A blog by Esmée Messemaker, on her work at two SPRONG networks: ESC and PASS.
With the fog hanging through the branches of the trees this morning it made me think on how changemakers wonder through the unclear, humid, a tad mystic and also the tad frustratingly a-maximum-of-a-handsight-let-me-not-stumble view.
A project I myself am involved in as ‘changemaker’ (although I consider it a team of changemakers), is the SPRONG PASS network. It is oriented to finding solutions for the perceived barriers of various complex social problems that have been identified within the sports and exercises system as formulated in the Mooi in Beweging programme. A complex ambition that moves a level deeper through questioning: what are the identified wicked problems?
- Residents in disadvantaged neighbourhoods exercise less;
- Children and young people exercise less and their motor skills are deteriorating;
- Sport and exercise are underutilised in healthcare;
- Increasing and highlighting the social value of top-level sport;
- Sports infrastructure is underutilised;
- The affordability of sport is under pressure.
There are four work packages within the SPRONG group that collectively work on system change with regards to all six wicked problems. The workpackage which I’m involved in takes the top-down approach, we work with policymakers and stakeholders (health, welfare, sport) to understand the barriers and work towards solutions, interventions, connections, knowledge sharing or deploying other (new) methods to initiate change.
The relationship with ESC feels like dancing a salsa together, with each SPRONG group taking new insights, new steps, and finding the right timing to spin and turn. Utilizing each other’s insights to build on methods, tools and new knowledge sharing insights for further development of both. The first steps of the PASS adopted stakeholder mapping exercises from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Through multiple interview rounds we got to understand the barriers from the perspective of the Universities of Applied Sciences and from national and regional governmental agencies, including those agencies which are policy advisors.
Slowly but surely seeing the tree branches within the fog taking shape and form. The bumps on the road right in front of us start to be outlined through the greyness. The new insights are helping clear the path to be able to move to the next phase of determining directions. With ESC daring to take the leap into the fog to grasp the methods to navigate through what’s next.
Interested to know more? You may contact me, Esmée Messemaker: e.a.n.messemaker@hhs.nl
The SPRONG MOOI group PASS is a collaboration between Fontys University of Applied Sciences (lead partner), The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, HZ University of Applied Sciences and Inholland University of Applied Sciences, together with 46 regional and national knowledge and professional partners. The group works closely together with students, lecturers, researchers, residents, professionals, entrepreneurs, administrators and regional and national policymakers from various policy areas (cf. quadruple helix).