Understand how data can qualify political decision-making as it pertains to subsidy support or the construction of sports facilities.

The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities, LOA, is generally interested in increased use of activity registration in local governance areas. The goal is to work more strategically towards the development of future sports facilities in the projects supported by the foundation. As a result, LOA has supported a pilot project about digital activity registration involving 23 Danish local councils. (Danish source: Strategiske potentialer i registrering af aktiviteter, juni 2021, Idrættens Analyseinstitut, Peter Forsberg & Daniel Hayman)

According to LOA, data is going to play a crucial role in the future as it relates to qualifying the foundation for political decision-making. Data affords the politicians insight into what is happening in the sports and leisure area, for example which clubs are growing and uses the halls and pitches, as well as the demand throughout the season.

As a consequence, digital activity registration can form the basis for evaluating the need for future construction projects, as well as:

• Creation of subsidy models as it pertains to independent facilities, where the subsidy presupposes a certain activity level.
• Creation of lending models based on data from the sports facilities in the local governance areas.
• Saving or postponing construction by optimising the utilisation rates of existing facilities.
• Data forming the foundation on how to execute facility construction so as to better anticipate the needs of the future.

Construction pool a reality in Odense Council

In the governance area of Odense Council, digital activity registration has clearly shown the capacity is under pressure. With data from HallMoniter, the Deparment is able to present a model for loan guarantees to clubs.

In the budget 2023-2026, a pool equivalent of €1.35 million has been set aside. The pool allows the clubs to loan money for constructing facilites themselves without affecting the operating budget of the council further. The thinking behind this, is that the clubs are to operate the facilities themselves and repay the loans in a closed system. This way, the pool can be lent several times, and help push development forward.

“The loan guarantee is something we have struggled to come to terms with for a long time, as we needed data to document the need. Now, no one can claim there is no need. We can simply open HallMonitor and show the booking across the board,” says Leisure Consultant, Rasmus Vestergaard Tander.

According to Rasmus Vestergaard Tander, digital activity registration with HallMonitor is also the primary cause that the department will have greater influence going forward and will be in close dialogue with the workgroup for the Council’s development plans, city development strategy, and city life strategy within the council’s governance area.

3 reasons to employ digital activity registration to qualify decision-making 

1. Basis of construction decisions

Data affords politicians a factual foundation for political decisions concerning construction of facilities.

2. Insight into the usage of sports facilities
Data can be used continuously to afford insight into the actual utilisation rate of facilities as well as afford insight into what is happening in the area.

3. Important basis to create subsidy models and loan guarantees
Data plays an important role in the adaptation and creation of subsidy models of sports facilities – as it relates to independent facilities. A council might have made operations contracts with facilities wherein utilisation data is part. The subsidy presupposes a certain level of activity and therefore creates an incentive for the facilities to guarantee a certain activity level.