Short Abstract

Attendees will gain insights into evaluating complex, place-based systemic approaches to reducing physical activity inequalities. The session covers innovative methods, evidence on what drives change, and how findings shaped national policy and £250m investment.

Description

Background and aims

Sport England have, over several strategy cycles, invested in place-based systemic approaches to tackle physical activity inequalities. Place-based systemic approaches are, by nature, complex interventions. They have multiple interacting parts, are based on local characteristics and aim to influence local conditions for physical activity, as opposed to delivering programmes, alone. To support the evaluation of this investment Sport England commissioned a National Evaluation and Learning Partnership with two aims: to build capacity for evaluation and learning across “Places” and to generate evidence about what meaningfully changes states in systems towards a narrowing of physical activity inequalities, for whom, in what circumstances and why?

Method

The evaluation is developmental, participatory and longitudinal. It uses mixed methods, and is underpinned by realist evaluation and a set theoretic modelling approach “configurational comparative analysis” supported by EvalC3 software. This presentation draws on data from documents (n=48), workshops (n=24) and online evidence submissions (n=150). Evaluation outputs are orientated to support a variety of stakeholders to learn and adapt their approach in real time.

Results

Findings will illuminate not just what has changed, but how change happens. We will highlight specific findings relating to the foundational work to operationalise place-based systemic approaches which has impacted on local and national decision making. This includes capacity building for place-based systemic approaches, generation and sharing of insight about underlying barriers to physical activity and organisational processes that enable or limit systemic ways of working.

Influence

The evaluation has supported the case for a further £250m investment into scaling place-based systemic approaches from 12-90 in England, and formalising the way of evaluating and learning from them. More specific contributions include informing the strategy for expanding the work; including investment guidance and support to places in understanding and developing their place-based systemic approach, and capacity do it. Sport England, it has influenced understanding of how change happens and therefore how to organise to deliver place expansion as a ‘programme’ of investment, and therefore reframing accountability and performance in ways which are in line with complexity.