This initiative involved setting up a joint working partnership between Queen Margaret University and Street Soccer Scotland, a social enterprise set up in spring 2009. QMU will undertake to carry out monitoring and evaluation of work carried out by Street Soccer Scotland, and the related Street Scotland Academy. This follows some initial exploratory research carried out with players in the Scottish team at the 2008 Homeless World Cup.

Case Study from Fiona O' May, Research Fellow at the School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University.

What do you want to achieve with this initiative?

To establish an ongoing partnership and dialogue with this innovative social enterprise, and to conduct academic research in current and relevant social issues.

Describe the overall objectives:

The purpose of establishing the partnership between QMU and Street Soccer Scotland is to provide robust, objective, validated information regarding the achievement(s) of the organisation. As well as meeting the objectives of the Street Soccer Scotland, this in turn will help in applying for future funding, and also raise awareness and the profile of the organisation, both locally and nationally. It is also hoped that there will be opportunities for future research, as the project expands both in size, and geographical areas.

Logistics:

An application for funding for £5000 was submitted to Interface, and was granted two weeks later. It took 4 weeks of the researcher’s time to develop and test out the M&E framework, with in-kind support in terms of staff time given by members of the Homeless Word Cup Foundation and Street Soccer Scotland.

Project timeline:

June 2009 - ongoing

Helpful resources when developing this initiative:

Background information given by members of the Homeless World Cup Foundation (http://www.homelessworldcup.org) was central to determining what kind of information was required in order to develop the framework.
Various websites relating to sport development, such as the Swiss Academy for Development (SAD - http://www.sad.ch/en/);
 

Initiative Outcomes:

•  The development of the evaluation tool and engagement with the initiative showed how much can be achieved with a relatively small sum of funding.
• Working in partnership with the stakeholders was a very positive experience

Additional learning:

• Perhaps somewhat unexpected was the eagerness with which Street Soccer Scotland embraced the concept of monitoring and evaluation.
• This is possibly because they were an integral part of the tool development, and were also able to see how the tool could be used to their benefit, rather than as something which potentially could be viewed as threatening.

Involving the relevant people from the start, working with them and being open to discussion, has made this a good working partnership.

Barriers to designing and/or running this initiative

• It has proved difficult on occasion finding mutually convenient times for meetings
• Lack of funding to date has made life very difficult for Street Soccer Scotland, in terms of lack of resources such as staff, and also has hindered progression regarding research activities on the part of QMU

What would you do differently?

Nothing – the whole project worked well from the start, and the partnership continues to thrive

Initiative outputs:

No tangible resources to date, other than M&E toolkit, but future reports regarding M&E outcomes will be produced.

Is there a legacy from this initiative?

This partnership is ongoing, with funding being applied for along the way. Hopefully, as the project expands to other areas in Scotland, further research and networking will take place.

Quotes from stakeholders:

Street Soccer Scotland is a great initiative. It gets people back playing football, it gets them involved in sport again, it gets them working with other people, and I think it’s terrific

Gordon Smith, Chief Executive, Scottish Football Association

I’m staying in a homeless hostel just now, but Street Soccer helps me get out and meet new people and get fit. I’m not the best at football, but I’m getting better every session

Lynne, 16, Street Soccer Edinburgh West

Street Soccer helps me stay off drink and structures my week. It makes me feel part of a team, and gives me confidence

John, 24, Street Soccer Edinburgh East

Target audience of initiative:

Young people, people who have experienced/are experiencing homelessness, dependency issues or mental health problems, and those at risk of social exclusion.

Geographical area covered:

Edinburgh/Glasgow and central belt initially, and ultimately Scotland-wide.

How was the initiative advertised to the audience?

Street Soccer Scotland has received strong support from the Homeless World Cup Foundation, and has also been featured in the Big Issue in Scotland. Details of the programme have been disseminated to various support agencies and organisations working with those who are homeless, disadvantaged, or have dependency issues.

Did you carry out evaluation?

Ongoing monitoring and evaluation is planned within Street Soccer Scotland, and will seek input and feedback from players, supporting organisations and other stakeholders. Additionally, the M&E framework is being introduced to numerous grass-roots projects working with the Homeless World Cup Foundation throughout the world. One main opportunity for this will be at the 2010 Homeless World Cup tournament, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when project managers from approximately 70 countries will be present, and will be engaging in M&E workshops and discussions. Evaluation of Street Soccer Scotland in the form of a Masters dissertation by a QMU student will be taking place later in 2010.