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Been reading new @sportengland #unitingthemovement strategy
Right now, it should be seen as a substantial development in sport & physical activity policy. On other hand, we’ll only be able to tell over time how significant it might (or might not) be
Both views inform thread
Right now, it should be seen as a substantial development in sport & physical activity policy. On other hand, we’ll only be able to tell over time how significant it might (or might not) be
Both views inform thread
Shifting to a more bottom-up, collaborative approach was already underway (e.g. through LDPs) ...
... nevertheless, having this approach written and embedded throughout a 10 year national strategy represents a step-change.
... nevertheless, having this approach written and embedded throughout a 10 year national strategy represents a step-change.
Even more so as the approach runs against structural weaknesses of centralised British state (that have been further exposed through Covid, see https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/covid19-governance-inquiry/ )
Leads to question: can this change of approach be made to work and embedded across the sport & PA sectors?
Leads to question: can this change of approach be made to work and embedded across the sport & PA sectors?
The strategy does acknowledge the limits of what Sport England can do alone …
… which itself, also emphasises the importance of Sport England being effective in enacting its new commitment to advocacy with government and others
… which itself, also emphasises the importance of Sport England being effective in enacting its new commitment to advocacy with government and others
The extent and use of resources and organisational capacity will, as ever, be most critical though.
It’s perhaps easily missed relatively late in the strategy (p44) but how the principle of “proportionate universalism” is implemented seems key to me.
It’s perhaps easily missed relatively late in the strategy (p44) but how the principle of “proportionate universalism” is implemented seems key to me.
Here, the principle that Sport England have adopted is “balancing targeted & universal provision in a way that’s proportionate to the level of need.”
Especially in distributing funding, key question is what will the balance be between universalism and targeting by level of need?
Especially in distributing funding, key question is what will the balance be between universalism and targeting by level of need?
Important b'cos addressing inequalities in physical activity is embedded across the strategy. For a sport policy document published by an arms-length public body, the text possibly goes as far as politically feasible in terms of recognising the structural causes of inequalities.
So will “proportionate universalism” be enacted in a radical way, redistributing resources to address structural inequalities?
Otherwise, I think that if Sport England tend towards a more ‘universalist’ approach then the strategy likely hits problems.
Otherwise, I think that if Sport England tend towards a more ‘universalist’ approach then the strategy likely hits problems.
Otherwise, I think that if Sport England tend towards a more ‘universalist’ approach then the strategy likely hits problems.
Because, notwithstanding the added effects of the pandemic, local capacity has long been ‘hollowed out’ by successive governments.
Because, notwithstanding the added effects of the pandemic, local capacity has long been ‘hollowed out’ by successive governments.
Which brings danger that promoting a decentralised collaborative approach for sport and physical activity hits the same buffers that Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ did under austerity – where’s the resources? where’s the organisational capacity to collaborate rather than just survive?
Leading to a final thought (and I’m afraid that I haven’t saved best until last) …
There appears to be something of a dichotomy between ‘the national’ & ‘the local’ in language of the strategy, which begs questions:
How local is local? What role for intermediary organisations that may span national & local? How to #unitethemovement across different levels?
How local is local? What role for intermediary organisations that may span national & local? How to #unitethemovement across different levels?
