The report from National Audit Office (NAO) criticises the Government agency  and DCMS for lack of "transparency" in the period 2005 to 2008 after it distributed money to a variety of groups and bodies, including the Community Sports Coach Scheme, National Sports Foundation and Sports Aid.

The NAO report reported that the DCMS had set Sport England the target of increasing sporting opportunities among three priority groups - women, black and Asian people and disabled people - by three per cent in the three-year period.

The amount of people playing sport did increase by 522,000 during that period but the proportion did not increase among the groups targetted, the NAO discovered. 

In fact, among women it dropped by 1.6 per cent.

The report said: "While increasing priority group participation was a key aim of its funding, it did not distinguish between the funds applied to increase such participation and participation in the wider population. 

"During the period the [DCMS] lacked basic performance management information on, and effective oversight of, Sport England. In addition,

"Sport England did not set organisations it funded targets to increase participation by priority groups.

"The [DCMS] lacked adequate oversight of progress towards its targets and did not require Sport England to report on the outcomes of its activities.

"Sport England lacked a focus on, and transparency of funding towards, increasing participation amongst the priority groups by the targeted amount.

"In light of all this, a positive conclusion on value for money is not possible despite the overall increase in participation figures during that period."

The NAO also questioned whether Sport England was getting value for money, with the average cost per participant ranged from £9 ($13)  for athletics and cycling to £153 ($222)  for rugby league and £216 ($313) for judo.

The report also warned that there were serious risks about Sport England's approach to increasing participation numbers.

It said: "[Sport England] is heavily dependent on six National Governing Bodies to deliver 60 per cent of the increase in participation expected through Governing Bodies and on key assumptions about how the activities it funds should translate into additional participants."

The NAO report, though, did conclude that Sport England has now put better measurement tools in place but warned that it could still do more.

It said: "Sport England now has a new strategy and a well-developed and improved funding assessment process for individual sports which we regard as positive developments that offer the prospect of improved value for money.

"Sport England has also developed improved processes for managing the performance of individual National Governing Bodies.

"In pursuing its target of securing an additional one million participants whilst increasing the range of sports it funds,

"Sport England’s ability to make judgements on funding priorities between sports - and so to maximise value for money - would be strengthened if it had clear criteria for evaluating funding allocations between sports."

A spokesman for DCMS claimed it welcomed the publication of the report.

He said: "Ministers’ priorities are to maximise the opportunities available through sport for the greatest possible number of people.

"We are currently working on plans to leave a lasting legacy from hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will lay these out before the autumn."

To read the full report click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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