Reflective Cycles of Learning: Methods of Measuring, Monitoring, and Evaluation Within Sport-for-Development

Abstract

This article explores how community sport teams intentionally strive to improve members’ emotional wellbeing through evaluative practices. The findings reveal that evaluative systems sustainability relies on democratic, deliberate, and participative processes prioritizing connection and relationship building across organizational ecosystems. Systems must be delivered in alignment with participants’ individual and collective needs. Within, evaluation practices require holistic approaches involving short- and long-term reflective cycles of learning which use participant information to develop intentional, person-centered, tailored practices to address people’s needs. Results necessitate shifting from traditional short-term focuses of programs toward recognizing that interventions require ongoing commitments throughout people’s life cycle.