Introduction
This article offers an overview and summary of a research project led by the Swiss Academy for Development (SA4D), exploring how sport and play can drive social change and shed light on key intervention pathways that make Sport for Development (SfD) intervention effective. In other words, the focus is not on whether SfD works, but on trying to understand why and how it works. This exploratory research was conducted by Thomas Harris during a half-year field assignment, working on-the-ground with several implementation partners. In our evidence-based study, we were able to show that the way one of our programmes, ‘People on the Move,’ actually works can best be understood by mapping it against a recognised behaviour change theory. As these results align with anecdotal evidence from similar approaches, other successful SfD programmes may follow this mechanism. In other words, using the well-established behaviour change theory may help to shed light on a process that is often unclear in the field; frequently referred to as the “black box”. While the scope of this research is limited, these findings could serve as a valuable starting point for the field and merit further investigation.
If you would like to read the full research where we go into all the details (and results), click here.
Literature review
Sport for development (SfD) means using sports, physical activity, and play, purposefully to reach specific development goals. [1]-[2] However, it’s widely agreed that sport by itself doesn’t automatically lead to positive changes. Well-designed SfD programmes need to include non-sport activities to be effective. Although SfD has been around for a while and is recognised globally, the exact way it works or the pathways that are activated to achieve these goals is still unclear. Different theories have been suggested, but there is a lack of evidence on which one fits best, let alone a single, widely accepted explanation of how or why sports achieve results.
Over the years, scientific literature has collected a series of anecdotal evidence, on what different elements appear to make sports projects work; but without explaining how exactly this happens. I.e. We know what goes in (SfD programmes) and what comes out of the “black box” (measurable results), but we don’t know how to rigorously assess or understand the mechanisms inside of it. This perspective is well recognised and shared by practitioners, most notably, Right to Play’s 2024 report finds that “there was a notable lack of clarity in the documents reviewed regarding how a (sport for development) intervention was hypothesised to work […] these studies did not explain the hypothesised connection or mechanism of change between these outcomes”
At SA4D, we decided to take up this challenge and investigate our own programme, ‘People on the Move,’ as an example of SfD. The programme aims to improve the mental and emotional well-being of children and young people in schools at refugee camps in northern Uganda and South Sudan. Like other SfD projects, ‘People on the Move’ has already proven to be effective. Thus, in our research, we didn’t focus on proving that sport for development works, but instead on understanding why and how it works. We aimed to gain insight into the inner workings of the ‘black box’ of sport for development and uncover what exactly gives sport its “Power”.
Investigation Method
We decided to view this programme through using the Behaviour Change Resource Model, a reliable and recently validated behaviour change intervention. We wanted to see if our sport and play programme fit with this model. As illustrated in the diagram, the Behaviour Change Resource Model (BCRM) breaks down the behaviour change process into three pillars: Facilitating, Boosting and Nudging with each one, playing a different role in achieving the behaviour change. In the full version, we explain what each area means, provide examples, and show how they apply to our SfD programme. You’ll also find the specific questions we asked the 175 participants and their responses.
Figure 1: The Behaviour Change Resource Model
Findings
Overall, using the surveys that were answered by participants and that were specifically designed to align with the BCRM, our results show that our SfD programme, in this case focused on mental and emotional health, aligns well with the Behaviour Change Resource Model. While there are some limitations in our methods, the data show that the alignment with the BCRM can give us a better understanding of how SfD works and the mechanisms behind it. Looking back, we see this model as a solid theoretical foundation for the recommendations and best practices that experts have been promoting and advocating for.
As we explain in the full article, the recommendations from experts and the key factors that make other projects successful seem to fit well with the three pillars of the BCRM.
Figure 2: The 3 BCRM pillars with integrated scholarly recommendations of good practices in sport for development
Conclusion
Through this study, we have attempted to illuminate pathways through which SfD programmes achieve their results; towards a better understanding of the ‘black box’ of sport and play based activities. By testing the alignment with a well-established model, this integrative and holistic approach offers a better understanding of sport for development, specifically recognising sport as a pertinent behaviour change strategy. Future research could focus on testing this theory by comparing the results of a project that incorporates all elements of the BCRM with one that doesn’t.
Please click here to view the full article and the results from the participants.
[1] Hartmann, D. & Kwauk, C. 2011. Sport and Development: An Overview, Critique, and Reconstruction.Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 35, 284-305
[2] UNICEF, B. F. 2021. Getting into the Game – Understanding the evidence for child-focused Sport for Development