Maximising social impact_TSE 2011

Maximising Social Impact

Lessons learnt from social programmes

of past major sports events

A study by TSE Consulting

November 2011

Maximising social impact: Lessons learnt 1

Table of Contents

1 Background …………………………….….………………………….. 2

2 Study purpose and approach …………….………………………. 3

3 Highlights of successful social programmes…………….….. 5

4 Lessons learnt………………………………………..…………….…. 20

5 Concluding remarks ……….………………………………………. 24

Appendices

A References

B Contact information


1 Background

The last two decades has seen the rise in global interest for hosting major

international sports events, at the same time there has also been an increase in the

costs associated with hosting these global events.

While there is opportunity for sports event hosts to greatly benefit from staging a

major international sport event, there is also a greater sense of expectation on the

host. Sports events are no longer just an area of interest for sports organisations

and sports participants. Organisers are expected to bring something more to the

community.

The average cost of hosting a major sporting event requires a budget of upwards of

hundreds of millions of dollars. While host cities should ensure that the event is a

great success, they need to justify the high financial costs of organising such

events.

In recent years, the true economic impacts of major international sporting events

have been questioned. Whether or not a host country’s economic portfolio has been

positively impacted from a major sporting event is difficult to prove.

With this in mind, a host must consider other aspects of the hosting spectrum

which includes the social impacts of hosting a major sporting event. Moreover,

focusing on maximising the impact of social programmes executed in relation to

these major sports events.

In this context, a “social programme” refers to any programme that is executed in

connection with a sports event and which seeks to create a social impact for the

inhabitants of the host city/country. Such programmes typically aim to address one

or more issues in the local community including: Health and exercise,

social/minority integration, education, volunteering/skills training, etc.

As such, social programmes are increasingly becoming a key component of major

sporting events. More funding and resources are being allocated to integrate such

programmes into the event itself. This is one area in particular which a host can use

to leverage the cost-benefit equation of the event in their favour.

Therefore, it is important to look at successful cases of social programmes from

past major sporting events, how these programmes were implemented and the

best ways of effectively conducting them for future events.

This study brings forth some insight into past programmes and key lessons learnt

from organisers so that future hosts can seize the opportunity to create successful

and sustainable social programmes in the future.


2 Study purpose and approach

The aim of this study is to provide host cities with a “how to” guide on maximising

the social impact from social programmes conducted in connection with major

sporting events. This report aims to achieve this by providing the reader firstly with

a few good examples of leading social programmes and secondly with lessons

learnt from the organisers of these successful programmes.

The intention is not an exhaustive study but rather a look at a few good cases to

enable the extraction of lessons learnt in conducting social programmes so that the

social impact from such efforts could be maximised by future organisers.

In order to achieve the above, the study took on the following four-step approach.

The first step was to define the scope for major sports events that this study would

cover. Noting that it is traditionally the top-tier major international sports events

that have been able to generate high levels of interest in a community that could

effectively drive social programmes and the accompanying budgets to execute

them, the scope for this study was limited to Olympic events, continental multi-

sport games, FIFA World Cup events and major continental football championships.

Following that, desk research was conducted to identify social programmes

connected to the defined scope of major sports events from the past decade. This

was further narrowed down to successful social programmes that were known to

have created a significant impact in related communities based on a combination of

available event/programme evaluation reports and independent media reports.

This led to a final list of social programmes that were linked to a good mix of major

international sports events:

Major sports event

Name of social programme

Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games Legacy

Programme

Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games

Culture and Education Programme

South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup

Football for Hope Festival 2010

Switzerland/Austria 2008 Euro Football

Euroschools 2008

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games

2010 Legacies Now

Define

major sports event scope

Identify

social programmes

Interview

programme organisers

Extract

lessons learnt


In the third step of the study, interviews were conducted with the organisers of

these selected social programmes to understand what worked, what did not,

lessons learnt and advice they would give to future organiser of social programmes

to maximise the impact of the programme and social benefits.

The final step of the study involved analysing the research information from the

previous phases of the study to extract the lessons learnt from the valuable

experiences of organisers from past social programmes.

The study was conducted by a team of consultants in TSE Consulting over the

summer and fall of 2011 and this report was published in November 2011.


3 Highlights of successful social programmes

Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games

Name of social programme :

Programme duration : Programme budget : Funded by :

Programme organiser :

Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme

1999-2005 £17.7 million North West Development Agency with additional

support from public and private sector sources

2002 North West Partnership

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Vision:

To ensure that disadvantaged communities throughout the North West benefits from

Manchester hosting the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Mission:

To work in partnership with all communities in the North West and generate benefits

through development, education and integration programmes for the people living in

that region as well as for local businesses in the area.

