Portfolio analysis for sports organisations

Sportbedrijf Arnhem has been an independent business since 2017. It is responsible for facilitating and stimulating sport and exercise opportunities for everyone in Arnhem. Sportbedrijf operates the swimming pool, multiple multifunctional sports venues and many gyms and football pitches. It also organises activities across the city and the neighbourhoods to get the people of Arnhem moving. That gives Sportbedrijf an important societal role. They asked Jester Strategy to look with them at the different activities in their portfolio, in order to weigh the societal benefits against the investment and set the right strategy for each activity.

To be able to assess the activities, the first step was to create overview. Together with Sportbedrijf staff we categorised the different types of activity and their specific characteristics. Four segments emerged. We then defined the dimensions that play a role in analysing the portfolio: impact, cost, reach and efficiency. Combining these elements led to the insight that for some activities the focus should be on efficiency, while for others it is mainly about impact. Where some activities will always cost money, others may well generate some revenue. Another valuable insight was that it is helpful to set concrete goals and make agreements with clients and partners upfront. Sportbedrijf is now working further on ways to measure the societal effects of activities.