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Child Item

Foireann an absolute disaster

tigerboon

Just wondering how other clubs getting on with Foireann? We decided to go with Clubforce this year to take the online registrations from members as Foireann was so far behind and we couldn't get any response from the helpdesk for queries. Only thing is we now have to register all our members on Foireann. The importing from Clubforce has been a disaster, half the members are missing and a lot of the others missing things like phone numbers need those details entered too before it's complete.
We now have a total mess with a huge number of duplicated members also. Even in my own family all the kids showing up as not registered when they are (their duplicates!). God knows whats going to happen from the 26th when training back and everyone logging in seeing that they're not registered even though they are. Any advice anyone?

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Stationmaster

As well as the officers ID what other documentation have clubs uploaded to finalise the stripe registration process?

gogo

Stationmaster wrote: »

As well as the officers ID what other documentation have clubs uploaded to finalise the stripe registration process?

Club constitution will work, I actually got away with a screenshot of the club crest and address details from club force but that was when it was relatively new and I’d imagine they were just flying through the approvals, when I tried it again for the camogie club it wouldn’t work, the constitution worked for them .

gogo

I have to say now that I have a handle on Foireann, I really think it will be a great system, it certainly solves the problem of what’s app group, which are the bane of my life, trying to stamp them out.
Foireann allows coaches to put up training and match schedules which I love.
There timing of it was wrong, especially this year when everyone just wanted to get back to playing, it’s was a headache on top of all the covid related issues, but I do think it’s the way forward. It’s a good system, but takes time to get used to, especially the way most clubs are run, as you need most of your admin proficient on it .. and most clubs will have at least one executive com. Member who can barely work there own email..
All in all though, I’m impressed with it!

Stationmaster

gogo wrote: »

Club constitution will work, I actually got away with a screenshot of the club crest and address details from club force but that was when it was relatively new and I’d imagine they were just flying through the approvals, when I tried it again for the camogie club it wouldn’t work, the constitution worked for them .

Thanks. I put the constitution through and there was one issue alright with our club name in English on the constitution and registered in Irish with Foireann but once I changed that it was fine.

luasaigh

gogo wrote: »

I have to say now that I have a handle on Foireann, I really think it will be a great system, it certainly solves the problem of what’s app group, which are the bane of my life, trying to stamp them out.
Foireann allows coaches to put up training and match schedules which I love.
There timing of it was wrong, especially this year when everyone just wanted to get back to playing, it’s was a headache on top of all the covid related issues, but I do think it’s the way forward. It’s a good system, but takes time to get used to, especially the way most clubs are run, as you need most of your admin proficient on it .. and most clubs will have at least one executive com. Member who can barely work there own email..
All in all though, I’m impressed with it!

Yes, I think they're doing a great job with Foireann. We need to keep that feedback going because we need them to keep making it better.

Mr Velo

luasaigh wrote: »

Yes, I think they're doing a great job with Foireann. We need to keep that feedback going because we need them to keep making it better.

Support is absolutely non existent though which is very disappointing.

Northern lassie

I agree. Now that I am getting my head around it, think its a great system. Definitely some things could be improved and hopefully that will happen but overall think its a great step in the right direction.

Struggling a bit to get people to register their children on it. Slow enough uptake from parents. Has anyone any tips on this? Will probably keep at it for the rest of this season and hopefully get a good few registered and then for next year come out earlier and insist on online payment.

luasaigh

Northern lassie wrote: »

I agree. Now that I am getting my head around it, think its a great system. Definitely some things could be improved and hopefully that will happen but overall think its a great step in the right direction.

Struggling a bit to get people to register their children on it. Slow enough uptake from parents. Has anyone any tips on this? Will probably keep at it for the rest of this season and hopefully get a good few registered and then for next year come out earlier and insist on online payment.

Yeah, it's difficult to change members that way. You kind of have to force it for a few years before the member expectations change and the change embeds.

Get the committee and coaches onside with carrot and stick. Explain to them that coaches are required to register themselves, and required to ensure that anybody training or playing under their care is registered. Explain to them that players aren't insured otherwise, that those are the rules of the association and thus the rules of the club, and advise them that if they don't intend following those rules then they would be advised to get professional advice as to where any liability might fall. Explain to them the benefits of the Foireann system from their perspective (schedules, teamsheets they can print, covid tracking, etc - try to get them hooked).

But yeah, it'll still be a struggle for a few years.

luasaigh

Mr Velo wrote: »

Support is absolutely non existent though which is very disappointing.

I understand that the small team developing it are absolutely overwhelmed with support tickets. I don't think there is any way they can be expected to keep up to be honest.

One idea would have been for them to start a forum where users could assist each other. We've done it locally with a few clubs (a WhatsApp group) and its helped. I suppose boards.ie is a forum too.

Northern lassie

luasaigh wrote: »

I understand that the small team developing it are absolutely overwhelmed with support tickets. I don't think there is any way they can be expected to keep up to be honest.

One idea would have been for them to start a forum where users could assist each other. We've done it locally with a few clubs (a WhatsApp group) and its helped. I suppose boards.ie is a forum too.

Think you should get a job in the support end Luasiagh ... very well paid of course

:)

Another question, if you have a team that isn't using Whatsapp at all and all notifications are done by the coach on Foireann, is there any way of notifying the parents when a new event (say a match) has been added or are you dependent on all parents checking Foireann?

jprboy

Northern lassie wrote: »

.........
Another question, if you have a team that isn't using Whatsapp at all and all notifications are done by the coach on Foireann, is there any way of notifying the parents when a new event (say a match) has been added or are you dependent on all parents checking Foireann?

