"Parks Make Life Better"
Parks and recreation make lives and communities better now and in the future by providing access to the serenity and inspiration of nature; outdoor space to play and exercise; facilities for self-directed and organized recreation; positive alternatives for youth which help lower crime and mischief; and activities that facilitate social connections, human development, therapy, the arts, and lifelong learning.
“We Create Community and Quality of Life through People, Parks and Programs”
Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department strengthens our community’s fabric, health and well-being, economic base and security. Manhattan Beach residents have long valued neighborhood and community parks as special natural places where they can relax, walk, meditate, enjoy family time, and seek spiritual renewal. As our quality of life has been threatened by crime, urban sprawl, family disintegration, and other modern pressures, the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department – in partnership with our school district and community-based organizations and business – has risen to the challenge, providing services to increase community health and stability. Today, the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department provides much, much more than recreation experiences.
Through diverse and innovative programming, and broad partnerships, the Parks and Recreation Departments plays an important role in creating a healthy community. By providing the space to learn and play, space to be safe & secure and space to create & imagine, the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department meets a nine-part mission:
WE STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY IMAGE AND SENSE OF PLACE: Parks, recreation facilities, programs and community events are key factors in strengthening community image and creating a sense of place.
WE SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Recreation programs and facilities attract and retain businesses and residents, as well as tourists. Parks and recreation provides jobs and generates income for the community and for local businesses.
WE STRENGTHEN SAFETY AND SECURITY: Park and recreation professionals provide safe environments for recreation activities and design programs and services specifically to reduce criminal activity.
WE PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Participation in recreation activities improves physical, social and emotional health that positively impacts community health and wellness.
WE FOSTER HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Parks and recreation services foster social, intellectual, physical and emotional development.
WE INCREASE CULTURAL UNITY: Parks and recreation increases cultural unity through experiences that promote cultural understanding and celebrate diversity.
WE PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES: By acquiring and protecting valuable resources as open space, rivers, streams, greenways, view sheds forests, habitat areas, and natural resources are protected and habitat required for the survival of diverse species is preserved.
WE PROVIDE RECREATIONAL EXPERIENCES: Through programmed and self-facilitated recreation, a variety of benefits to individuals, families, neighborhoods, and communities are achieved. Recreational experiences are important as an end in themselves for personal enjoyment.
WE FACILITATE COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING: Park and recreation professionals possess facilitation and leadership skills that can be applied to resolve community problems and issues.
“We provide the place, space and experiences that build high self-esteem and the feeling of living a full life
Idris Jassim Al-Oboudi, City of Manhattan Beach Recreation manager 2001"
1. [Print in Landscape Mode] Al-Oboudi & Fulthorp
(2009)
Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation
Special Event/Program Evaluation
Utilize this programming tool to help you better evaluate your programs and better position your programs to meet community goals. The form can be used in
three strategic ways: 1) to evaluate your current programs alignment with the Department’s Vision, Insight and Planning Framework (VIP) in order to help
better communicate our impact on community goals to decision makers; 2) as an “end-in-mind” programming tool to help focus your programming efforts
towards a specific purpose that can also be better communicated to decision makers; 3) to help you create strategic program changes in order to better meet
community needs.
VISION INSIGHT PLANNING (VIP) & PURPOSE DRIVEN PROGRAMMING (PDP) FORM AND METHOD OF PROGRAMMING
DEVELOPED AND CREATED BY MR. IDRIS JASSIM AL-OBOUDI AND DR. KEITH FULTHORP IN 2004. BASED ON MANUALS AND
WORKSHOPS BY MR. AL-OBOUDI’S “BLUE PRINT 1987: Planning / Implementing and Evaluation of Special Events” & THE CPRS VIP PLAN
(2000). Please embed word documents / PDF doc/ Photos/ Other files in the areas they apply.
