Ludicology Play Sufficiency Assessment Package
We have been involved in pioneering innovative approaches to play sufficiency assessments and the implementation of associated action plans since the Welsh Play Sufficiency Duty commenced in 2012. This has included working with a range of local government organisations across Wales and England, involving hundreds of children and adults across hundreds of hours of research. Adopting a principled approach (which prioritises children’s experiences, perceptions and participation), we have developed a unique methodology, combining mixed research methods to generate local, credible and trustworthy data.
Essential to the success of our work has been the development of partnerships with people involved in a wide range of policy areas including: the arts and cultural sector, childcare, community regeneration, education, environmental services, health and safety, housing, planning, playwork, public health, social care and youth work, as well as universities and national play organisations. This experience has enabled us to develop our Play Sufficiency Assessment Package which represents a strategic, robust and comprehensive approach to assessing and securing play sufficiency and has been used to evidence improvements in children’s satisfaction with their opportunities for play.
Our Play Sufficiency Assessment Package includes 10 distinct stages of work, divided into three broader phases, including: satisfaction surveys and desktop audits, face-to-face research with case study communities and involving partners in the identification of strategic priorities. Each phase has a discreet set of core outcomes, outputs and opportunities for publicity and public engagement incorporated into the standard package; additional outputs are available as enhancements that would require additional funding.
Delivery Options:
Knowledge Transfer Partnership – our preferred method, and what we believe to be the most cost effective, is to work with organisations supporting their implementation of our play sufficiency process through a knowledge transfer partnership. This approach has a number of benefits for the commissioning organisation:
1. Access to our knowledge and experience and the tried and tested methods and research tools, including our Play Sufficiency Assessment Template.
2. Regular support and professional development through routine meetings and our three bespoke play sufficiency assessment training sessions.
3. Confidence in a detailed, comprehensive and well-informed assessment, report and action plan, produced with our guidance and support.
4. Reduced costs because the commissioning organisation takes on responsibility for the direct delivery of the assessment (with our support).
5. A greater ownership of the findings for the organisation through active involvement throughout the assessment.
6. The knowledge and experience gained through the process ensures the organisation are better placed to carry out future assessments with a lower level of external support required.
Project management and delivery by Ludicology – this method of delivery is suitable for organisations committed to the principles of Play Sufficiency but without the capacity/capability to take up the Knowledge Transfer method. Through this method Ludicology will carry out all three phases of the assessment using our tried and tested methods and research tools. This will include:
1. Working with the contracting organisation through inception and regular update meetings to agree research parameters and discuss developments.
2. Liaising with partner organisations, engaging them in the primary data gathering process.
3. Developing materials for publicity and public engagement.
4. Designing and facilitating research sessions with children and adults, recruiting and training additional research assistants where necessary.
5. Conducting desk-based reviews of existing data and carrying out a thorough analysis of primary data collected.
6. Developing presentation materials of the findings and facilitating consultation / action planning events with partners.
7. Producing draft reports and developing associated action plans using our Play Sufficiency Assessment Template.
Consultancy – this method of delivery is suited to organisations that have both the capacity and capability to carry out a full assessment but are seeking advice and support to ensure the quality of this process. Where that is the case this is the most cost-efficient method and includes:
1. Working with the contracting organisation through inception and regular update meetings to agree research parameters and discuss developments.
2. Developing a robust methodology and detailed work plan for each phase of the assessment.
3. Provision of online survey materials and support with data analysis to identify research populations for qualitative data collection.
4. Provision of the tried and tested research tools and materials, including training on their use if necessary.
5. Access to our Play Sufficiency Assessment Template.
6. Ongoing support via phone, email and face-to-face meetings (number by prior agreement).
Once you have decided which method of delivery best suits you it is possible to purchase our Play Sufficiency Assessment Package as a whole (all three phases) or to purchase each phase separately to make the overall cost of the project more manageable and provide more regular project completion dates. The sufficiency assessment process should be seen as a development mechanism in itself, with changes (particularly in terms of attitudes and partnership working) likely to take place as people are engaged in listening, thinking and talking about the reality of children’s play experiences. With this in mind, there is an opportunity for the assessment to be delivered as a public awareness campaign aimed at promoting the importance of and raising the profile of children’s right to play.