The strategic goals of the Games Legacy Programme were:

Increase regional benefits: To provide economic, tourism and social benefits

across the whole region.

Increase personal development: To meet the needs of disadvantaged

communities and improve skills and educational attainment of people living in

that area.

Increase cohesiveness: To improve cohesion through participation in events

and health improvement projects.

Enhance business opportunities: To provide new opportunities for

businesses based in the Northwest area.

ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE

Manchester created a focused and independent legacy agency with formal links with the

Organising Committee (OC) – the 2002 North West Partnership. Manchester 2002 Chief

Executive sat on the Board which was composed of pan-regional members in order to

ensure that the Programme’s initiatives and activities were not purely focused on the

host city.


The Partnership was therefore responsible for harnessing opportunities and maximising

benefits for the whole North West region through the Games Legacy Programme.

Nevertheless, Manchester’s City Council maintained responsibility for the Partnership’s

financial management.

The Legacy Programme consisted of a staff of 20 people who were collocated in the

OC’s offices and oversaw all seven project groups under the Games Legacy Programme.

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

The Games Legacy Programme funded a total of seven different project groups which

together consisted of 24 independent projects. The seven umbrella projects under the

Games Legacy Programme were the following:

1) Commonwealth Curriculum Pack

Through the development of new curriculum materials and a website, the programme

used the interest generated by the Commonwealth Games to motivate children and

teachers to enhance their information and communications technology skills in school.

2) Games Xchange

This programme aimed at providing opportunities to promote and market Manchester

as well as the North West region. It used a range of accessible, informative and

innovative methods to provide information to local people and visitors to the city and

wider region.

3) Pre Volunteer Programme

This programme provided disadvantaged groups with volunteering experiences at the

Commonwealth Games. Such initiative enabled these people to undertake additional,

accredited training through the experience acquired during the Games.

4) Healthier Communities

Before, during and after the Commonwealth Games, this programme provided

sustainable and healthier living initiatives throughout the region. The programme aimed

at specific areas – Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Merseyside – in order to promote

healthier lifestyles.

5) Prosperity

In order to ensure that local businesses benefited from the Commonwealth Games, this

project enabled strategic alliances between regional and commonwealth organisations,

and provided opportunities to create sustainable trade links and learn new skills.

6) Passport 2k

This programme provided young people aged 11-18 across the North West with out-of-

school hour’s activities. A range of outdoors activities incorporating sport and arts were

organised.

7) Let’s Celebrate

This programme aimed at building the capacity of South Asian, African and African

Caribbean communities and representative organisations in the North West through

celebratory arts such as the carnivals and mela.


ACHIEVED OUTCOMES

The 2002 Commonwealth Games and Manchester’s Games Legacy Programme provided

local communities with key benefits such as:

£22 million increase in turnover for local companies

300,000 new visitors per year

8,473 business helped across the region

6,300 jobs created for the local area

3,092 trained people obtaining a recognised qualification

2,637 people encouraged into voluntary work

913 voluntary organisations supported


Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games


Programme duration :

Programme budget :

Funded by :


Culture and Education Programme (CEP)

2006 - 2010

Incorporated within overall YOG budget

Mainly through the government of Singapore as part

of the overall YOG budget

Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising

Committee (SYOGOC)

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Vision:

The Culture and Education Programme (CEP) is a vital component of the Singapore

2010 Youth Olympic Games that aims to provide an unforgettable and inspirational

experience for all participants involved. CEP’s vision is designed to be aligned with the

IOC’s vision for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). It is specially created for young

athletes, to engage and inspire them to be true champions and to adopt and live by the

Olympic values (Excellence, Friendship and Respect).

Mission:

CEP’s mission is to provide an enriching and transformative experience for all

participants. It will give the opportunity for young athletes to interact with one another,

allowing them to make life-long friendships by taking part in a number of valuable

lessons and making a positive difference in their communities.

The five strategic themes selected to incorporate the CEP are:

• Olympism: Participants learn and exchange ideas on the Olympic Gallery exhibition

tracing back the origin, values, structure and evolution of the modern Olympic Games

to the present day.

• Skills Development: Workshops for athletes to reflect on various facets of a

professional career in sports.

• Well Being and Healthy Lifestyles: Promotion of healthy eating lifestyles for

athletes as well as discussions about doping in sport.

• Social Responsibility: Athletes learn about their duties as responsible members of

their communities and how to be engaged global citizens.

• Expression: Reflecting about learning, interacting and celebrating through digital

media and take part in a number of evening festivals related to the event.