Program Title:
Program Status: Annual Program New Program Other (Explain)
Program Timeline- Actual Start/End Dates:
Community Goal/Issue/Desired Outcomes/Issue Addressed:
Actual Program Delivery Method
Special Event Class Workshop Marketing Strategy Council/Commission Report Staff Training Meeting Other (Explain)
Was this the best method to use? Yes No
Explain:
VIP Mission Accomplished: Describe how mission was accomplished based upon program evaluation results:
2. PDP Evaluation Form
Al-Oboudi & Fulthorp (2009)
Strengthen Community Image and sense of place A well balanced program seeks to accomplish all the VIP Missions. List actual VIP Missions accomplished in numerical
order knowing that you will emphasize top 2 missions in your PR and evaluations. Describe and Provide plan that
Support Economic Development emphasizes top 2 missions accomplished. Remember you will communicating this information back to leadership &
Strengthen Safety and Security stakeholders
Promote Health and Wellness
Foster Human Development
Increase Cultural Unity
Protect Environmental Resources
Facilitate Community Problem Solving
Provide Recreational experiences
VIP Strategy Implemented: Describe how strategy was implemented:
Communicating the Vision A well balanced program seeks to implement all VIP Strategies. List actual VIP Strategies utilized in numerical order
knowing that you will emphasize top 3 strategies in your program implementation & evaluations. Describe and provide
Forming Partnerships plan that emphasizes top 3 Strategies accomplished. Remember you will communicating this information back to leadership
Expanding Professional Competencies & Stakeholders:
Strengthen the P&R Ethic
Demonstrating Results
Documenting Best Practices
Impacting Public Policy
Expanding Resources
Program Evaluation Results: (Embed related files below)
Survey (embed results)
Interviews (embed interview results)
Observation (embed observation results)
Staff Evaluations (embed evaluation results)
Other (Explain):
What participant changes did you measure? Knowledge Attitudes Skills Aspirations Other (Explain):
How are participants’ different/better as a result of attending your program? (Explain based on measured participant changes):
Changes in Knowledge
Changes in Attitudes
Changes in Skills
Changes in Aspirations
Based on Participant Changes measured- how did this program live up to our brand promise- “Parks Make Life Better”?
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4. PDP Evaluation Form
Al-Oboudi & Fulthorp (2009)
V Introduction Growth Maturation Saturation Decline
O
L
U
M
E
Time
Program Stage Indicators- Use to Identify Life Cycle Stage and Develop Potential Interventions/ Program Termination Decisions
Introduction Growth Maturation Saturation Decline
1. Staffing Costs are High 1. Enrollment, service 1. Revenue increases slow 1. Revenue Declines 1. Staff hours increase;
2. Attendance and Service hours, and attendance 2. Average cost per 2. Average cost per staff/participant ratios
Hours are Low increase substantially participant decreases participant increases increase
3. Program enrollment is one 2. Average cost per 3. Enrollments begin to 3. No new participants 2. Revenue decreases
half or below capacity participant decreases decline 4. Staff/participant ratios significantly
4. Average cost per participant 3. Revenue increases increase 3. Attendance drops
is high 4. Enrollment is at 75 % dramatically (below
of capacity 25% of capacity)
Program Life Cycle Audit Results
Action plan to move program into maturation/saturation:
If program is now in “decline,” does evaluation support program termination? Yes (State Recommendations) No Other (Explain)
If program was is in “decline,” at last event: evaluate impact of changes made to:
Product
Price
Promotion
Place
SWOTT Analysis
Event Strengths
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5. PDP Evaluation Form
Al-Oboudi & Fulthorp (2009)
Event Weaknesses
Event Opportunities
Event Threats
Event Trends
Positioning/Repositioning Strategies (Crompton, 2009)
Based upon Program Life Cycle and SWOTT analysis, how can repositioning strategies be utilized to better position this event in the eyes of
community stakeholders?
Real (Development of new services or restructuring existing services to they better contribute to addressing community
goal/issue/benefit)
Associative (Aligning with other organizations that already possess the desired position/outcome/benefit and acquiring some of this
position from the association)
Competitive (Altering stakeholder’s beliefs about what our agencies’ competitors do)
Psychological (Changing stakeholder’s beliefs about the outcomes which result from this program)
Evaluation of resources utilized and recommendations for future implementation: If any category does not apply please write “N/A”
Resource: Evaluation/Recommendations:
Funding Were there sufficient funds? If not, in what area were funds lacking and by how much?
Training Was training adequate for staff/volunteers?
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6. PDP Evaluation Form
Al-Oboudi & Fulthorp (2009)
Staff Was there enough staff to handle the event? Were they properly trained to handle their duties? Please list staff names:
Volunteers Were there enough volunteers to handle the event? Were they properly trained to handle their duties?
Facilities Was the facility appropriate for the event? If not, what were the problems?
Supplies/Equipment Were there enough supplies? What could be added/removed? Were the Decorations adequate? Any other recommendations?
Technology Was use of technology appropriate? How could it have been improved? Any recommendations?
Event Registration How could registration process have been improved?
Collaboration Were the services provided by Parks & Recreation, Public Works, Police, Fire, and any other City department adequate? If not, how
could they be improved?
Marketing Did you think there was sufficient publicity for the event (i.e., posters, flyers, buttons, display, ads, Web etc.)?
Other
Action Plan For Communicating Results:
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7. PDP Evaluation Form
Al-Oboudi & Fulthorp (2009)
Who can you present these results to and when?
Staff meeting Department meeting Council/Commission meeting Local businesses Community Partnerships Schools Other:
Notes on each Item & method of communication plan / time line / example
Overall Summary of Program Evaluation/Recommendations:
Embed Photos & Other Event Media Here:
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