Passing the torch: NOC Services at the Games and the art of the Olympic knowledge transfer

On the surface, Olympic Games debriefs appear to be a relatively straightforward process of inquiry and analysis: What worked? What didn’t? And how can things be improved for future editions?

But with an undertaking as large and complex as the Olympic Games, any such transfer of knowledge requires detailed planning and effective collaboration to be executed successfully.

Over the years, a number of measures have been introduced to help future Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) distil the vast amount of data and information they receive into manageable, actionable insights – all tailored to their specific editions with the best interests of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and their athletes in mind.

Chief among them are the post-Games debriefs. The Paris 2024 Debrief was jointly organised by the IOC and Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) from 21-22 November in Lausanne. Featuring representatives from a wide cross-section of NOCs from different continents, the gathering allowed future OCOGs to not only learn from the experiences, best practices and issues of Paris 2024 but also from the feedback the NOCs provided on how to rationalise and optimise service levels.

It also gave those future OCOGs the opportunity to pose vital questions to those who lived the experience: 26 NOCs representing all continents and a range of delegation sizes provided feedback on their Paris 2024 journey.

“The debriefs are a really great opportunity for future OCOGs to sit and listen to the previous host and IOC,” said Danielle Lopez, NCS Director at LA28. “But we’re also there to say ‘Wait, when you said that, what did you mean by it? Why was it an issue? If you could do it again, what would you have done differently?’”

Only by probing deeper, Lopez suggests, can future OCOGs better assess whether a particular issue is relevant to them. Contextualisation is key, requiring the right questions to be asked at the right time “to really leverage the power of the feedback.”

Another transfer-of-knowledge initiative the IOC has implemented during Games’ time is the organisation of NOC focus groups. NOCs are invited to share feedback on topics such as planning, pre-Games communications, Games operations, and more. The sessions provide real-time insights that are then compiled and analysed before recommendations are made at the conclusion of the final meeting.

Similarly, all Chefs de Missions are asked to fill out a questionnaire on the different services provided by NOC Athletes Games Services, jointly with ANOC, at the Games. Feedback is also received from the Olympians who participated in Paris via a separate questionnaire conducted by the IOC Athletes’ Department.

Since London 2012, NOC Athletes Games Services has offered future Organising Committees the opportunity to work alongside the IOC as secondees. The programme provides staff from NOC/NPC Relations and Services and Village Management teams with a real-time opportunity to observe the day-to-day activities of the Olympic Village and the roles performed by an OCOG NCS.

The programme allows NOC Athletes Games Services to show the secondees what is working well and what isn’t, and to explain to them how issues arose and how they were dealt with, all with an eye to avoiding similar occurrences at their edition of the Games.

“Working directly with the IOC behind the scenes gave me a much deeper understanding of how they operate and how they collaborate with NOCs,” said Antonella Cerasino, NOC Relations Manager Europe & Africa for the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee. “It was valuable because I previously only saw that from the outside – it helped me build stronger working relationships going forward.”

Familiar as they are with both Village operations and their OCOG colleagues, the secondees help manage tours with members of future hosts and Olympic city authorities. This is an excellent opportunity for them to highlight areas they feel are most relevant or pose the greatest risk to their edition of the Games.

Cerasino was a secondee in Paris 2024 for two weeks, where she assisted with everything from Opening Ceremony preparations to compiling statistics for the IOC. Meeting NOC representatives face to face was especially beneficial, she said, as the interactions gave her a much better understanding of their needs and perspectives.

“I could listen to them directly, understand their challenges, and think about how to respond in terms of our own edition of the Games,” she said. “That’s key to building trust and ensuring better service.”

Through debriefs, focus groups, questionnaires, and on-the-ground experience, NOC Athletes Games Services has developed a robust and multi-layered system not just for transferring Olympic knowledge but for transferring understanding as well.

And that’s a victory not only for future Olympic Games but for all NOCs and athletes that attend them.