CEP was one of the pillar programmes of the YOG along with the Sports Competition

Programme. As such the delivery of the programme was under the auspices of

SYOGOC, the LOC of the YOG. Under the leadership of the Board of Directors and CEO,

the CEP programme delivery was carried out by the CEP division of SYOGOC.

The CEP division in SYOGOC worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of

Education of Singapore in planning and implementing the entire package of CEP

programmes, which were largely education- themed.


The CEP allowed athletes to select from over 50 different activities delivered in seven

different formats.

1) Chat with Champions

Participants had the opportunity to get up close with role models and hear them share

personal and inspirational stories about the Olympic values (Excellence, Friendship and

Respect). Role models (Olympians and IOC Commission Members) were invited to

share their personal experiences through dedicated dialogue sessions conducted in an

entertaining talk show format.

2) Discovery Activity

Through interactive workshops and exhibitions, participants discussed relevant topics in

their journey towards becoming champions in life. The workshops taught athletes about

competition behaviour, healthy eating lifestyles and how to balance sport competitions

with studies. During the exhibition session participants learned about Olympism and the

history of the Olympic Movement.

3) World Culture Village

The World Culture Village was a focal place for international visitors because it was

located in the Youth Olympic Village (YOV) which gave visitors a chance to interact with

one another while visiting the YOV. 205 dedicated cultural booths were located

throughout the village representing the participating National Olympic Committees and

were hosted by Singaporean Youth volunteers. Hosts at every booth invited visitors to

explore the different cultures and encouraged them to take part in fun activities and

traditional games.

4) Arts and Culture

Participants benefited from the exciting mix of music performances, dance acts and

inspirational artwork. Residents of the YOV were allowed to join in the fun during the

evening festivals and got to appreciate different Olympic-themed art installations.

These activities brought out the celebration of youth, cultures and friendships.

5) Community Project

Participants and local beneficiaries came together in a series of fun activities which

included drumming and circus arts. Through these activities, participants interacted

with local beneficiaries, learned about social responsibility, and were encouraged to

contribute back to their communities.


6) Exploration Journey

During this exercise, participants worked in teams and were taught confidence-building

and water activities courses in one of Singapore’s offshore islands. Some of the key

lessons learned during this exercise were teamwork, mutual respect and friendship.

7) Island Adventure

Participants embarked on a sustainability experience and through three complimentary

workshops, they learned about the importance of a natural eco-system and discussed

environmental issues, such as sustainable water management.

ACHIEVED OUTCOMES

Overall:

14,700 visitors to CEP activities

2,400 visitors to CEP exhibitions and performances

CEP activities:

Chat with Champions

1,444 athletes attended the Chat with Champions session

Discovery Activity

17,800 athletes joined various Discovery Activity sessions

World Culture Village

14,100 people visited the area

Art and Culture

1,600 attended the evening festival over three nights

Community Project

2,140 tiles were created by athletes

Exploration Journey

1,077 athletes embarked on a green experience in half-day Exploration

Journeys

Island Adventure

1,046

athletes went on a one-day adventure


South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup


Programme duration :

Programme budget :

Funded by :


Football For Hope Festival

2010

2008-2010

Undisclosed

International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)

Streetfootballworld

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Football for Hope is a movement which is part of a strategic alliance led by FIFA and

Streetfootballworld. The movement’s aim is to use the power of the game for positive

social change and to contribute to the achievements of the UN Millennium Development

Goals.

The programme’s idea came to fruition after an event created by Streetfootballworld in

Germany during the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. In 2008, FIFA approached

Streetfootballworld to create a larger festival platform for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The strategic goals of Football For Hope Festival 2010 were:

Stage an internationally renowned, enjoyable and fully participatory event

Celebrate the power of football in creating positive social change

Showcase and promote best practice in the field of development through

football

Promote exchange and dialogue between participating delegations

Create long-term benefits for the host community, participating organisations

and individuals


The festival was jointly organised by Streetfootballworld, FIFA, the 2010 FIFA World

Cup Organising Committee South Africa (WCOCSA) and the City of Johannesburg.

Streetfootballworld was responsible for all planning and operational issues from inviting

the social organisations to ensuring that all the operational activities (workshops,

football coaching clinics and more) were conducted.

FIFA provided the main source of funding for the programme while the 2010 FIFA

WCOCSA was responsible for three specific areas: accreditation and visas for

international delegations, transportation and security in the accommodation centres.

The City of Johannesburg was responsible for ensuring the provision of facilities and

other amenities.



