MEL tactics for your kitbag
Football has been at the heart of what we do at Upshot from the very beginning, when the Football Foundation (the UK’s largest sports charity) wanted to find a way to answer the vital “So what?” impact question.” Over the years, we’ve worked with The FA, County FAs and Football Club Community Organisations (CCOs) and Football Social Responsibility (FSR) organisations all over the world, across football pyramids.
While Upshot is used widely by many other sectors (all of the information below is applicable to any non-profit organisation), we continue our long-running support to football organisations in the UK and around the world with the Upshot system and/or other support including the creation of Theories of change, upskilling teams and helping visualise data through our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Services see more.
Every football coach, administrator, CEO, volunteer can tell anecdotal and powerful stories of where football and the power of the game has had an impact on both participants and communities. However, stories underpinned by data can give a more consistent and objective boost to sharing the importance of football to those inside the game but also outside of football - who could be key decision-makers for policy-change and funding.
Through using a MEL approach, football organisations around the world have been able to collect data at the side of a pitch and pull the reports they need to make their case. From football coaches in Ukraine running children’s sessions in a war zone, to providing a café space and support for those with early dementia in Belgium; from visits to house-bound fans in Northampton to helping refugees find employment and feel welcome in their new community in Newcastle – football is like a prescription for physical and mental wellbeing for all in the community.
As part of an ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) strategy, required by all organisations, the tactics of MEL help bring to life and continually improve social impact goals. But how does an organisation get started with a MEL approach?
Below is a readymade game plan, with key considerations for good MEL practice and for continual learning and improvement.
Upshot Team Tactics for Effective MEL Practice
Top 5 areas of Upshot used to show the social impact of football:
⚽ Monitor Engagement – The use of registers and sessions to record the uptake of, and engagement in, activities & sessions.
⚽ Track Wellbeing – The use of Upshot’s surveys to track changes in physical and mental wellbeing.
⚽ Data Collection on-the-go – The use of Upshot’s dedicated mobile app to capture data on the side of a pitch, or in a sports hall, even when offline.
⚽ Upload Media – The use of Upshot’s media area to upload videos and photos of delivery to be used in communication channels.
⚽ Record Milestones – The use of Upshot timelines to record milestones and achievements by participants such as CV creation, gaining qualifications or stopping smoking.
For further help check out the rest of the Resources section including jargon-busting, tips and tricks from the team and our clinic helping with specific challenges faced by those delivering community sport in general.
Interested in knowing more about MEL and/or the Upshot system and services? Feel free to get in touch for an initial call.