FIFA has underlined its commitment to football development across the Caribbean at a FIFA Forward working session in Miami, United States.

The FIFA Forward programme provides tailor-made support for football development in all 211 FIFA member associations (MAs). Guided by three core principles - more investment, more impact and more oversight - its overarching aim is to enable football to reach its potential in every single country, and give everyone who wants to take part the opportunity to do so.

Seven Caribbean MAs - St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, and Grenada - were chosen to participate in the pilot event on 25 and 26 September, represented by their respective General Secretary and Forward Representative to work alongside the FIFA Regional Office on the committing of remaining FIFA Forward Project Funds from the 1.0 and 2.0 cycles.

During these working sessions, the participants engaged in collaborative plenary meetings involving all attendees to discuss and build capacity on the theory, processes, timings and financial components of the FIFA Forward Programme: National Teams Support and Infrastructure projects.

The primary objective of the two-day workshop, which was held in FIFA’s Americas hub in Miami was to provide MAs with targeted support to further professionalise their management of the FIFA Forward Programme; and to create a bespoke collaborative workspace and capacity-building opportunity for Member Associations’ administration, Regional Office, MA Services - and potentially other departments in the future - to work together on building comprehensive and impactful development projects.

Morning sessions focused on knowledge-sharing and case discussions on the theoretical and practical aspects of football infrastructure and national teams projects. Particular attention was given to the importance of planning and the preparation of successful projects, while also addressing compliance with financial regulations and processes mandated by the Programme. Both afternoons, each Member Association participated in one-to-one sessions with team members of Regional Office and MA Services working together on the finalisation of specific Forward projects, to be submitted before the end of the current year.

"FIFA remains deeply committed to advancing football development across the Americas, ensuring that FIFA Forward Programme funds are effectively utilised in every region. Our close collaboration with Member Associations (MAs) is vital in maintaining compliance and maximising the positive impact of these resources,” explained Jair Bertoni, FIFA Director of Member Associations Americas.

"We understand that some MAs still face challenges in allocating these funds, and we are dedicated to offering customised support to meet their specific needs. To help drive progress, we've introduced several solutions, including organising this work session in Miami.

"We commend the MAs actively participating in this event and engaging with the MA Americas Sub-division. Their dedication to channelling Forward funds into meaningful football development projects is crucial for driving growth across the region."

"The 2024 FIFA Forward Workshop facilitated through a working session, was very practical and timely," added Carl Lee, the Grenada Football Association's General Secretary. “Unlike previous years, this year catered for direct and specific questions and answers pertaining to MAs current situation.

"We were able to make the necessary adjustments in real time and had feedback provided, critiqued, and implemented in the same space. One addition for future working sessions is to have MAs with similar projects, work in groups to assist each other develop the project, which will be checked by the FIFA team.

"This workshop proved to be very insightful as it allowed us to observe new and efficient ways of going through the procurement process. The information shared from the presenters and participants was very welcoming," added St Kitts and Nevis Football Association general secretary, Techell McLean.

"The presenters were very knowledgeable of their subject areas and created an environment for learning and interaction. The presenters had an appreciation and understanding of our challenges within the region and offered guidance as to how to address such challenges.

"They taught us the importance of planning and budgeting and the process to accomplishing our end goal."