32 teams of young people from disadvantaged communities across the globe were

invited to Johannesburg to take part in a two-week programme of workshops,

exchanges and cultural experiences – concluding with a football tournament played in

Alexandra township, one of South Africa’s most economically disadvantaged

communities.

All participants were members of organisations that tackle social issues using football

as a tool – from homelessness in the UK and landmines in Cambodia, to HIV/AIDS

education in South Africa and integration of refugees in Australia. These youths were

chosen because of their commitment to building a better future in their local

communities.

The 2010 Football For Hope Festival had five core areas:

1) Learning experiences

Participating organisations were given a chance to introduce themselves to the others

by putting on a cultural performance at the team village. An interactive forum was also

created called the “Youth Discussion Forum” which was led by the participants and

allowed them to share their stories on how they used football to overcome challenges

and hardships. Furthermore during the two weeks participants had the opportunity to

visit Soccer City and Ellis Park for two quarter-final matches. For many participants this

extra interaction time was extremely important for them because it allowed them the

chance of a lifetime to interact with and learn from other cultures.

2) Workshops

Two week period workshops were conducted for participants to learn from experienced

organisations and from each other. Some topics covered were: using football to fight

HIV/AIDS, media training for disadvantaged youths, painting and exploration of artistic

talents. Moreover, dedicated workshops were available throughout the two week period

for participants’ to fully understand how Fair Play rules are applied on and off the pitch.

Everything taught in the workshops enabled participants to pass the knowledge to

others back in their home country.

3) Awareness

One of the main aspects of the festival is to make sure societies are aware of how

organisations tackle social issues through the power of the game. Throughout the two

week festival there were hundreds of media following the festival which gave social

programmes the opportunity to interact with the media and tell their story.

Furthermore a celebrity “All Star” game was also introduced and featured a number of

big name stars played in a match to raise awareness to the role of football in tackling

HIV/AIDS. UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke,

attended the festival to meet participating organisations and discuss synergy plans for

after the festival.

4) Tournament

At the beginning of the second week the Football for Hope Festival moved to Alexandra

where the tournament began. Participants played under special rules (FIFA fair play

rules) designed to promote social integration, communication and respect. This new

setup did not need coaches or referees; any disagreement was resolved through

dialogue between the players. Before and after each game both teams met and

discussed fair play rules and how they would grant points based on their respect for the


rules. There were three trophies (Festival Trophy, Fair Play Trophy and Alexandra Cup)

and each had its own story. To conclude the festival participants surprised the crowd by

performing their special “thank you celebration” on hundreds of drums.

5) Legacy

“20 Centres for 2010” was the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Its aim

was to create 20 Football for Hope Centres – to promote public health, education and

football in disadvantaged communities across Africa (five in South Africa and 15 across

the continent). The centre and its programmes (e.g. HIV/Aids awareness, literacy,

gender equality, disability and integration) are created to meet the needs of the

community. Every centre had an organisation chosen as its host which would be

responsible for managing daily activities and with the support of the local community,

try to convert the centre into a self-supporting hub and model for social development

through football.

ACHIEVED OUTCOMES

5 Football for Hope centres built (football and education centre) in South

Africa

15 Football for Hope centres built (football and education centre) across the

African continent

32 participating delegations

37 countries represented

302 festival volunteers

365 delegation members

400 media representatives

2,200 volunteer applicants processed during the two weeks

20,000 spectators


Switzerland and Austria 2008 EURO Football Name of social programme : Programme duration :

Programme budget : Funded by :


Euroschools 2008 2006 – 2008

EUR 1.5 million Mainly Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) as well as the Liechtenstein and Austrian Football Associations and governments of Switzerland and Austria

Streetfootballworld

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Vision:

To create a youth society that interacts regardless of intercultural barriers and adopts

fair play on and off the pitch.

Aims:

Its core aim was to help students around Europe become more aware of intercultural

dialogue and fair play. Euroschools 2008 aimed at making a definite and sustainable

contribution to cultural understanding among all European nations and to the European

Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008.

The strategic goals of Euroschools 2008 were:

Understand others: Promote sensitivity for the variety of cultures in Europe.

Promote new rules: Introduce and promote the fair play rules so it can be

used on and off the football pitch

Learning from others: Bring communities together to learn and exchange

from one another

Create friendships: Create friendships and contacts between schools, clubs

and youth organisations in Europe that will last beyond the programme.


The Euroschools 2008 programme was initiated by UEFA together with the LOCs of

Austria and Switzerland for EURO 2008, and Streefootballworld was appointed to design

and run the Euroschools 2008 programme on their behalf.

