Development Through Sport

Development Through Sport is a relatively new and exciting approach to help partner countries deal with some development challenges, including internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Australia currently spends up to $8 million a year on Development Through Sport in the Pacific and Caribbean and is seen as an international leader in the arena. This is because our approach is unique.

We work with partners in developing countries to identify development challenges, and then determine how well-planned, sport-based activities can help. Sport is used as a vehicle or a means to achieve a non-sporting development outcome. For example, our programs address priority issues such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

NCDs, such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke, are now a leading cause of death around the world with developing countries hit hardest. These diseases place a significant burden on health systems already struggling to cope, and they reduce productivity and household income—keeping poor people poor.

Sport can play a powerful role in addressing the risk factors causing NCDs, including physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and harmful tobacco and alcohol use. A small investment in a Development Through Sport program on Vanuatu’s Aniwa Island, for example, contributed to a 50 per cent reduction in obesity in 2009–10.

Our programs also help to:

support people with disability to improve the quality of their lives, by enabling them to participate in their community
improve social cohesion, by getting people in communities to work together
teach youth about rules and the importance of compliance, discipline and perseverance—life skills they can use, including at work and school.

AusAID works as a team with other players, including whole of government partners (Australian Sports Commission), developing country government ministries (such as health, education and sport), multilateral organisations (such as the World Health Organization), non-government organisations (such as Save the Children), Australian and partner country sports organisations, and village and community organisations.

Our Development Through Sport programs are not limited to mainstream, competitive sports like football, netball and cricket. Australia defines sport as ‘all forms of physical activity that contribute to physical fitness, mental wellbeing and social interaction; such as play, recreation, organised or competitive sport, and Indigenous sports and games’. In Samoa, for example, older members of the community, who often find other sports inaccessible, are able to take part in regular early morning Jazzercise sessions.

Even though relatively new to Australia’s aid program, Development Through Sport is beginning to see results. While the program does not yet have the benefit of years of ongoing research, monitoring and evaluation, progress in these areas is underway.

The Australian Sports Outreach Program

Australia’s principal vehicle for Development Through Sport assistance is the Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP). ASOP is funded by AusAID and managed by the Australian Sports Commission. Through ASOP, Australia will provide up to $4 million in 2011/12 to deliver Development Through Sport activities: country-specific activities in seven Pacific island countries; a regional activity in the Caribbean; and grants programs for smaller community-driven sports activities across the Pacific, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

ASOP Activities

ASOP Activities use the Australian Government’s unique approach to use sport, where it is the most suitable vehicle, to achieve a non-sporting development outcome. To find out more about each Activity click on the links below. The early results reinforce the role sport can play in helping partner countries deal with some development challenges, including internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals.

ASOP Grants

ASOP Grants Programs provide funding assistance to targeted, small-medium size community sport development projects. Grants focus on increasing community participation in sport and physical activity. The programs are also designed to offer an effective vehicle for addressing broader community issues. These include health promotion, social inclusion and cohesion, and providing leadership opportunities for young men and women.

Pacific Sports Partnerships (PSP)

PSP, also funded by AusAID and managed by the Australian Sports Commission, uses an approach that starts by identifying sport-related partner organisations and then agreeing on development priorities that need to be addressed.

Through PSP, Australia is providing $15 million over five years (to 2013–14) to contribute to social development through rugby league in PNG and football, rugby union, netball and cricket across the Pacific.

PSP will be delivered through partnerships between the Australian Government and Australian, regional and Pacific island sports organisations and will, wherever possible, complement ASOP.

Through PSP, Australian and Pacific sports organisations involved with cricket, netball, football, rugby union and rugby league will:

strengthen grassroots sports activities in Pacific communities; and
build the skills of administrators, coaches and officials so they can take up the cause of achieving development outcomes through sport over the long term.

Links

Ausaid–MDGs
Ausaid–Disability
Ausaid–Pacific

Key documents

Sport and the MDGs
NCDs World’s biggest killer

Related websites

Australian Sports Commission – International Sports for Development
UN Office of Sport for Development and Peace
International Platform on Sport and Development

12 December, 2011

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