Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of sport-for-development interventions is of high priority. The relatively recent recognition of the use of sport as a tool in development requires thorough assessment of the value of sport in development and humanitarian disaster contexts.
Sport can add value for the development of individuals, of organisations and of whole communities irrespective of the level of development. Despite this broadly shared conviction, there is still a lack of substantiated evidence to support the purported potential of sport. Effective, transparent and (if possible) comparable M&E must therefore take place to further determine the inherent benefits, risks and limitations of sport and physical activity.
Monitoring and evaluation is important because:
- it provides the only consolidated source of information showcasing project progress;
- it allows actors to learn from each other’s experiences, building on expertise and knowledge;
- it often generates (written) reports that contribute to transparency and accountability, and allows for lessons to be shared more easily;
- it reveals mistakes and offers paths for learning and improvements;
- it provides a basis for questioning and testing assumptions;
- it provides a means for agencies seeking to learn from their experiences and to incorporate them into policy and practice;
- it provides a way to assess the crucial link between implementers and beneficiaries on the ground and decision-makers;
- it adds to the retention and development of institutional memory;
- it provides a more robust basis for raising funds and influencing policy.