Streetfootballworld is an international non-profit organisation that aims to promote

global partnerships for development by linking relevant actors in the field of

development through Football. It unites over 80 organisations in more than 50

countries and strengthens network members through capacity development


programmes, and by providing access to funding, sharing expertise and creating new

partnerships.

The coordination of the Euroschools 2008 programme was split amongst three parties:

1. Streetfootballworld was responsible for the overall coordination and was the

main contact with the public schools around Europe.

2. Swiss Academy Development (a non-profit foundation dedicated to social

change and cultural diversity) was responsible for the project coordination in

Switzerland/ Liechtenstein.

3. Vienna Institute for Development and Cooperation (an international non-

governmental organisation) was responsible for the project coordination in

Austria.


Euroschools 2008 was recognised as the official school project for UEFA EURO 2008.

The programme targeted as many students as possible aged 12-15 from more than 200

schools in Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. It was a two year programme that

included a preparation phase of one year and was followed by the school ambassador

programme which selected 53 dedicated ambassadors all over Europe: They were

assigned to represent each UEFA European country and spent one school year acting as

ambassadors. During the time abroad, they learned about the country they were

assigned to and the acceptance level towards fair play rules. The slogan for the

programme was “53 NATIONS. ONE TEAM. RESPECT.”

The Euroschools 2008 programme had four core modules:

1) Module 1: The Gateway to Europe

This module allowed students to work intensively on their intercultural dialogue and on

their ambassador role for the chosen country. The intercultural sessions were

structured in three steps according to UEFA’s “I – YOU – WE approach”. This exercise

aimed at understanding who the person is, who their neighbours are and from there

create a cross cultural dialogue. To conclude this module, students presented projects

on intercultural dialogue and on their ambassador role.

2) Module 2: Fair Play

This module used a hands on approach to teach participants about “Fair Play Football”.

Students learned to take responsibility for themselves as well as for their peers.

Furthermore, participants were given a chance to learn tactics on how to deal with fair

play in society and how it can be applied in their daily lives. To conclude this module,

students organised football tournaments themselves, actively experiencing fair play,

and also presenting the fair play approach to other schools.

3) Module 3: Euroschools Cups

This module was centred on a football tournament created to promote interaction

among programme participants. Additionally this module enables school ambassadors

to better get to know the different cultures involved in the year-long programme. Many

students found this module to represent one of the highlights of the entire programme.

Students also had a chance to meet peers from other countries and to present work

about their country.


4) Module 4: Euroschools Youth Camp 2008

After a year-long programme the young students from Austria, Switzerland and

Liechtenstein converged with fellow students from 47 UEFA nations at the Euroschools

Youth Camp 2008. More than 300 teenagers from 47 nations lived, worked and played

together for a week. There were numerous dedicated intercultural and Fair Play

methodology workshops as well as a Fair Play Football sessions. These workshops took

place throughout the week in Austria and Switzerland before concluding with a big

reunion where all participants met in Liechtenstein to play a symbolic tournament.

ACHIEVED OUTCOMES

53 participating nations

200 matches of Fair Play Football

20,000+ students involved

94 schools in Austria

106 schools in Switzerland

10,000+ children from communities involved in the programme

274 courses conducted to encourage participation in sport

300 teachers trained 1,124 classes motivating students in Switzerland to do 20 minutes of daily

exercise

330,000 Swiss citizens involved in Swiss Sport Week to raise awareness for the

programme


Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games Name of social programme : Programme duration :

Programme budget : Funded by : Programme organiser :

2010 Legacies Now 2002-2011

Gradually grew to CAD$30+ mil/year Mainly Provincial Government of British Columbia 2010 Legacies Now Society

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Vision:

To create sustainable legacies that will benefit all British Columbians as a result of

hosting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Mission:

To work in partnership with community organisations, non-government organisations

(NGOs), the private sector and all levels of government to develop sustainable legacies

in sport and recreation, healthy living, arts, literacy, accessibility and volunteerism. To

actively assist communities to discover and create unique and inclusive social and

economic opportunities leading up to and beyond the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic

Winter Games.

The strategic goals of 2010 Legacies Now were:

Increase Participation: Create opportunities to increase participation in sport

and recreation, arts, literacy, volunteer and community activities.

Improve Sustainability: Assist communities and NGOs in building their own

capabilities for providing healthy living and accessibility opportunities for British

Columbians by building networks with other communities and organisations,

leveraging existing resources, and sharing information and technology

infrastructure.

Enhanced Performance: Whether it is podium performance by athletes or

strengthening a community’s ability to achieve artistic excellence, enhanced

performance instils national pride, inspires and motivates those around it to

achieve their goals.


