Following the successful Observers Programmes in Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2010, the IPC Academy identified that there was a broader group of organisations and individuals that could be serviced through an expanded programme and also enhance the existing offering of the Observers Programme. Traditionally, the Observers Programme was delivered throughout the Paralympic Games and provided the opportunity for future OCOGs, Bid Cities and other Paralympic event organisers to see ‘behind the scenes’ and hear from OCOG leaders and other experts in order to better understand Games operations.
Meanwhile, the Games Experience programme(GEP) is an integrated education journey coordinated by WAoS for future OCOGs. The GEP provides anopportunity for individuals to participate in a structured, tailor-made programme, which allows OCOGs to not only witness and observe real Games-time operations, but to have access to the various managers and knowledgeable staff to enhance their learning process.