Inventory, Literature Review and Recommendations for Canada's

Sue Cragg Consulting Inventory, Literature Review and Recommendations for Canada’s Sport for Development Initiatives Sue Cragg MBA, Christa Costas-Bradstreet MA, Bethan Kingsley PhD. Presented to the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Committee (SPARC) 01/31/18 Sue Cragg Consulting Acknowledgements and Sourcing Thank-you The authors would like to acknowledge CSP 2012 Policy Implementation Monitoring Work Group who provided guidance and advice to this project. The authors would also like to thank the many researchers, policy makers, sport leaders and program practitioners who shared their time, insights, resources and expertise for this report and for the great work they are doing to support Sport for Development work in Canada and around the world. Special thanks to Brianna Gilchrist who provided research assistance on this project. How to source this report: Cragg, S., C. Costas-Bradstreet, B. Kingsley. Inventory, Literature Review and Recommendations for Canada’s Sport for Development Initiatives. Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2017. For more information about this report: Joanne Kay: [email protected] Sue Cragg: [email protected] This publication may be reproduced without permission provided the source is fully acknowledged. Sue Cragg Consulting Executive Summary ● What indicators are being used to evaluate program activities and outcomes? Canadians have a tradition of leadership in ● What practices and indicators would best international development using sport as a apply to the Canadian context? vehicle for social change and development. While such opportunities are often associated with The project involved a review of academic and international efforts, there are organizations that grey literature, electronic surveys and data are including the power of sport to engage gathering and key informant interviews with participants who may benefit from the national and international researchers, and sport developmental aspects of sport in their efforts and sport for development organizations. An here in Canada. The Canadian Sport Policy 2.0 inventory of programs, an inventory of evaluation and several of the United Nations Sustainable indicators and detailed literature review summary Development Goals support the use of Sport for tables were produced along with this report and Development. recommendations for national evaluation indicators. Sport for Development involves tapping into what sport can do ‘intentionally’ to address a range of Key findings: Findings explore key challenges and community priorities and can focus in individual strategies for success along with suggestions for, or community change. Sport is used as an and actual examples of, policy and practice. These engagement tool to achieve development goals. are presented within the major themes of: • inclusion; Sport is often promoted as a panacea for • partnership and collaboration; development that is accessible and open to all • and as a universally appealing “hook” to reach creating organizational and community out, engage, and retain potential beneficiaries. capacity and ensuring sustainability; and Yet despite the enthusiasm for what it can do, • ensuring a focus on quality programming. there must be intentional efforts for quality sport A discussion of evaluation and monitoring to live up to its potential as a vehicle for includes discussions of who to involve, what to development. measure, how to measure and when. Purpose and Methods: This project was The following key messages are based on the undertaken to inform future programming - and multiple data sources that were used to produce evaluation of programming - in the area of Sport this report: for Development, for interested stakeholders in • Many benefits of sport are anecdotal and are the context of the Canadian Sport Policy used in developmental contexts without Performance Management Framework. This further validation. However, participation in report provides findings gathered from a variety sport does yield particular benefits in the of sources to answer three main questions: right circumstances and sport is an effective ● What Sport for Development initiatives are hook to attract program participants. being undertaken, domestically and abroad, • Connections made with program leaders and and what policies, strategies and evaluation participants can be leveraged to improve and implementation practices are they individual and social wellbeing. employing to carry out their work? • There are negative consequences tied to some sport experiences, such as aggression Sue Cragg Consulting and stereotyping that must be acknowledged • Funding is essential to program and monitored. implementation. Funder expectations for • Sport and Development Agencies both use short term results and justification of sport to achieve development goals. Their spending can conflict with the timing focus may begin with their primary mandate necessary for real results and may pressure (sport or development) and then sport organizations to produce measurable short- added accordingly, yielding two types of term results that compromise the programs (sport-plus where sport is the achievement of sustainable development original focus and plus-sport where goals. development is seen as the primary goal). • Leaders are charged with offering both • Differences in the primary focus of various quality sport and successful development types of delivery agencies may cause experiences. tensions. • Selection and training processes must reflect • Historically, sport has been used in some and embrace the need for quality leaders to contexts to impose cultural and societal ensure program success. practices on participants in an attempt to • Sustainability depends on providing quality instill ‘conformity’. and value and through developing • Programming, research and evaluation community ownership and capacity. continue to run the risk of using a ‘one-third • Programming must be evidence-informed, world’ lens and of marginalizing local reflect the needs and culture of the perspectives and values. community and be provided in a consistent • Consulting local communities and intended and safe manner. participants ensures that programming is • Quality programming involves ensuring the aligned with local needs, that local assets Sport for Development experience is fun and and resources are included, that evaluation meaningful to attract and retain participants, and research is relevant, builds trust and but also offers a quality sport experience reduces the likelihood of imposing dominant where sport or at least physical literacy skills culture values. are developed, and participants enjoy and • Cross-sectoral partnerships bring together learn from the sport component. the perspectives and experience of multiple • Monitoring and evaluation can contribute to disciplines and sectors to leverages the improving delivery, demonstrating goal variety of expertise and strengths and accomplishment, identifying both intended provides opportunities to share resources. and unintended outcomes and improving • Governments have a role to play in funding, chances of further funding. supporting and influencing Sport for • There is very little literature on Sport for Development programming. Development evaluation or outcomes. • The constraints and expectations of the • Communities, program staff and academic world and of research can conflict beneficiaries should be involved in what to with the timelines and goals of Sport for measure and this process should begin in the Development programming. planning stages. Sue Cragg Consulting • There is a lack of evaluation capacity among o Long term funding supports all other program delivery staff. sustainability factors • Indicators need to demonstrate progress on o A vast amount of program knowledge outcomes and objectives and do more than exists but requires sharing count participants. o More research about Sport for • Both qualitative and quantitative Development is needed measurement are needed to gain a complete Recommendations: Based on the project findings evaluation picture. and conclusions, the following recommendations • Social and other development outcomes for best practice and evaluation of Canadian take a long time to reveal themselves. Sport for Development activities are offered: Conclusions: Consistent themes emerged from • Ensure a coordinated, holistic approach to the multiple sources of data collection: program delivery • The Sport for Development Sector is Diverse o Increase and monitor awareness of Sport and faces unique challenges for Development o There is a low level of awareness and a o Ensure communities are equal partners in lack of common understanding among co-developing program goals, activities sport organizations abut Sport for and evaluation Development o Ensure coordination of Sport for o Sport organizations struggle with Development initiatives balancing Sport for Development and o Encourage multi-sectoral partnerships sport development o Support all types of organizations to • Many programs target youth development deliver Sport for Development initiatives and subsequent leadership roles • Promote a quality approach and strive for o Quality sport is essential to success sustainability o Success depends on values-based and o Consider incorporating this report’s noted quality sport practices into programming • There are opportunities to strengthen o Engage and develop the right people monitoring

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