2010 Legacies Now is a provincial non-profit society that was incorporated in 2002. The

Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility for stewardship of the affairs of 2010

Legacies Now. The Board delegates responsibility to the CEO for the day-to-day

leadership and management of the organisation.


Directors were appointed based on skill set and experience to monitor performance of

2010 Legacies Now. They were not appointed by government as it ensured that the

society was independent and could be viewed as a trusted partner.

The society was a key partner of VANOC and both entities had a few shared board

members that ensured a close working relationship between them.


The 2010 Legacies Now programme had four core business areas: Sport and Recreation

Now, Arts Now, Literacy Now, and Volunteers Now.

1) Sport and Recreation Now – “From Playground to Podium”

Designed to introduce youth and communities to the joy of sport and physical activity.

These initiatives provided promising young athletes with the tools and services they

need to develop. Sport and Recreation Now’s goal was to build a strong and lasting

sport system in the Province that would increase participation from “playground to

podium” while supporting healthy and vibrant communities.

2) Arts Now - “Celebrating Creativity”

The goal of this programme was to build capacity in the British Columbian arts sector

and to make the arts system within the province operate more efficiently. Arts Now was

established to improve British Columbians’ access to and participation in the arts and

music while strengthening community-based arts organisations throughout the region.

Arts Now was designed to increase youth and community involvement in creative

activities, strengthen the sector’s economic base and organisational capacity and

enhance its ability to achieve artistic excellence. Arts Now programmes also focused on

community celebrations, arts in education and the exchange of best practices in creative

production and business skills.

3) Literacy Now - “Creating the Future”

Literacy Now was established to help children, youth and adults in communities

throughout British Columbia meet their literacy challenges by increasing local

community access to literacy learning and working closely with key stakeholders to build

a cohesive provincial network to share best practices and effect change. Literacy Now

was intended to be a bold initiative aimed at making British Columbia the most literate

Province in Canada, and a global leader in literacy learning.

4) Volunteers Now - “Making a Difference”

Volunteers Now initially was designed to be a comprehensive programme of training

volunteers around the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Volunteers Now

was established to allow volunteer-based organisations throughout B.C. establish

common priorities and training certification. Volunteers Now’s initial goal was to work

with the volunteer sector, community partners and municipalities to ensure an increase

in volunteer capacity in every region of the province in the lead up to host the world in

2010.


ACHIEVED OUTCOMES

More than two million British Columbians benefited from 2010 Legacies Now

programmes and projects, some of which included:

4,000 families discovering life-altering lessons in literacy and early childhood

learning

264,000 people participating in new sport programmes

95 committees creating Olympic and Paralympic legacies in their

communities

107 communities improving accessibility for people with disabilities and

seniors

200 national & international sport events hosted in 34 communities

595,000 students making healthy choices through Action Schools! BC™

101 task groups working with over 1,000 community partners to improve

literacy

445 arts and cultural projects which engaged British Columbians

1,900 organizations and 10,000 volunteers using VolWeb.ca™ to match

volunteers and volunteer opportunities

65 provincial sport organizations and multi-sport organizations who receive

annual aid

1,300 high-performance athletes supported by Game Plan BC

16,000 students who experienced high-quality summer camps in arts, sport and

recreation

180 aboriginal organizations offering sport and recreation programmes for

youth


4 Lessons learnt

The lessons here in maximising social impact from sport event related social

programmes were primarily extracted from in-depth interviews conducted with past

organisers of successful programmes.

These lessons learnt revolve around five key areas: Planning, target groups,

structure, resourcing and synergies.

1. Planning

a) Plan early – The programme design for social programmes should be

done as early as possible, even as early as the bidding stage if it is

possible. This is because the success of the programme often hinges on

getting buy-in from multiple stakeholders which is time consuming and

the programme itself often takes years rather than months for benefits

to be realised within the target community. Therefore, the earlier the

planning the more likely the programme is able to realise its full

potential.

b) Fill gaps and avoid duplication - Rather than compete with other

existing social programmes that already serve the target communities,

host cities should identify what is missing in the existing network of

support programmes in order to fill in the gaps and complement

existing ones. Such an approach will ensure that there is no duplication

of effort so that resources can efficiently be directed at where they are

needed most.

c) Make sustainability a prime consideration – To ensure that the social

benefits generated are sustainable, it is important to make

sustainability a prime consideration from the very early stages of

planning. This would have direct implications on the programme design

such as who to partner, which stakeholders to get buy-in from and how

the programme is associated to the major event.

