chapter 4 Assessment

Importance of Assessment Assessment is commonly practiced in leisure services. Knowing what users want guides recreation agencies in determining what to provide. (continued)

Importance of Assessment (continued) Assessment isn’t only about understanding users’ needs; it is also about determining if it is feasible for the agency and within the scope of its mission to provide the product. Assessment is an important part of determining what programs a recreation agency will offer. It is also important in facility design and development.

Assessment Methods Several methods ranging from very formal to very informal can be used to assess the need for a facility development project. Formal methods can take the form of a needs assessment, feasibility study, or prospectus. These assessment tools involve considerable research and are objective in nature. (continued)

Assessment Methods (continued) Informal methods used in assessing facility needs are more subjective. They may include informally gathering facts that reflect facility needs through observing user behaviors or having casual conversations with facility users.

Influencing Factors in Facility Assessment Influencing factors in facility assessment are the issues that need to be reviewed and documented when observing concerns at an existing facility or recognizing a void that a new facility could fill. The more serious and potentially expansive the project, the greater attention these factors will require in order to influence desired results.

Influencing Factors in Facility Assessment: Safety A fundamental requirement of any recreation facility manager is to provide a safe environment for all users and employees. A safe environment includes a place where risk of harm has been minimized. When assessing facility safety, it should be determined if the design or use of the facility creates the potential for injury.

Safety Risk

Influencing Factors in Facility Assessment: Satisfaction Satisfaction is the degree to which the expectations of facility users have been met. The degree of satisfaction among users can be critical to the success of the core product. A perceived lack of quality or a bad experience while using a facility can negatively influence users’ satisfaction.

Influencing Factors in Facility Assessment: Participation Participation refers to the number of people using a facility. Some recreation facilities become so popular that they attract more users than they were designed to accommodate. Facility managers should recognize when usage creates a sense of overcrowding, which can have a negative impact on the experience of users.

Influencing Factors in Facility Assessment: Efficiency Efficiency relates to how well management uses a facility and other resources in maximizing revenue opportunities while minimizing expenses. Efficiency also involves allocating space to allow for maximum use without decreasing customer satisfaction. Often the design of a facility can cause problems with the efficient provision of the core product or core product extensions.

Efficient Use of Space

Influencing Factors in Facility Assessment: Comparison All recreation facility managers are involved in comparing their product with those of their competitors; this is often called benchmarking. Benchmarking is initiated so that management can ascertain what products their competitors are providing and how well they are providing them. The most important comparison is determining how the facility measures up in space functionality and appearance.

Influencing Factors in Facility Assessment: Modernization Many facilities are constructed with state-of-the-art materials and furnished with the most up-to-date equipment. Over time they become outdated as new technology creates improved options in a variety of facility applications. Recreation facility managers should be attentive to these new options and plan and budget for necessary improvements.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment There are additional techniques that recreation facility managers can use to generate support for the renovation or construction of a facility. These techniques can help persuade key administrators, board members, financial officers, and politicians to recognize the circumstances that warrant attention and response.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: Site Visits One of the best ways to gather support for facility projects is to have a group of users and administrators visit existing facilities with problems or other facilities that may become a model for a new facility. Site visits are done in the early stages of development or renovation. They are effective because personal experience and a visual assessment of facility problems or of a state-of-the-art facility create insight for what needs to be accomplished.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: Surveys Surveys have traditionally been the most common method for obtaining information. Internal surveys can be used to obtain user or employee feedback regarding the facility. External surveys can be used to obtain comparative information from facilities with similar products, and this is often called a benchmark survey.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: Focus Groups A focus group consists of people who represent various segments of users and stakeholders. These users are simply asked to share their thoughts on subjects related to facility development. Focus groups generally range in size from 5 to 12 participants.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: Comments and Opinions Comments and opinions of facility users and employees—both positive and negative—are important to consider when assessing user satisfaction. Both users and employees offer a distinct perspective of a facility that management does not have. (continued)

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: Comments and Opinions (continued) Comment cards and suggestion or complaint forms should be made available for users and employees to express their concerns. Online options should be provided as an alternative to written forms. Opinion polls obtain users’ opinions regarding satisfaction with the condition of a facility or the perceived need for a new facility.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: Petitions A petition is a document stating that people are in agreement on a certain issue. The petition usually has a formal statement that helps demonstrate interest in a project. Petitioning is a common form of creating awareness of the need for a project, especially if the user has an interest or a stake in the facility.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: History Recreation facility managers should know the history of the facilities for which they are responsible. The age and condition of the structural systems and construction materials affect the need for timely replacement or renovation of the infrastructure.

Influencing Techniques in Facility Assessment: Asset Management Facility managers should document when materials and equipment are installed and then budget accordingly for when the products or materials need to be replaced. The concept of documenting the age and predicted life span of facility components is called asset management.

Initial Proposal An initial proposal is a formal way of communicating the need for a facility improvement or the construction of a new facility. This written proposal is developed by the party creating a case for the facility project, usually a facility manager, and is typically delivered to administrators, owners, investors, governing bodies, or other agencies that control the funding for a facility project. (continued)

Initial Proposal (continued) When drafting an initial proposal, it is necessary to think in terms of these elements: Need or title Recommendation Rationale Justification Funding Impact Conclusion