NSA institutional roadmap

National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski”

The SUPPORTER project aims to foster gender-related, sustainable, and transformative institutional changes in sports higher education institutions paying specific attention to the challenge of gender-based violence and leading to the development of inclusive, innovative, intersectional and impactful gender equality plans (4I-GEPs).

The transformation of existing institutional GEPs into 4I-GEPs is achieved through the co-design and implementation of individual roadmaps, tailored to the needs of each implementing organisation.

The National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski” (NSA) roadmap encompasses a set of Grounding Actions (GAs) to be implemented from March 2024 to June 2025. These actions address mandatory and recommended thematic GEP elements (Horizon Europe Guidance on Gender Equality Plans) under-addressed in the organisation's existing institutional GEP. A series of critical challenges, including engagement and participation barriers in implementing the roadmaps, resource limitations and organisational resistance, have been identified, alongside measures to effectively address them.

Learn more about the development of the roadmaps

About National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski” (NSA)

The National Sports Academy "Vassil Levski" is a specialized higher education institution in the field of sports and sports-related qualifications with around 10,000 students. It offers study programs for Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees covering the main areas of sports education and research.

NSA rules regarding GEP were accepted by the Rectors board on the 5th of September 2022. The act is registered in the written protocol from the Rectors board meeting. It is communicated through the official institutional website and is available at: https://www.nsa.bg/bg/page,1632

National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski”

Summary of NSA grounding actions

GA1 – Building a Communication & Networking Policy GA2 – Raising Awareness on Gender+ Equality and Inequalities in Sports Environments GA3 – Establishing a Commission for Implementation of the GEP along with Rules for its functioning GA4 – Needs Assessment and Analysis GA5 – Creating a gender equality database GA6 – Raising awareness on GBV and sexual harassment in sports environment with internal and external stakeholders GA7 – Use of Inclusive language in Institutional Documents GA8 – Integrating Gender in the Curriculum

GA1 – Building a Communication & Networking Policy

Objective: Building an effective communication policy and channels that cover the various dimensions of gender+ equality. Identification of external stakeholders at governmental, local and other university levels. Exchange of information and good practices. To create a dynamic and supportive ecosystem where everyone is actively involved in advancing gender equality, contributing to a workplace and academic environment that is equitable, inclusive, and respectful of diverse personalities and identities.

GEP element: Mandatory: Dedicated resources; Training and awareness-raising

Thematic: Work-life balance and organisational culture

Implementation plan:

Identify key internal stakeholders, including students, faculty, administrative staff, and alumni, as well as external stakeholders.
Define the communication strategy objectives, tools, and task allocation.
Develop the communication strategy
Seek approval for the finalized communication strategy (if necessary).

GA2 – Raising Awareness on Gender+ Equality and Inequalities in Sports Environments

Details: Develop and implement awareness-raising activities on GBV and sexual harassment in sports environments and promote existing achievements from the university level, but also at the local level by raising the awareness of external stakeholders.

GEP element: Mandatory: Training

Thematic: Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment

Implementation plan:

Set up the working team
Develop a comprehensive scheme (Define objectives and message, target audience, timeframe and budget, outline the campaign’s activities and desired outcome)
Design the material for the planned activities (define appropriate channels, create the visuals, prepare the presentations)
Finalise the scheme and material and seek approval
Launch the awareness-raising activities. This may include one training event organised for staff and students and an introduction workshop for freshly enrolled students. It will also include a local stakeholder event (e.g. in the form of an awareness day) to raise awareness of targeted external stakeholders such as sports clubs, trainers, associations, umbrella organisations, and public authorities.
Evaluate the scheme’s impact and explore the possibility of future relaunch

GA3 – Establishing a Commission for Implementation of the GEP along with Rules for its functioning

Details: Create a database with the available administrative units responsible for gender equality and the responsible persons in cases of gender violence or sexual assault.

GEP elements: Mandatory: Dedicated resources; Public document.