Social Impact

Planning

Target Groups

Structure

Resourcing

Synergies


2. Target groups

a) Understand the real needs of your community – Social programmes

cannot be duplicated from event to event since the social needs of a

community can be quite different from another. Host cities need to

invest sufficient time and effort to understand the real needs of their

communities in order to design and implement programmes that

address relevant issues.

b) Ensure community is represented from the very start – In order to

promote community ownership and engagement, host cities need to

ensure that they engage community representatives right from the

beginning during the planning stage of any social programme. This is

crucial to gain critical support from targeted communities and ensure

sustainability in the long run.

c) Get buy-in from key public authorities – Getting buy-in from key public

authorities in the host city and region can pave the way for smoother

implementation of the programme since they have strong local

networks and political influence. Furthermore, public authorities that

have goals and initiatives that match with that of social programmes

could potentially unlock more funding to give these programmes more

muscle.

“You really need to know and understand your community and what its

social needs are in order to develop programmes that address those

issues.”

Lesley Giddins

Director,

Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme

“Plan early to allow ample time for preparation, and think carefully about

what you are trying to achieve and how to do it. Our approach at

Streetfootballworld has always been aimed at collaborative effort and

sustainable benefits.”

George Springborg

Programme Manager,

Football for Hope Festival in South Africa


3. Structure

a) Social programme organisers should be an independent entity – This

could be in form of an independent society or partnership (not as a part

of the LOC) so that it has dedicated resources and focus to carry out its

social objectives and not be distracted by matters related to sport event

organisation. Such independence also helps the social programme

organiser to be perceived better as a trusted partner by other NGOs

and public sector entities it needs to collaborate with, possessing a

genuine goal of creating sustainable social benefits.

b) Board should consist of key stakeholders and relevant skill set - The

board should not only consist of stakeholders covering key players and

targeted communities (geographical and otherwise), but should also

collectively have the relevant skill set needed to effectively manage,

inspire and monitor the performance of these social programmes.

c) Build strong relationship with LOC– While social programme organisers

are more effective as a separate entity, a strong relationship with the

LOC is critical. This is because the success of social programmes are

closely linked to the programmes being able to leverage on the brand of

the event and also the practical support offered by LOCs such as venue

access, brand association, visas, etc.

4. Resourcing

a) Focus investments on organisations over programmes – This principle

helps to raise the likelihood of sustainability of the investment since

programmes can come and go while organisations with a mission can

continue to work for their cause long after the event is over.

b) Add value beyond financial support – In collaborating with other NGOs

and social programme organisers in the community, complementing

financial assistance with a variety of resources like training,

management support and practical tools ensures the long-term success

and sustainability of social initiatives.

“Having an independent non-profit organisation run social programmes for

a major sport event ensures that the focus is maintained on achieving the

social objectives of the programme; otherwise LOCs tend not to have time

to fulfil this role.”

Bruce Dewar

CEO,

2010 Legacies Now


c) Implement a measurement process to demonstrate results – It is

important to be able to show tangible results of implemented social

programmes, not only at the end but also during programme

implementation to ensure continued funding and support from key

players. It is therefore important to build in and implement a process to

measure relevant indicators to demonstrate the effectiveness of

programmes.

5. Synergies

a) Focus on collaborations to achieve more – Social programme organisers

should not be tempted to think that they have all the contacts,

knowledge and resources on their own, but learn to collaborate with

NGOs and government entities with similar goals. This will help

organisers to save time and resources while creating a wider reach and

bigger impact as a whole.

b) Link programmes with invested physical infrastructure – Tying new

physical facilities and infrastructural investments into social initiatives

may help justify and alleviate negative publicity with expenditure on

major events. This helps to highlight the increasingly important role

that social programme organisers play in a major sport event and could

translate to more support and opportunities for the social programme

organiser.

c) Leverage on the power of the event brand – It is the brand of the major

event that has the power to move people, motivate communities and

propel such social programmes to success. So social programme

organisers must remember to make the most of the power of the event

brand to achieve its goals.

“Organisers need to get their people to believe in the values of the event

and the associated social programmes to keep things going even after the

event is over.”

Goh Kee Nguan

CEO,

Singapore Youth Olympic Games OC

“Provide training and other resources on top of financial support so that the

programmes and associated benefits can sustain beyond the major sport

event.”

Kristina Gawriljuk

Programme Manager,

Euroschools 2008 in Switzerland and Austria


5 Concluding remarks

In concluding, the lessons learned about maximising the impact of social

programmes connected to major sport events is summarised as follows:

Planning - Plan early, aim to fill the gaps and avoid duplicating existing

programmes, and make sustainability a prime consideration in programme

design.

