Theresa Penbrooke, Founder and CEO GreenPlay, LLC

1. Planning for the Future
of Your Agency
Teresa Penbrooke, MAOM, CPRE
CEO & Founding Managing Member
GreenPlay, LLC
Faculty, Research, and Board Secretary
GP RED
PhD Student – North Carolina State University

2. Learning Outcomes
• Get an overview of good planning
practices for Parks and Recreation
• Identify the typical defining
structures of different types of
planning tools
• Discuss which studies should be
done in different situations
• Discover innovative planning and
communication tools that can help

3. Planning – Why Do We Do It?
$ Dictates our mission
$ Justifies our existence
$ Helps make decisions
$ Creates efficiency and helps
get things done
$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

4. Benefits of Planning
• Serves as an implementation guide
• Provides a more effective coordination tool -
as you grow, you have more programs and
facilities - how do you decide and monitor?
• Establishes board and
council “buy-in” for budget
requests
• Keeps policies from
straying or having
unintended consequences
• Protects You!

5. Why Do We Dread It?
• Takes time away from our
“core jobs”
• Costs $$$ in time and
resources
• Invites confrontation and
examination
• Invites in the UNKNOWN

6. Plans Plans Plans
Master PlanSite Master
Plan
Comprehensive
Plan
Conceptual
Study
Strategic
Plan
Needs
Assessment
Operational
Audit
Feasibility
Study

7. Community Comprehensive Plan
Master Plan
Needs
Assessment
Strategic
Plan
Operational
Audit
Park Master
Plan
Feasibility
Study
Budgets Departmental
Work Plans
Policies and
Ordinances
Conceptual
Study

8. Plan Purposes
Needs Assessment
Gap Analysis – what do you have, who are you serving, what does the public
desire, what is the gap between what you have and desire?
Master Plan
Establishes policy; focuses on “what” you need and should be providing in the
future based on that policy
Strategic Plan
Establishes policy; focuses on “how” you will provide what you need, both
identification of resources and ability of management to deliver
Conceptual Plan High level planning to determine if an idea is worth pursuing in more detail
Feasibility Study
Will tell you if some idea is doable and / or what it would take to make it doable
from a resource perspective
Business Plan
Focuses on the competitive market; identifies participation, expenditures and
revenues; used to attract funding/financing
Technology Plan
Single purpose plan that identifies infrastructure needed to support your core
business
Operational Audit Evaluation of practice against policy and procedural standards
Marketing Plan
Identifies research needed and metrics (what and how something will be
evaluated) and promotional efforts to increase participation and maximize
revenues to gain a competitive edge
Site Master Plan
Land based illustration of site amenities and how they integrate or align and
identification of costs to implement
Partnership or
Sponsorship Plan
Highly policy and procedure oriented plan that also identifies values and benefits
of participation

9. Overview of a
Comprehensive Agency
Master Planning Process

10. Look at Your Mission
• Who are you serving?
• What is your vision of service for the
community?
• Who are your programs targeting?
• How much are you subsidized?
• How much do you need to recover?
• What are your values?
1

11. Our Purpose
Why do we exist?
Our Values
Core Beliefs
Guiding Principles
Mandates
Organizational Vision
Our Purpose
Why do we exist?
Our Values
Core Beliefs
Guiding Principles
Mandates

12. Organizational Vision
Our Purpose
Why do we exist?
Our Values
Core Beliefs
Guiding Principles
Mandates

13. Organizational Vision
Your
Parks and Recreation
Department

14. Planning Context
• History – How did we get here?
• Other planning efforts
• Organizational and operational
structure
• Methodology

15. Creating Context

16. Need A Comprehensive Approach

17. Customize Your Project Approach

18. Community Input and
Needs Assessment
• Wants and desires
• Needs
• Current resources
• Programs and facilities
• Alternative providers
• Potential partners
• Priorities
2

19. Community Input Process
• Individual stakeholder
interviews
• Key stakeholders,
focus groups or
steering committees
• Governing bodies
• Public meetings
• Surveys

20. Public Assessment & Information Gathering
Who Users Citizens/ Voters Key Stakeholders
Staff & Decision
Makers
Partners
Alternative Providers
Consultants
Project Team
Methodologies Intercept Surveys
Focus Groups
Questionnaires
Various Group
Process
Techniques
SWOT Analysis
Dot-ocracy
Public Meetings
Statistically-
Valid Survey
Board/Commissi
on Meetings
Websites
Other Media
Outlets
Nominal Group
Process
SWOT Analysis
Dot-ocracy
Individual Interviews
Small Group
Meetings
SWOT
Facilitation
Inventory
Trends
Demographics
Benchmarking
Best Practices
Outcomes Issues
Needs
Satisfaction
Willingness to
Pay
Desired
Amenities
Identity
Stakeholders
Support
Consensus
Education
Funding
Tolerance
Priorities
Opportunities
Constraints
Gap Analysis
Special Interest
Political/ Historic
Issues
Niche Markets
Recommendations
Policies
Staff Development
Sustainability
Level of Service
Partnerships
Business Planning
Funding:
Traditional
Alternative
CIP & Action
Plans