Implementation plan:

Create an administrative body in the institution to be responsible for cases of gender discrimination, gender violence, and sexual assault.
Increase gender expertise within the faculty, with a focus on gender issues in sports environments
Establish accountability for the implementation and update of the 4I-GEP within the institution/faculty
Ensure clear task allocation and smooth cooperation among institutional bodies with a similar mandate
Raise the awareness of academic and non-academic staff, students and young scientists in the NSA on issues of gender inequality, gender rights and the legal rights of everyone in this regard.
Launch structural changes and establish institutional capacity
Start strategic and policy development with continuity in strategic periods
Create a degree of understanding and support for the implementation of these policies among the entire academic community
Ensure the institution's contribution to pan-European social transformation regarding gender equality
Ensure sustainable transformation in the overall strategic framework

GA4 – Needs Assessment and Analysis

Details: Analysing the current situation and drawing up proposals for optimising the existing legal and institutional framework and units.

GEP elements: Mandatory: Data collection and monitoring

Implementation plan:

Identify the responsible organisers for the implementation of the activity
Identify suitable methods to collect and analyse data
Develop data collection tools (i.e. interview/focus group guide, questionnaires etc.)
Inform the units of the organisation about the existence of a gender focus in the institutional vision, and the need to generate and analyse information.
Conduct the data collection procedures
Analyse the information generated and identify areas of priority to focus on in the updated 4I-GEP

GA5 – Creating a gender equality database

Details: Based on the results of GA 4, this action creates a database to make the gender audit and gender-related information publicly available and easily accessible to all units in the institutional structure.

GEP element Mandatory: Data collection and monitoring

Implementation plan:

Set up a working team and allocate creative, operational, and content-related tasks on the gender database
Define the purpose, content, and format of the database.
Comply with a review of existing sex-disaggregated data, relevant national legal and policy documents, and the organisation’s strategic and operational documents.
Design the database for information on gender+ equality at the institutional level, which will be visually captivating, user-friendly, and institutionally available
Add content and test the database (functionality, interface, purpose-serving)
Launch the database and dissemination

GA6 – Raising awareness on GBV and sexual harassment in sports environment with internal and external stakeholders

GEP element: Mandatory: Training

Thematic: Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment

Implementation plan:

Set up the working team
Develop a comprehensive scheme (Define objectives and message, target audience, timeframe and budget, outline the campaign’s activities and desired outcome)
Design the material for the planned activities (define appropriate channels, create the visuals, prepare the presentations)
Finalise the scheme and material and seek approval
Launch the awareness-raising activities. This may include one training event for staff and students and an introduction workshop for freshly enrolled students. It will also include a local stakeholder event (e.g. in the form of an awareness day) to raise awareness of targeted external stakeholders such as sports clubs, trainers, associations, umbrella organisations, and public authorities.
Evaluate the scheme’s impact and explore the possibility of future relaunch

GA7 – Use of Inclusive language in Institutional Documents

Details: Promoting inclusivity by revising documents, including academic policies, handbooks, and communication materials, to ensure that language is inclusive and embraces diversity. This promotes a sense of belonging for individuals of both genders within the sports university community.

GEP element: Thematic: Work-life balance and organisational culture

Implementation plan:

Collect and identify institutional documents and policies which are going to be reviewed
Review and update existing institutional documents and policies to ensure they align with gender equality principles.
Develop guidelines on inclusive language use that respects diverse identities in relation to the Bulgarian national policy and gender equality principles.
Encourage the use of inclusive language in all university communications, documentation, and official forms.

GA8 – Integrating Gender in the Curriculum

Details: Conducting exercises and lectures with 1st and 4th-year students at the National Academy of Sports in the Philosophy of Sports and Sociology of Sports classes based on the results of the project

GEP elements: Thematic: Integration of gender dimension in the research and teaching content

Implementation plan:

Review the curriculum and identify gender-related topics in existing modules and gaps
Define sports-specific contents that address gender-related issues, including historical inequalities, opportunities, and challenges in each sport. Each sport module should entail references to gender equality and persistent stereotypes.
Incorporate case studies that highlight the achievements and challenges faced by athletes of both genders in various sports.
Finalise the new curriculum and submit for approval
Communicate the integration of the gender dimension in academic teaching.