Programs
Are created based on current trends in the field, interests in the community, and success of other agencies. They are intended to meet the needs
... [Show More] of the community and fill a gap that does not exist.
General and Specific
Two basic types of programs
Special Events
One-time or infrequently occurring activity outside normal programs offered by the park and recreation agency. Have a different level of supervision in their implementation. Despite the diverse special event themes, all special events require a great deal of planning and supervision to ensure the goals of the special event are met.
Specific Supervision
Involves observing, overseeing and managing the conduct of a specific activity, facility, or program
-Provide correct, competent instruction and or direction to the activity
-Oversee the behavior and practices of participants; intervene and regulate behavior to ensure safe participation and safe environment for the activity
-Conduct safety inspections for and remove obvious hazards to ensure a safe environment for participation
-Respond to traumatic events as warranted and render appropriate assistance as required
When engaged in specific supervision, the park and recreation professional is expected to provide the following level of services:
General Supervision
Assumes less of a "hands-on" approach. Does not include activity instruction; rather is primarily concerned with on-site supervision of recreational services and programs. Might periodically visit a weekly youth basketball program to monitor program staff, instructional content, facility conditions, etc.
1. Ensure the program is actually being conducted
2. Observe program observations to make sure they are being delivered as intended by the agency and at a level of quality desired by the agency
3. Observe program staff
When engaged in general supervision, the park and recreation professional is achieving three goals:
Work plan
To supervise a special event, a park and recreation professional needs to develop a _____________. Should serve as a guide in the development of a checklist for the day of the event.
-Manage the wide range of tasks that must be accomplished to execute the event
-Generate a timeline for tasks
-Create a budget for the tasks
-Place priorities on the tasks
The purpose of the work plan
-Ensure all equipment and signs are at proper locations
-Check trash receptacles and restroom facilities frequently
-Set up information/registration booth
-Display permit on site
-Post site map
Common special event supervisory tasks
Staffing needs
A clear plan on __________ and skills should be outlined in the program/event plan
-Preparation
-Priming the group
-Delivery
Successful direct leadership consists of three phases:
Preparation
Includes creating the activity plan to guide the leaders The activity plan will be impacted by the following components: group composition, goals and objectives, risk management, the environment, and the activities chosen.
Group composition
Size of the group, abilities of a group, gender specific activities, and experience levels
Goals and objectives
These will drive the activity choices and leadership techniques used
Risk management
Leaders minimize the undesirable risks and dangers associated with activities
1. Remove the risk by eliminating the problem or eliminating the activity altogether
2. Implementing safety precautions or changing how an activity is conducted
3. Accept the inherent risk to the activity
Three means to handle risk:
The environment
Selecting an environment that is appropriate for the activity in terms of space and equipment needed.
The activities chosen
Activities should be compatible with the group composition. It should have more than the anticipated number of necessary activities in case some of the activities do not work with the group. Transitions from one activity to the next should be planned. Young participants should not have a lot of unoccupied time.
Priming the group
This technique involves the integration of fun, experiential, and unique methods to get the groups attention.
Delivery
Performs introductions in this stage - introductions to staff, describing the activity, staging the goals of the activity, and providing activity directions. Also encompasses managing the activity as the participants are engaged in it as well as knowing when to stop an activity or take a different approach to it.
Leadership
Having a solid understanding of groups, activities, and the entire planning process. Good leaders must be able to be proactive to issues that could arise and reactive to unanticipated problems.
Assessment and identification
Needed before a recreation program can be designed.
Resource assessment
Analyses the resources needed to operate a specific program in order to determine if the agency can support the operation of the intended program.
