Sport-for-Development's Contribution to Social Policy Objectives

This chapter examines the “paradigm shifts” in national social and international aid policies, which opened the opportunity for increased rhetorical claims for sport’s contribution to the solution to a range of social problems. The chapter explores the assumptions underpinning sport’s claims about its ability to offer an “economy of remedies” and the issues raised by the increasing emphasis on evidence and accountability. It concludes by exploring the potential of a theory of change approach to monitoring and evaluation to improve sport-for-development’s evidential base and its ability to strengthen the relationship between policymakers and researchers and develop a more realistic view of the potential of sport-for-development.