“Performance management is not designed to prove but to improve”.
With this in mind, Sport England and the CSP Network have worked together to create a new ‘performance management and improvement framework (PMIF)’. The framework is designed to provide an objective, transparent and proportionate reflection of CSP performance and create a learning environment which will support the delivery of the objectives contained in the Towards an Active Nation’ strategy.
At the heart of the framework is a new Sport England - CSP relationship which emphasises collaboration, open dialogue and learning and improvement.
The framework is based on industry research, and includes 4 key stages:
- Self-assessment – promoting self-awareness and ownership of improvement activity across the whole team and board.
- Quest 2-day external assessment – led by trained independent assessors acting as critical friends, the external assessment will check and challenge the CSP against 5 modules specifically designed for CSPs focusing on organisational effectiveness and impact, and will lead to a bespoke improvement plan.
- A round table meeting will then follow chaired by Sport England and involving key CSP staff, board members and stakeholders to discuss CSP improvement and forward planning aligned to the CSP context, performance and priorities. A bespoke support package will be put in place based on the outcome of the round table meeting and the CSPN national team will play a key role in supporting CSPs with improvement activity.
- Contact between Sport England and the CSP will vary according to the needs of the CSP, however, an official Quest Directional Review will take place 12 months after the 2-day external assessment designed to check progress. The framework is then repeated on an annual cycle.
Other key features include:
- Opportunities for peer support throughout the process.
- 5 modules specifically designed for CSPs linked to their Sport England Primary Role - collaborative leadership, understanding place and people, partnerships and brokering, people and team development and continuous improvement.
- Performance metrics and narrative will be shared on an online platform for learning and benchmarking purposes.
- Involvement and input from key partners throughout the process.
- An integrated approach combining all Sport England investments into CSPs
“The new PMIF marks a watershed in the way that CSPs are performance managed, providing a progressive approach with continuous improvement at its core, and underpinned by a more collaborative relationship with Sport England. The Framework will provide an objective reflection of CSP performance linked to local context and priorities and will drive a bespoke support package based on the needs of each CSP. The framework forms an important element of our ‘Raising the Bar’ improvement work, and will help us stretch, continually raise standards and maximise the impact we have in our communities”.
Doug Patterson, Chair, County Sports Partnership Network
“I am delighted to endorse this new, single performance management and improvement framework for CSPs which has a clear line of sight to the recommendations of the Independent Appraisal of CSPs carried out in 2016 by Andy Reed. It is the result of a comprehensive process undertaken jointly by Sport England and CSPN with the support of valued colleagues at Right Directions. It has been very much shaped by CSPs and their partners particularly local authorities. This new framework underpins Sport England’s new relationship with CSPs and I hope it will help facilitate a much better understanding of the collective challenges and opportunities we face to achieve a more active nation. The PMIF also compliments many of the key themes in our new ‘Professional Workforce Strategy’ especially around insight-led, continuous improvement, collaborative leadership and customer focus.”
Mike Diaper, Executive Director, Sport England
ENDS
