Every success story is a tale of constant adaptation, revision, and change.

Richard Branson

Evaluation is as an essential organizational practice in the sport sector. However, many stakeholders do not receive sufficient training or the time, funding, or staffing to engage in evaluative work. While many organizations struggle with these challenges, increasing demands for accountability and evidence-based practices have emerged now more than ever. The arrival of COVID-19 has further emphasized the importance of evaluation to answer important questions, including how organizations can adapt, improve, and meet the needs of stakeholders while developing and/or adhering to ‘return to play’ guidelines.

To help build evaluation capacity across the Canadian sport sector, we share a collection of helpful blogs, resources, organizations, and training opportunities.

This toolkit is supported in part by Dr. Corliss Bean’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council-funded project entitled “Walking the talk: Mobilizing knowledge to enhance evaluation capacity in the Canadian sport sector”

Videos

SIRC Blogs

• Evaluating Impact using the RE-AIM Framework
• The Digital Gamification of Youth Sport Engagement
• Engaging Youth in Evaluation Processes
• Returning to Play…Better
• Ask the experts: Q&A with Chris Penrose about learning from and communicating evaluation findings
• Three recommendations for sport organizations when engaging in evaluation
• Building capacity for evaluation with students and volunteers
• Movement-based approaches to program evaluation with children

SIRC Resources

• Stakeholder Engagement Matrix
• Choosing the Data Collection Method That’s Right for Your Evaluation
• You Told Us, We Listened: Sharing Evaluation Findings
• The 5Ws and 1H for Sharing Evaluation Findings

Experts in the House – Recommended resources

We asked the experts from our Experts in the House webinar mini-series, “Mastering the Art of Evaluation,” about what resources they would recommend to support evaluation in sport and physical activity settings. Here’s what they had to say.

Part 1: Partnering for Impact

• Employing the RE-AIM Framework to Evaluate Multisport Service Organization Initiatives (includes template)
• IKT Guiding Principles for Conducting Spinal Cord Injury Research in Partnership
• Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children, Youth, and Adults with a Disability including Quality Participation Checklist Audit Tool

Part 2: Accessing the Evidence

• MLSE LaunchPad’s Sport For Development Metrics Framework
• DIY Toolkit for Creating a Theory of Change
• Compass How-To Guide for Developing a Logic Model
• Equitable Evaluation Initiative
• Equitable Evaluation Framework
• Six Recommendations for Youth Sport Stakeholders When Evaluating Their Programs
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Online Guide to Program Development and Evaluation

Organizations and Initiatives 

The following organizations and initiatives provide resources to support evaluation, including tools, templates, measures, and more!

• Better Evaluation
• Canadian Evaluation Society
• Center for Evaluation Innovation
• Eval Academy
• EvaluATE
• Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health
• The Forum for Youth Investment
• Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange

Certificates and Training

Interested in learning more? Check out the following training opportunities to enhance your evaluation knowledge and skills.

Canadian Evaluation Society

• Credentialed Evaluator designation
• Canadian Evaluation Society’s (CES) Mentoring Initiative

Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange

• Program Evaluation for Youth Wellbeing
• Using Spreadsheets in Program Evaluation

HIGH FIVE

• Get Trained | HIGH FIVE – The Best Way to Play