Policy as Practice: The Case of Sport in Emergencies

Abstract

Sport is increasingly leveraged to advance public health, social inclusion, and community resilience. International organizations, including UNESCO, have leveraged the strategic potential of sport to inform global policy. Despite this, limited attention has been paid to how such sport policy recommendations emerge, especially within contexts of emergencies. This thesis addresses this gap by examining the sport policy shaping process, underpinning UNESCO’s Fit for Life in Emergencies expert meeting. Practice theory and the Strategy-as-Practice framework guided this research, providing a comprehensive understanding of the impact of practitioners, praxis, and practices in policy shaping environments. The study adopts an interpretive qualitative case study design, conceptualizing policy shaping as a socially embedded process. Data was collected through reflexive observations during a three-day closed-door meeting, comprising 32 participants from diverse fields, including academia, NGOs, and professional practice. Semi-structured interviews with six participants (n=6) were conducted to complement the observational findings. The findings were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings highlight how policy shaping unfolded as a bounded and structured form of co-creation. Four interrelated themes were identified: Policy as bounded co-creation, Structure as a governing mechanism, Knowledge as authority, and Fragile translation from discussion to outcome. These findings demonstrate that policy recommendations in sport were shaped by structured practices, institutional boundaries, and the interaction between diverse practitioners with distinct institutional and professional roles. This thesis offers a practice-based understanding of how policy is co-constructed in real-world settings. Thus, extending the Strategy-as-Practice framework to the field of sport policy and providing a policy as practice framework that highlights the complexities of policy shaping in the context of sport.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Science and Engineering