Target groups – Understand the real needs of your community, ensure that

target communities are represented from the start and get buy-in from key

public authorities.

Structure – The programme organiser should be an independent entity, its

board should consist of key stakeholders with relevant skill set and the entity

must build a strong relationship with the LOC.

Resourcing – Focus investments on organisations over programmes, add

value beyond financial support and implement measurement processes to

demonstrate results and secure continued funding.

Synergies – Focus on collaborations to achieve more as a whole, link

programmes with invested physical infrastructure whenever possible and

remember to leverage on the power of the event brand.

While the successful implementation of social programmes may require other

preconditions in addition to the above, these extracted lessons may serve as a

practical guide for host cities new to organising social programmes or for those

seeking to maximise the social impact of their sports events through effective social

programmes.

As the role and influence of social programmes in major sports events continue to

grow, it is hoped that the findings from this study can help host cities to plan and

organise social programmes in a way that can maximise social impact in their

communities.

In ending, we would like to leave you with a few interesting trends in relation to

social programmes and major sport events, that were observed during the course

of this study.


Increasing importance of social dimension in sports events

The social dimension in sports events is taking on an increasingly important

role in international sports events. What used to be a nice-to-have has now

become a must-have, to the point that it is difficult not to find a grand social

programme integrated as part of a host city’s plans when bidding for a major

sport event. Not only does it look increasingly important for host cities to

maximise social impact to justify the costs of an event locally, but it is also

becoming more important to events rights holders that they see their events

associated with inspiring social programmes that help to increase the value of

their sports event property.

Strong emphasis on collaboration and sustainability

There is a clear emphasis from experienced organisers of social programmes

that collaboration and sustainability are the core principles by which they

design and operate their social programmes. In the same breath, they also

advise host cities to keep these principles as their core focus in all

considerations for their social programmes in order to maximise the potential

benefits from limited resources. This is consistent with how many non-profit

NGOs operate and there are many similarities and lessons from which social

programme organisers could further draw from successful NGOs.

Target communities reaching beyond geographical boundaries

Increasingly, the targeted communities in which the social programmes aim to

create social benefits go beyond that of the immediate vicinity of where the

sport events are hosted. Vancouver’s “2010 Legacies Now” aimed to create

social impact beyond the city of Vancouver in the entire region of British

Columbia. The “Football for Hope Festival” in South Africa reached out to

specific disadvantaged communities from around the world. While London 2012

through its “International Inspiration” programme also aims to reach beyond

geographical boundaries to inspire children from around the world to choose

sport. While an extended reach beyond geographical boundaries is certainly

impressive and attractive, organisers need to mitigate the challenge that an

increased reach presents to the effectiveness and sustainability of any

programme.


Appendix A

References

Ecotech research and consulting, An Evaluation of the Commonwealth

Games Legacy Programme, 2003

Faber Maunsell, Commonwealth Games Benefits Study (Manchester), 2004

FIFA and Streetfootballworld, Evaluation report: Football for Hope Festival

2010, 2011

FIFA, Football for Hope Festival 2010 – Celebrating the Power of Football,

2011

Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports (Singapore),

Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games official report, 2011

Singapore 2010 YOG OC, Culture and Education Programme – Explanatory

brochure, 2010

Streetfootballworld, Euroschools 2008 review, 2008

Streetfootballworld, Euroschools Camp 2008 review, 2008

TSE Consulting, From Process to Project: Maximising the Social Benefits of

Hosting Sports Events, 2005

TSE Consulting, Developing a Winning Sports Event Strategy : A Four-Step

approach for Successful Bidding and Hosting, 2010

Weiler, Joseph and Mohan, Arun, Catalyst, Collaborator, Connector - The

Social Innovation Model of 2010 Legacies Now, 2009

Weiler, Joseph, The Evolution of 2010 Legacies Now - A Continuing Legacy

of the Games, 2011


Appendix B

Contact information

Name of social programme Contact information of

programme organisers

Commonwealth Games Legacy

Programme

(Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games)

Lesley Giddins

Sandgrown Consultancy

[email protected]

Culture and Education Programme

(Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games)

Goh Kee Nguan

Singapore YOG OC

www.singapore2010.sg

Football for Hope Festival 2010

(South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup)

George Springborg

Streetfootballworld

www.streetfootballworld.org

Euroschools 2008

(Switzerland/Austria 2008 Euro Football)

Kristina Gawriljuk

Streetfootballworld

www.streetfootballworld.org

2010 Legacies Now

(Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games)

Bruce Dewar

LIFT Philantropy Partners

www.liftpartners.ca

www.2010andBeyond.ca

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Maximising social impact_TSE 2011