Physical, fiscal, technological, and human
Primary resources that need to be assessed before designing a program
Physical resources
All areas, facilities, equipment, and supplies available
Psychomotor, cognitive, and affective
Three domains of learning
Psychomotor
The physical skills and movement abilities of the individual
Cognitive
Refers to one's intellectual knowledge
Affective
Refer to the attitudes, values, and social pursuits of the individuals
Advertising
Any form of paid communication through the media (radio, billboards, or newspaper ads)
1. Media should be purchased with the preferences of the target market to be reached in mind
2. The type of product or service
3. Cost of the media
4. Based on the message that is to be communicated
Media selection is based on four things
Promotions
Stimulates the use of a service or purchase of a product (BOGO, half-off admission, etc.)
News releases
Contains information about upcoming programs, events, and activities. Purpose is to garner positive publicity for the agency
Purpose, goals, and objectives
Programs are given direction through the development of:
Purpose statement
Provides a rationale for why the agency is developing a program in the first place. From this statement, it is clear what the programs offered are intended to do and why they are being created
Goals
Clear, general statements about what an agency wishes to accomplish within a program
Program management and behavioral
Two categories of goals
Program management goals
Specify the management actions needed to implement the program (i.e. to operate a volleyball instructional clinic for adults with at least 100 participants)
Behavioral management goals
Behavioral goals to establish the behavioral outcomes that will result from participating in the program (i.e. to improve participants serving skills)
Objectives
Specific, measurable statements that lead to the accomplishment of a goal. Each goal will have 2 to 4 objectives.
Audience (who), behavior (what), condition (how), degree (when)
A well written objective will address which areas?
Purpose statement
Outlines the agency's rationale for operating the program
Outcome-based evaluation
An evaluation that can document the outcomes of participating in recreation and leisure programs
Data
May be gathered to analyse a program's effectiveness, impact, or cost benefit
Cost-benefit
Used to quantify the cost of each unit of outcome or benefit produced
Formative and summative evaluations
Two primary types of evaluations
Formative evaluation
Conducted while a program is being operated. Used to form and shape a program while it is still being implemented or operated thus helps to improve the current session of a program. Info obtained is used to improve the current program and to make certain all of the assumptions about the activities and leadership techniques designed into the program are correct and achieving the program's goals.
Summative evaluation
Conducted at the end of the program. Primary role is to help document a program's outcomes and impact to funding agencies and other audiences. Will also help to determined if a program should be continued, modified, or dropped.
Reliability, validity, and the tool's usability
When developing a program evaluation tool, the park and recreation professional must be concerned with three issues:
Reliability
The consistency with which an evaluation tool yields a certain result when the participants being measured have not changed.
Validity
The extent to which the tool measures what it is supposed to measure
Construct, content, and face
Three forms of validity:
Construct validity
Concerned with whether or not the evaluation tool is measuring the specific construct or attribute of the program
Content validity
The actual content of the evaluation tool
Face validity
Whether the evaluation tool, taken at face value, appears to measure what it is supposed to measure
Usability
How easy is to tool to use?
Quantitative evaluations
Generally concerned with obtaining information about relationships among variables with the purpose of explaining, predicting, and/or controlling phenomena. Focused on converting respondents thoughts, attitudes, and/or opinions into numbers.
Qualitative evaluations
Used to answer questions about the complex nature of phenomena, often with the purpose of describing and understanding the phenomena from the participants point of view. Use words to explain data.
Participant and non-participant
Two types of observations
Participant observations
The program evaluator is involved in the program while collecting data. Allows evaluator to gain insights and develop relationships that require active, trusting rapport with participants
Non-participant observations
Involve the program evaluator observing and recording behaviors without interacting or participating in the setting.
Formal structured and informal unstructured
Two forms of interviews used in program evaluations
Formal structured
Involves a specific set of questions that have been predetermined by the evaluator and are formally asked of all respondents.
Informal unstructured
A casual, informal conversation that allows the program evaluator to discover where the participants are coming from and what they've experienced.
Triangulation
Involves using multiple sources of data and/or collection techniques in search of "the truth" relative to what is being evaluated.
Final comprehensive report
Title, administrative location, purpose, goals, and objectives, design/implementation procedures, financial data, staffing plan, evaluation data (summative), recommendations for future operation [Show Less]