Capacity Building in Sport-for-Development Organizations

Photo from Alliance Football Club

December 12, 2022
by Collin Ulmer

Sport-for-development organizations (SFDs) are a major part of the international landscape. The organizations use sport to help children foundationally develop in education, health, and community.

SFDs are typically structured as non-profit organizations but face unique challenges to sustain the structures rooted in their communities.

In a recent study, Dr. Christine Wegner, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, and colleagues analyzed the methods of capacity-building in SFDs throughout the country.

Utilizing data from various focus groups, studies, and workshops previously executed, the researchers employed a “process model of capacity” to compare various processes of SFD development.

Results indicated that two factors could increase sport-for-development capacity building while also limiting its potential: existing competency in human resources and dedication to development.

One common conflict found among SFD organizations was between creating capacity for sport and capacity for development programming, as each capacity could limit the breadth of the other.

In all, sport-for-development organizations are complicated due to different motivations and desires, but researchers agree in the importance of capacity-building programs within SFDs.

Wegner and colleagues assert that “the capacity-building process for SFDs should be driven in the same way as the organizational design itself: tailored specifically to the organization and community context from the bottom up.”

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Read the full article here:

Wegner, C.E., Millar, P., Bopp, T., & Kerwin, S. (2022). Understanding experiences with capacity building in the sport for development context. Sport Management Review. DOI: 10.1080/14413523.2022.2106722

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