Street Football World (SFW) has conducted a technical evaluation of the project: Playing for a Common Future, Dialogue Through Sports, Jordan. The evaluation summarizes key findings under the criteria advised by SFW and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The project was implemented from June 2017 to May 2019 and was evaluated from February 1st to May 31st, 2020. Cross Cultures adopts a decentralized approach to social development through sports and the initiative, therefore, revolved around building the skills of young coaches to establish their own Open Fun Football Schools with the training methodologies and tools based on the CCPA workbook. Other flagship training programs were Cross Cultures Future Leadership Program and the Coaching Seminar.
The report states:
“CCPA invested significant time to engage with local schools, municipalities, and youth clubs. In addition, the general security and civil defence forces were regularly involved in the program workshops and events. Further, CCPA created synergy with the Danish-Arab partnership program through which the national reform on decentralization is promoted. Finally, CCPA was active on creating visibility and engaging with media.“
Cross Cultures targeted a total of 56,000 participants distributed on 42 OFFS, 25 special training sessions, and 2,284 self-organized activities.
“An interesting aspect of CCPA’s model is that it eloquently customized international knowledge; skills and experience to national and local settings thus better relating to its target group and beneficiaries. “
Under Key recommendations the evaluation highlights:
“The host communities approach has proven to be very effective in reaching out to a large spectrum of target groups and regions. It is recommended that the program is fostered and continued in the current target areas and expanded to new areas using the impressive decentralized approach applied by CCPA. “
Followed by key lessons learned: “Sport, particularly, football had been proven very effective in addressing social challenges associated with refugees and host communities in the Jordanian context. Sport-based approaches can, and need be integrated in the national policy, strategy and legislative frameworks related to social development in a post-conflict setting.”
Cross Cultures is satisfied with the evaluation and how the decentralizations approach represents an effective bottom-up approach to the project planning and helps foster a sense of belonging and involvement of field teams: “CCPA communicated and cooperated with local government and civic society entities including youth and cultural clubs, municipalities, local private sector, in addition to its cooperation program with the ministries of interior, education and youth and sports.”
