We worked with Sport England to refresh their data strategy.
In England, one in four people do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week. Research from Sport England shows that those who do the least activity can benefit the most from small lifestyle changes.
We partnered with Sport England on a strategic review of OpenActive, an open data initiative that makes it easy to find, book and discover information on all kinds of physical activities – from tennis, to swimming, to dance classes.
Our approach
We worked with Sport England to rethink the value proposition of OpenActive. We helped them to explore how data and technology could help them tackle the big issues in the sports and physical activity sector, outlined in their 10 year Uniting the Movement strategy.
First, we carried out a detailed review of OpenActive’s existing purpose, strategy and impact, through desk research and stakeholder interviews. Collaborating with Substance, we conducted structured research with OpenActive’s steering committee and community members to understand the initiative’s context, how and why the physical activity data might be used, barriers to adoption, and the funding challenges of the project.
Next, we audited OpenActive’s technical assets and services across four dimensions: functionality and quality, use and impact, maintenance and restart costs, and suitability and portfolio gaps. This helped us to identify strengths, uncover areas for improvement, and develop targeted recommendations to ensure OpenActive is a sustainable and impactful data initiative.
Based on our findings, we provided Sport England with recommendations on funding, governance, implementation, tools, technology, and staffing to ensure OpenActive’s long-term sustainability.
The result
We delivered a strategic roadmap for OpenActive that ensures sustainability and aligns with broader policy goals outlined in their Uniting the Movement strategy. Sport England approved our recommendations, and committed to the next stage of funding for OpenActive.
We continued to help Sport England understand the role open data can play to support their Uniting the Movement strategy, helping them to develop the skills and tools needed to measure the impact of data initiatives, evaluate their success, and adjust their goals and operational methods as needed.