KKP's two year evaluation and scheme improvement input to the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) was commissioned in 2004 on behalf of the DCMS.

TASS is a Government funded programme. It is a partnership between sport and higher and further education. It awards scholarships to talented athletes that committed to combining their sport and education. It had two primary (and arguably potentially conflicting) aims:

• To reduce the drop out of talented athletes from sport
• To support and develop the talent of today for sporting success in the future.

Latterly, scheme management has recently been transferred from Sport England to UK Sport. Programme delivery is managed by a partnership between national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) and further and higher education institutions.

Year one of the evaluation focussed primarily upon programme set up, roll out and operation. An extensive audit of institutions was undertaken to assess their capacity to support TASS athletes. This was supported by a large-scale consultation exercise with university staff, athletes and NGBs.

KKP's findings were used to both determine scheme progress and value and to support refinement of TASS operation in year two of the scheme.

Year 2 focused in greater detail on scheme impact. It comprised further consultation with TASS athletes, NGBs, universities and colleges to ascertain whether and what impact the programme was having two years on.

Initial findings highlighted a general improvement in performance by TASS as athletes, confirmed by the number that competed at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.

Findings from year two were detailed in a report submitted to Sport England and UK Sport in July 2006.

To find out more about TASS visit the website - http://www.tass.gov.uk/