Organisational readiness and capacity building strategies of sporting organisations to promote health

This paper explored the readiness of Victorian State Sporting Organisations (SSOs) in Australia to implement health promotion (HP) programs and sought to understand how they implemented capacity building strategies to promote health. Ten SSOs that received funding to develop and implement HP were recruited for the study. Interviews were conducted with key staff from SSOs and focus groups were undertaken with their Boards of Management. Factors analysed were SSO organisational readiness and capacity building strategies to implement change in organisational processes, organisation and resources, and systems and controls. SSOs made a concerted effort to create and support sport and recreation contexts that promote healthy behaviours. A number of SSOs achieved changes in their culture and systems by implementing formalised and systematic programs such as the club development program. The club development program supported the implementation and sustainability of HP throughout the organisational system of the SSO. These changes, however, were dependent upon organisational readiness; particularly climate and capacity, whereby financially “well off” SSOs had the capacity to engage in HP in a significant way. This paper highlights opportunities and challenges for policy makers to fund HP within sporting organisations; especially when the delivery of sport is a more immediate responsibility than HP.

Research highlights
► We explored the implementation of health promotion within sporting organisations.
► A new strategy requiring sports organisations to implement change.
► Club development programs supported the implementation and sustainability of HP.
► Delivery of sport was a more immediate responsibility than health promotion.
► Change dependent upon organisational readiness; particularly climate and capacity.