Quality Management & Project Development
With our holistic quality management approach, we can help you to efficiently implement your programs and projects, and demonstrably document the achieved effects. We also help to develop your project idea and support your EU-funded project application development.
Evaluation
SPIN offers scientific external evaluation services for sport-related programs and projects. We adhere to recognized evaluation standards and utilize instruments that have been specifically adapted or developed for the sports sector. We individually adapt and tailor our evaluation tools to your needs; whether you are planning an externally supported self-evaluation or you require comprehensive project support.
Monitoring
We understand monitoring as a continuous process that includes the planning, assurance and quality control of your programs or projects. In close cooperation with your project team, and aligned with the (external) evaluation, we apply a holistic quality management process. Over nearly two decades of practical application of our approach in the sport sector, we have developed specific tools that make management processes and budget control effective, and enable the envisioned outcomes and impact.
EU Funding Projects
With the Treaty of Lisbon being put into force, sport is legally anchored at the European level. Since then projects in sport have been funded directly by the European Union. In addition, sport, with its social and educational components, is a typical cross-cutting issue. This allows the subsidization of sports organizations through other EU funding sources. However, the application, implementation and reporting processes of EU-funded projects require increasingly specialized expertise that many sport organizations cannot or do not want to develop themselves. We support you in this process – from the assessment of a project idea, through the composition of a project consortium, to final reporting. We have supported more than 50 EU-funded projects in the fields of sport, health, education and youth. We specialize in matching the needs of an applicant with the requirements of the sponsor.
Project References
Evaluation – International
On behalf of the Council of Europe, SPIN conducted a comprehensive evaluation related to diversity in and through sport. For this purpose, , we evaluated the activities undertaken by the Council of Europe under the “Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport” between the years 2007 and 2017. We assessed these activities in their sport political and social context and made recommendations for action for future sport policy. 28 national sport ministries and 20 European and international sports organizations participated in the evaluation. The results of the evaluation fed into the Council of Europe’s current sports development agenda, serving as a guide to the national sports policies of its 47 member countries.
Evaluation – National
SPIN evaluates and supports the nation-wide physical activity initiative for Austria’s kindergartens and elementary schools, “Moving Children in a Healthy Way”. The initiative is financially supported by the Austrian Ministry of Sport, and offers free physical activity programs or “units” organized by qualified instructors of sports clubs. The participating sports clubs are members of the three national grassroots sports confederations ASKÖ, ASVÖ and SPORTUNION. Since the initiative was launched, more than 7,500 kindergartens and elementary schools throughout Austria have realized more than 350,000 movement units (45-60 minutes each) with the children. Our evaluation results serve as the basis for the initiative’s further development and its political legitimization. In the context of Sport Politics, it is a step forward for Austria’s national sport development plan, which aims to establish daily physical education classes.
Evaluation – Local
SPIN evaluated a number of local, innovative sport development projects undertaken by Sportunion Salzburg. The local grassroots sports association houses more than 370 sports clubs with a range of over 80 sports. The Sportunion thus reflects sport in its diversity, from health-enhancing physical activity to leisure, from competitive to elite s; with participants ranging from infancy to seniors. We supported, for example, the projects “Rückenwind”, “Fliaga”, “Team.Geist” and “Sport für Alle”. Our evaluation concepts were adapted to the local conditions and target groups, and aligned with the project scope. Part of our evaluation process was the implementation of a “Future Workshop” with all project coordinators. This allowed us to combine results across projects and to define scope of action for the regional sports confederation.
Monitoring
International Paralympic Committee
SPIN supported the conceptual design, fund management and implementation of a European Para Snow Sport Youth circuit of the International Paralympic Committee. The youth sports promotion program for alpine skiing was funded by the European Union and the Foundation for Global Sports Development. The sport development program consisted of a series of five training camps and competitions for young skiers with a disability from five European countries. In addition, specific education programs were developed around the topics of anti-doping, nutrition and media. From the project, a variety of follow-up parasports EU-funded projects have been initiated.
EU Funding Project – Sport & Social Inclusion
SPIN assisted in the development of a regional parasports network of all Nordic umbrella organizations for sports for people with disability; from ideation to grant application processes. The project, co-funded by the European Union through the ERASMUS + Sport Program, establishes thematic knowledge hubs around parasports in Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Finland. The aim of the “All In Project” is to promote aligned offers for the promotion of lifelong physical activity for people with disabilities in Scandinavia, and to optimize cooperation on the Paralympic elite sports level. During the project phase, we carried out quality management and evaluation, and advised the national Paralympic committees with regard to their organizational development. The project includes 18 partners from 6 countries, and has a project scope of app. EUR 0.6 million.
EU Funding Project – Health and Education
Hanze University Groningen
SPIN supported the conceptual design, application for funding, and implementation of the project that aims to develop five local and one “European Community of Practice around Active and Healthy Lifestyles”. Over the project period, we carried out quality management of the overall project, and lead the development of the Social Innovation Learning Space Yanuz. The project, initiated by the Hanze University of Groningen, is funded by the European Union under the Key Action 2 as a Knowledge Alliance. Knowledge Alliances aim at strengthening Europe’s innovation capacity and at fostering innovation in higher education, business and the broader socio-economic environment. The COP4HL project included 15 partners from 6 countries, and has a project scope of more than 1.2 million Euros. From this initiative, the health and well-being capacity building project SUSWELL has been kickstarted through the Erasmus+ Capacity Building Programme.