I wouldn't expect parents to check Foireann for events at all.
It means they have to remember to log in and not all of them will do this. It's much easier for them to passively receive a text/WhatsApp.
All I'd expect them to use Foireann for is to re-confirm the Health Questionnaire before each training session/match.

Until this year I had been using only text messages to communicate with parents. This was in line with the GAA's advice that WhatsApp not be used. However, the club of which we are a part is constantly sending the various Team Managers messages that they want circulated to our respective distribution groups. The easiest way to get these out is via WhatsApp.

So, this year I have set up a WhatsApp Broadcast group. This is different to a "normal" group in that only the creator of the group can see who the other members are. This addresses concerns about GDPR and data privacy. I have one parent who doesn't use WhasApp so requires a separate text to be sent to them before each session.

One thing to note with WhatsApp Broadcast groups is that the recipients must have the sender's number saved in their phone contacts. If not they won't receive any of the group messages.

I send out a message the day before each event and then a few hours beforehand on the day itself send a reminder asking them to re-confirm the Health Questionnaire. Works well.

luasaigh

jprboy wrote: »

I wouldn't expect parents to check Foireann for events at all.
It means they have to remember to log in and not all of them will do this. It's much easier for them to passively receive a text/WhatsApp.
All I'd expect them to use Foireann for is to re-confirm the Health Questionnaire before each training session/match.

Until this year I had been using only text messages to communicate with parents. This was in line with the GAA's advice that WhatsApp not be used. However, the club of which we are a part is constantly sending the various Team Managers messages that they want circulated to our respective distribution groups. The easiest way to get these out is via WhatsApp.

So, this year I have set up a WhatsApp Broadcast group. This is different to a "normal" group in that only the creator of the group can see who the other members are. This addresses concerns about GDPR and data privacy. I have one parent who doesn't use WhasApp so requires a separate text to be sent to them before each session.

One thing to note with WhatsApp Broadcast groups is that the recipients must have the sender's number saved in their phone contacts. If not they won't receive any of the group messages.

I send out a message the day before each event and then a few hours beforehand on the day itself send a reminder asking them to re-confirm the Health Questionnaire. Works well.

The advice I received is that, while the WhatsApp Broadcast is an improvement in respect of compliance to regulations, it still does not completely address them - issues that were mentioned related to:
(a) whether or not data is stored outside of the EEA.
(b) whether the member (or parent/guardian) was advised at the time of supplying their number that the data would be stored outside of Foireann (and where).
(c) Challenges wrt compliance in respect of Subject Access Request, or request for deletion.
I'm not an expert, though so who knows - in any case the broadcast in Whatsapp is certainly an improvement.

Wrt remembering login details - certainly an issue. Parents/Guardians, and adult players remember their Foireann login details for purposes of entering the health questionnaire, so they could remember it to check their Foireann calendar too (which they have to scroll past to reach the health questionnaire entry). It's just a matter of expectation, and motivation. It'll likely take a few years. No doubt proactive notifications must be coming soon, and probably later a mobile app. I have suggested that the notification be in the form of a calendar invite so that the recipient could accept it and it would then go to their smartphone calendar too. In any case, this is the direction things are going in, where members (or their parents) gradually move from being passive to being active participants in the management of their own data. And realistically it'll be an ongoing process to move to that perspective, and people won't do it all of a sudden.

luasaigh

Northern lassie wrote: »

Think you should get a job in the support end Luasiagh ... very well paid of course :)

Another question, if you have a team that isn't using Whatsapp at all and all notifications are done by the coach on Foireann, is there any way of notifying the parents when a new event (say a match) has been added or are you dependent on all parents checking Foireann?

If I were involved with a team (which I have been in the past but I'm not right now), I'd text them - but I wouldn't put the event details in the text. Rather, I'd say something like:
"u15 challenge match next week - check Foireann for details and indicate there whether going or not so that we can cancel if we don't have enough numbers for the match".

The rationale would be to pull them into using Foireann regularly.

There would of course be one or two that I might phone because of family situations I might know of where a call might help. That's hard too though as you know - no perfect solution.

A number of years ago one of my sons was playing with a soccer club who used teamer, and parents had to login into that to indicate whether or not their son planned to attend each event. It worked - they logged in.

ureds

Trying to get on Foireann.Looks to be down?

ureds

Trying to get onto Foireann but the site looks to down?

kippy

ureds wrote: »

Trying to get onto Foireann but the site looks to down?

Seems to be fine from here anyway.

ureds

kippy wrote: »

Seems to be fine from here anyway.

Just tried now and all good again.Thanks.

Northern lassie

Back again, with another query. I've had queries from several parents this week saying that they can't reconfirm the medical questionnaire this week but it has been working fine for months. Maybe connected with Cul Camps which was on this week. I've looked at the profile of the kids concerned and they look fine - both club and cul camp selected. Anyone else come across this issue?

Thanks

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655072#Comment_117655072

Yeah, we get it from time to time (both personally and through out the club) only way round it that I've seen is to create a new return to play entry.

I've raised it with Foireann support but like a lot of things I've not heard back on it. Don't think its related to camps as I've this issue on and off and not had anyone in camps.

Swamp_Cat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117001992#Comment_117001992

Big difference between inhouse testing and using Open Source software that can tested & even forked by anyone.