Sports management is a fundamental pillar that supports sports institutions and plays a pivotal role in achieving advanced levels of success in talent development. The Talent Development Project is one of the key strategic initiatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This study compares department heads with effective managerial competence to those with ineffective competence to highlight differences in performance quality. Through this comparison, the urgent need to assess the administrative performance skills of the heads of sports talent departments becomes evident, particularly their ability to lead and manage the Sports Talent Development Project. The objective is to identify strengths and weaknesses, establish a clear framework for performance enhancement, and contribute to strengthening sustainable management effectiveness to achieve the desired outcomes. The research problem lies in the challenges faced by the heads of sports talent departments in the Ministry of Youth and Sports in effectively applying administrative performance skills. These challenges lead to inconsistencies in performance levels, which in turn negatively impact decision-making and hinder the achievement of project objectives, ultimately delaying the institution’s progress. The objective of this research was to examine the differences in the results of the Administrative Performance Skills Scale among the heads of sports talent departments, as assessed by the employees working under their supervision. The researchers employed a descriptive approach utilizing comparative analysis. The research population comprised 453 employees with a minimum of five years of service, while the study sample included 329 participants. The study was conducted across 15 centres in various Iraqi provinces, excluding the Kurdistan region. The findings revealed significant variations among all centres. One of the key conclusions drawn from the study is that there are discernible differences in administrative performance skills among the heads of sports talent departments across the 15 centres, as perceived by their employees. and this achieves one of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations in Iraq which is (Quality Education)