Monitoring and evaluation

This chapter explores the role of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in the delivery of community sport programmes within the context of government priorities. You are provided with the key concepts and a range of tools to help you, as a manager, design community programmes, which, through effective M&E, have a clear line of sight to the required social impacts with supporting evidence. This - in common with other chapters - further develops your skills in planning, decision-making and control. The chapter will help you to answer key questions: • What is 'M&E', and why do I need to do it? • What type of M&E should I do? • How will M&E support and benefit my project? We will consider different approaches to evaluation and discuss the challenges of evaluating community sport programmes, supplemented with illustrative examples of good practice from the Street League charity. The requirement to demonstrate the impact that sport can make on wider social issues has never been greater and is a major driver of government investment in community programmes.