21. Survey
• Statistically-Valid
• Non-Users
• Voters
78%
75%
69%
69%
66%
63%
56%
55%
48%
44%
42%
42%
42%
33%
32%
23%
21%
18%
17%
12%
11%
12%
17%
20%
16%
17%
22%
25%
25%
24%
29%
33%
38%
26%
47%
44%
49%
53%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
More trails and bike paths
Open space acquisitions
Develop fields with RE-1 SD
"Gateway River Park"
Multi-purpose recreation center
Upgrade existing outdoor pool
Additional river access
Performing arts center
Large parks for general use
Parks dedicated to organized sports
Skateboard park
Small neighborhood parks
Nature park and nature center
Outdoor amphitheatre stage
Riding arena
Four-season ice rink
BMX bicycle course
Equestrian park and trails
Disc (Frisbee) Golf Course
Percent Responding
Somewhat/Very Important (4,5)
Probably/Definitely Not Needed (1,2)
Q.9 - Rate the Importance of Possible Improvement Projects

22. Community Profile
• Demographic analysis and market profile
• Local and national trends sources
• Benchmarking
3

23. • Existing parks, recreation,
trails, and programs
• Alternative recreation
providers
• Analysis of “best providers”
• Potential partnerships
• Trends analysis
• Level of Service analysis
Inventory and Assessment4

24. • Program evaluation
• Unmet needs
• Under utilized programs
and services
• Alternative providers of
programs and services
• Comparative analysis and
benchmarking
Assessment of Programs
and Services

25. Spatial Information
Management
• Project GIS/CAD integration
• Integration with other software &
data resources
• Opportunity and constraint
analysis
• Cartography for project
presentation and documentation
• Coordinated end products
integrate with agency GIS
department requirements and
standards

26. Level of Service Analysis
• Capacities
Methodology
 Acreage / Amenities
per 1,000
 Quantitative analysis
• Composite Values
Methodology
 Quantitative and
Qualitative analysis
 Shows access and
functionality

27. Level of Service Methodology
Basic Steps
• Consensus on Expectations from
Community and Staff
• Determining Relevant Components
• Inventory and Analysis
• Representative Graphics and Maps
• Creation of Appropriate Standards
• Integration of Tools for Overall Goals

28. The Process:
Application
What Shade is Your Goal?

29. • What Levels of Service do
you want your community
to have?
• What components should
be added, replaced, or
upgraded, and where?
Planning Perspectives

30. Analysis of Maintenance
• Existing conditions
• Benchmarks and evaluation
• Clarify existing maintenance
standards
• Compare actual condition with
standards

31. Financial Analysis
• Traditional and alternative
funding sources
• Operating budgets
• Capital improvements plan
• Potential for additional
funding?
• Partners?
5

32. Services
Assessment
Matrix
Financial Capacity
Economically Viable
Financial Capacity
Not Economically Viable
Alternative
Coverage
High
Alternative
Coverage
Low
Alternative
Coverage
High
Alternative
Coverage
Low
Good Fit
Poor Fit
Strong
Market
Position
Weak
Market
Position
Affirm
Market
Position
Advance
Market
Position
Complement.
Development
“Core Service”
Divest
Invest,
Collaborate
or Divest
Collaborate
or Divest
Collaborate
or Divest
Divest
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9
 2009 GreenPlay LLC
and GP RED

33. • Identifies value for the
services and facilities
• Communicates priorities
for the citizens
• Identifies funding for
necessary programs
Cost Recovery
Philosophy and Policy

34. Financial Plans
• Revenue and Cost Recovery Policies
• Agency Business and Financial Plans
________________________
• Annual Operating and Maintenance Budgets
• Capital Improvement Budgets
• Project Specific Feasibility and Business Plans

35. Other Possible Master Plan
Components or Separate Plans
• Technology Plan
• Partnership Plan
• Marketing Plan
• Sustainability Plan
• Public Art Plan
• Site Plans

36. Recommendations
• Written goals, plans, objectives, and
policy statements for a clear five-year
vision and road map
• Recommendations on acquisitions,
improvements, operations, maintenance,
funding and economic impact
• Protecting resources while creating for
community needs
6

37. Master Plan
Implementation/Action Plan
• Recommended tasks /
strategies
• Timeline for
implementation
• Responsibility
• Funding implications

38. How Do You Get It Done?
• Assign good staff
• Get really good volunteers
• Hire consultants
• RFP outline available

39. Questions?
Thank you for attending!
Please also email or call with questions.
Teresa Penbrooke, MAOM, CPRE
GP RED
GreenPlay, LLC
Tel: (303) 439-8369
TeresaP@GPRED.org
www.gpred.org
www.GreenPlayLLC.com