A Needs Assessment Study for the Park and Recreation Profession in Illinois

by D. James Brademas

Dr. D. James Brademas is Chief of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources. Professor Brademas was Superintendent of Recreation for the Rockford Park District from 1956-1960. From 1960 to 1973 he worked in private industry as Director of Community Organization and subsequently as President of City Planning Associates. His leisure interests encompass travel, frequent shuffling and dealing of poker cards, and occasional testing of fermented grapes of all varieties.

Introduction

The basic mission of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources (ORPR) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is to improve the leisure delivery service systems in Illinois. This mission is carried out through a multi-method approach which includes applied research and demonstration projects, workshops and seminars, teaching, preparation and dissemination of informational materials, personal visits, telephone calls and correspondence. The specialists in ORPR continually strive to develop better technology transfer for practitioners, public and private, and for students who will become practitioners.

In keeping with this mission, the specialists in ORPR recently carried out a professional needs assessment study. This report highlights the results of that study.

Respondents were asked to indicate what type of service was desired within nine primary areas: (1) Professional Issues, (2) Program Planning, (3) Program Content, (4) Personnel Administration, (5) Long Range Planning, (6) Financial Management, (7) Area/Facility Management, (8) General Administration, and (9) Planning for Special Populations. The respondents were asked to rank order the top five primary areas which, in their opinion, needed the most attention.

Purpose and Procedures

The primary purposes of the study were: (1) to determine the comparative needs of Illinois professionals for major types of services which might be provided by the Office of Recreation and Park Resources; (2) to determine the perception of professionals regarding the stated basic purposes of ORPR; (3) to solicit opinions and ideas on future needs of park and recreation agencies; and (4) to provide information for use in guiding the current and future activities of the various specialists in ORPR.

A mailed questionnaire was utilized in obtaining information for this study. The questionnaire was constructed by the staff of ORPR with the assistance of leisure studies students and specialists in the Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois.

Subjects selected for this study were those who were classified in the professional membership category by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. The study questionnaire was mailed to 562 individuals in the higher levels of management. There were 281 respondents, representing a 50% return. The respondents included 67% who classified themselves in an administrative capacity and 27% in a supervisory category for a total of 94% who were in the higher levels of management.

Within each of the primary areas respondents had an opportunity to express interest in a number of subcategories of service. Under Personnel Administration, for example, the subcategories included selection, supervision, evaluation, staff development, wage and salary administration, and collective bargaining. Respondents further indicated what method of service delivery was most needed: applied research or demonstration projects, workshops and seminars, or basic informational materials.

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Results

Of the nine primary areas, personnel administration was ranked as number one followed closely by financial management. Long-range planning, program planning and general administration were ranked respectively three, four and five.

Workshops on a variety of subjects related to personnel administration were by far the greatest need expressed in this primary area. Staff development, with 58% indicating interest, was the most preferred workshop subject, followed by supervision (57%), selection and evaluation (both 52%), wage and salary administration (43%) and collective bargaining (36%). The next highest interest shown was for development of basic information materials in the areas of personnel administration such as evaluation (37%), supervision (34%), and staff development (31%).

The need for workshops on various subjects related to financial management was expressed by a high number of respondents, followed closely by development of basic information materials. Relatively low interest (13% to 20% of respondents) was shown in applied research on financial management. Workshop topics most often indicated were those on budgeting (52%), accounting and revenue planning (both 44%), and investing (37%).

The highest expressed need in the area of long-range planning was for workshops on the subjects of master planning (47% response) and land acquisition (37%), in applied research related to master planning (36%), and information materials on master planning (33%).

The accompanying table shows the three areas of service which received the highest ratings, including subcategories and types of delivery.

Respondents were also asked to rate the level of importance of ORPR services on a scale ranging from Very Low to Very High. Ratings were given on four ORPR purposes:

(1) To generate new and improved methods of leisure service delivery through applied research; (2) to enhance professional development; (3) to develop and disseminate information resources; and (4) to provide consultation services and technical assistance.

PRIORITY RATINGS
Primary Areas	Types of Service
Personnel Administration	Workshops	Materials	Research
Staff Development	X	X
Supervsion	X	X
Selection of Personnel	X
Evaluation of Personnel	X	X
Wage & Salary Administration	X		X
Financial Management
Budgeting	X
Accounting	X	X
Revenue Planning	X		X
Investing	X	X
Long Range Planning
Master Planning	X		X
Land Acquisition	X	X	X

See Needs Assessment... Page 29

Illinois Parks and Recreation March/April, 1980 21

Needs Assessment... From Page 21

Enhancing professional development received the highest rating with 30% of the respondents rating it Very High and a total of 62% rating this purpose from High to Very High. Developing and disseminating information resources was rated 25% Very High and 65% High to Very High. Providing consultation services and technical assistance was rated 22% Very High and 50% High to Very High. Generating new and improved methods of leisure service delivery through applied research was lowest in the rating with 16% rating this purpose Very High and 43% rating it High to Very High.

The Future

The questionnaire also provided an opportunity for respondents to predict their own future needs in relation to changing jobs and agency roles during the next five years. The largest number of responses was concerned with staying abreast of trends in the field through continuing education and personnel development programs. This need was followed by financial planning, information analysis, printed materials, consulting services and assistance in surveys.

The final open ended question asked respondents for ideas or opinions on both the present and future role of ORPR in the State of Illinois. There was a total of 45 responses to this question and, as might be expected, the ideas were far ranging. The greatest number of responses was directed toward an increasing role of ORPR in disseminating information.

Past and current efforts by ORPR in presenting workshops and seminars throughout the State and through the Technology Transfer Series have attempted to speak to the need for continuing education. Participant evaluations of the Technology Transfer Series have been consistently high. However, the principal complaint of participants has centered around the lack of time (6 hours) to pursue a subject in depth. Participant comments almost always suggest that more time is needed to discuss the subject in question. These comments, coupled with the interest in continuing education and personnel development as evidenced in this study, imply that ORPR should consider developing an annual week long seminar for recreation and park professionals. The results of this study would direct the thrust of the initial seminar toward the subjects of personnel development and financial planning.

Finally, much greater effort should be made by ORPR in communicating to all members of the profession through mass mailings and articles in state and national magazines.

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