Sport England opens consultation on participation measurement methods

Sport England, the non-departmental public body for sport, has opened a consultation to review how it gathers data around the measurement of sports participation.

Currently, Sport England releases participation data as part of its Active People Survey. The Active People Survey is carried out via a large landline telephone survey with an annual sample size of around 165,000.

However, given changing patterns of telephone use, surveys based purely on residential landlines do not have complete or even coverage of the target population. It is also considered limiting for people with specific impairments, who can not or do not use the telephone.

With increasing changes in technology, Sport England is looking to explore new and alternative approaches to data gathering to ensure the right arrangements are in place for the next 5-15 years.

Survey designs reflecting newer methods, such as online and mobile phone, have been explored and proven to be viable alternatives to meet Sport England’s strategic and performance measurement requirements in the future.

The new survey, designed to support a new strategy, will mean new data and information being presented in new ways to enable the sector to identify trends and increase participation.

Sport England is keen to emphasise that it regards any fresh process as a new survey, not the continuation or evolution of the current Active People Survey.

Sport England will consult with users and other interested parties on future arrangements for the measurement of sports participation.

Responses to the consultation, which closes at midnight on 14 October 2015, can be made via the Sport England website.

The English Federation of Disability Sport will respond to this as part of the wider public consultation on sport. We will continue to talk to our Members to ensure all disability audiences are considered as part of the process.