The importance of knowledge
Professional expertise and understanding of the various fields linked to anti-doping policy are essential for the Doping Authority. Our work cannot maintain a high standard if we do not have correct, up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge relating to, for example, biochemistry, medicine, law and communications. Collecting, managing, arranging access to and communicating this knowledge are therefore part of the day-to-day work of all the members of our organisation.
Knowledge acquisition
Staff of the Doping Authority regularly attend congresses and conferences that are relevant to their field (and also make contributions of their own at those events). During periodical ‘knowledge meetings’ for the entire staff, developments are explained and discussed. For DCOs, a refresher course was organised again for 2011 in addition to the coaching and refresher training involved in the day-to-day work.
External access
The three websites of the Doping Authority make extensive knowledge available to ‘the public’. A lot of new information was added in 2011. The website www.dopingautoriteit.nl contains, for example, extensive information about procedures and rules, as well as current media reports relating to doping. The website www.eigenkracht.nl contains a large number of articles about diet, training and associated subjects, and the website www.100procentdopefree.nl supplies information that is relevant for elite athletes.
Project
To make improvements in internal knowledge management at our organisation, but above all to open up much more relevant information to 'the public', a four-year project was launched at the end of 2010. This is a relatively large project that will create access in the years to come to increasingly large amounts of doping-related information for everybody interested in our field. In early 2012, the website developed for this purpose, www.doping.nl will go online.