Organised by the Lillehammer 2016 Organising Committee in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Observer Programme is set to take place throughout the duration of the Games from February 12 to 21.

Lausanne 2020 President Patrick Baumann believes members of the 20-strong delegation are drawn from diverse backgrounds and interests related to the Games, including representatives from the areas of politics, education and transport.

He hopes this will ensure that each stakeholder will have the necessary tools to invest and project themselves efficiently in time for 2020.

"The objective of the trip is simple - to learn as much as possible and to come back with suitcases full of ideas and motivation to energise the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2020," said Baumann, a member of the IOC.  

A central part of the delegation will be Lausanne 2020’s newly-appointed general director Ian Logan, who was hired in December from a field of 56 candidates following a two-month process overseen by Baumann.

Logan is a former F-18 fighter pilot with 3,000 hours of flying experience and is currently head of the regulatory body of the Swiss military air force.

He will have strategic responsibility for the preparation of the Games, which are due to be held in January 2020.

"My first priority is to take a step back to gain a broad, comprehensive overview of the entire project," said Logan, who will formally take office from the start of next month.

"This will allow me to lead it with vision and ambition.

"In concrete terms, this means observing and listening to all stakeholders; the IOC, Swiss Olympic, the City of Lausanne, the State of Vaud, the host ski-resorts where the competitions will take place, as well as the Committee Executive Board members.

"Opening dialogues with as many stakeholders as possible, as early as possible, will enable us to to reveal the magic of the Youth Games - a unique event which unite all.

"This will also include benefiting from the experience of our friends from Norway and we will be visiting Lillehammer for the 2016 Youth Games at the beginning of February."

Logan claims one of the Organising Committee’s biggest challenges is making sure the Games have an impact on the whole of Switzerland, not just Lausanne and the surrounding region.

"We have to work hard to convince the entire Swiss population that these Games are a unique opportunity for everyone," he said.

"Indeed, they represent an outstanding chance to make our country shine abroad.

"But this will not be easy.

"We have to develop national projects targeting both Swiss youth and Swiss sport generally.

"We also have to count on the support from Swiss Olympic, the Federal Department of Sport, national sports federations as well as our national partners.

"We will not succeed alone.

"That is why it is important to involve every stakeholder from the very beginning."

Lausanne was awarded the 2020 Winter YOG, the third edition of the event, at last year's IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur.

They beat Romanian city Brașov, their only rival, by 71 votes to 10.

The event is expected to feature 1,100 athletes competing in 70 medal events.