due to be announced during a live televised press conference. Chris Dehring, Managing Director of the organisation established to run the event, ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc, said the detailed schedule “is intended to assist our countries in producing the best bids possible to satisfy the challenging requirements of the ICC Host Agreement.” And so far, eight countries have officially registered their bid committees since the process began early last month. They are St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Cayman Islands, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Barbados and Guyana. We anticipate that as many as five more bid committees will register by tomorrow’s deadline. Of course even the best venues would not be utilised to their full potential if the human resource expertise was lacking or inadequate.

On November 13 the ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc announced the start of its search for a company or consortium of companies to act as HRM&D consultants. The human resource experts chosen through this tender will assist us in ensuring that a world class organisation is in place to run the ICC CWC 2007. Their services will include job analysis and design, recruitment, compensation management, orientation, training and development. Key timings include the submission of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to the St Michael, Barbados HR Committee office on December 12, the announcement of short-listed finalists on December 22, their presentations in Barbados on January 5, 2004 and the announcement of the consultants on January 8, 2004. The consultants are due to begin work on January 15, 2004.

Finally, we are heartened by the commitment of the region’s political will to the successful staging of the ICC CWC 2007. In the middle of November at the Ninth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Castries, St. Lucia, the leaders decided to set up a technical working group to help expand the mandate and membership of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket. We are satisfied that our preparations are evolving into a process of effective implementation. The Board, and indeed the region, can look forward to the harvest that this period of sowing will reap in coming weeks, months and years.