HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7648 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7648
October 6, 1992
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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Subject: STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE FORT WORTH PARK AND
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RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Purpose
The Fort Worth Park and-Recreation Department began work on a long-range Strategic
Plan in 1990. The purpose of this effort was to map out the direction the Department
should take over the next five to ten years and how to acquire and allocate resources to
accomplish the goals established through the planning process. The Strategic Plan was
to identify current issues or concerns, provide a vision of what services should be, and
then bridge the gap between the present and the vision with workable strategies.
Process
The process which was used in the formulation of the Strategic Plan is outlined as
follows:
Phase I: Conduct a Needs Assessment Survey - This first step in the planning process
was conducted by Pavlik and Associates with input from both the Park and Recreation
Advisory Board and Department staff. This was the first time in the history of the
Department that a comprehensive survey of public opinion and participation was ever
undertaken. The survey included a random telephone poll of 1,000 residents, 50
one-on-one interviews with community leaders, exit polls at four different locations,
three focus group meetings and three public workshops. The data was collected in
early 1991 with the first draft of the findings being presented to the Park and Recreation
Advisory Board in June, 1991.
Phase H: Define the Issues or Problems to be Addressed by the Plan - Through
numerous regular and specially called meetings beginning in the summer of 1991, the
Park and Recreation Advisory Board formulated four major issues which were derived
from the Needs Assessment/Marketing Survey in June, 1991. They were as follows:
Issue I. Who should or must be served by Fort Worth parks and programs?
Issue II. What services will they want?
Issue III. What services should be provided?
Issue IV. How will resources be identified, achieved, maximized and allocated?
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7648
October 6, 1992
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 2
T
Subject:
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE FORT WORTH PARK AND
RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Once the four basic issues were developed, the Board established corresponding goals,
objectives and strategies for each issue. This work was completed in May of 1992.
Phase III: Testing and Refinement of the Strategic Plan - The Board requested
participants and organizations which were involved in the earlier input phase of the
Pavlik Report to study, review and comment on the proposed issues, goals and
objectives of the Plan. On July 14 and 16, 1992, four focus groups provided input and
discussion of each issue. These meetings were facilitated by members of the Park and
Recreation Department staff.
On August 3, 1992, at a specially called meeting of the Advisory Board, comments
received from the focus groups review were presented to the Board. After discussions
on the input for each of the issues, goals and objectives, the Board revised a number of
statements within the Plan, and asked that the final Plan be placed on their August 18,
1992 agenda for consideration.
Phase IV: Endorsement - On August 18, 1992, the Park and Recreation Advisory Board
unanimously adopted the attached Strategic Plan and recommended it be forwarded to
the City Council for their consideration and/or endorsement.
Summary
The Park and Recreation Advisory Board has requested that the City Council review the
attached materials. The Board desires to have a worksession with the City Council to
discuss the process, findings and contents of the Plan. This has been scheduled for
October 6, 1992. 1
Should you have any questions or desire additional information, please contact me or
Libby Watson, Assistant City Manager at extension 6140.
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City Manager
Attachment
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS
Strat,egic Plan
page 1 of 5
I. Issue: Mo should or must be served by Fort Worth's parks and programs?
Goal Strategies (continued)
* To ensure access to parks and services * Provide customer service training
for our citizens, regardless of race, gender, for all "front line" employees each
age, income or physical ability. year.
* Work with United Way, Boys and
Objectives Girls Clubs,YMCA, School District
* Develop and use a variety of formal and and other entities to generate an
informal techniques to gain the opinions annual "Community Needs
of our customers. Assessment" related to recreational,
educational and cultural needs.
Conduct periodic "Community Needs
Assessments" to gauge changes and trends *Develop one event a year to celebrate
in service wants and needs. the collective cultural diversity of Fort
Worth (i.e., a Cultural Mayfest).
Improve departmental staff awareness
of the diverse recreational, cultural and Provide issue awareness training for
educational preferences of our customers. Park Board and key staff annually
(e.g., ADA, cultural diversity,
Foster among staff a "Customer First" national and local issues from
mentality and communicate such to our Environmental Assessment).
customers.
* Define the community's needs and target
the department's resources.
Strategies
Conduct a repeat of the 1991 citizen
survey(Pavlik) in 1995 and every 4 years
thereafter; secure either public or private
resources to support.
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Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, Fort Worth, Texas
Strategic Plan
page 2 of 5
II. Issue: What services will they want?
Goals Strategies (continued)
* To strengthen the role of the community * Develop an "Annual Report Card",
in determining service needs. utilizing an ad hoc committee
appointed by the Park Board to
To ensure a high level of communication evaluate department facilities and
with our customers. services.
* To more effectively anticipate and * Print and publicly distribute the
respond to changing social and economic 1992 Strategic Plan.
conditions, as related to recreational,
educational and cultural services. Conduct an evaluation of the
department's promotional material
and activities; refine as needed.
Objectives
* Develop multiple strategies for receiving Establish measures to gauge the
customer input on facilities and services, timeliness and appropriateness of
departmental actions on customer
Develop and implement a promotional complaints and requests.
program to fully communicate the product
and services which are available through Conduct exit polls or satisfaction
the department. surveys at a minimum of 10 service
centers each year.
Improve timeliness of departmental
response to concerns and requests for Conduct focus sessions with
information. primary customer groups on a semi-
annual basis.
Strategies * Develop a coalition of public and
* Conduct exit or"satisfaction"polls at all non-profit entities to look for
recreation centers, Garden Center, opportunities to share responsibility.
swimming pools, golf courses and other
"destination!"facilities on a systematic basis.
OPW
Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, Fort Worth, Texas
Strategic Plan
page 3 of 5
III. Issue: Mat services should be provided?
Goals Objectives (continued)
* To effectively and efficiently plan * Develop annnual action plans, in
for and manage our natural and cooperation with the Park Board, to
developed resources. ensure progress on goals and
objectives identified in the Strategic
To effectively and efficiently plan Plan.
for and manage our resources to achieve
the level of programatic services
desired by the customer. Strategies
* Conduct systematic evaluations of
To ensure that basic-level parks, the services and programs offered or
facilities and services keep pace with sponsored by the department.
the community.
* Review annually those services
To ensure the safety of our customers. which may be handled by other
agencies or groups without adversely
affecting service levels.
Objectives
* Determine the base level of services Develop a systematic process to
required. determine and address conditions in
our facilities and programs which
Review the effectiveness of park may pose safety hazards to our
land dedication policy and revise as customers.
appropriate.
Track police crime reports in order
Create an inventory of land needs to develop actions to address major
which cannot be met though park trends and types of crimes in parks.
policy, and develop alternative
strategies to achieve preservation/ Work with Texas Parks and
protection for future needs. Wildlife, Audubon and other
environmental support groups to
Create a proactive rather than a inventory land in Fort Worth which
reactive posture toward customer may be targeted for acquisition of
safety; develop better internal risk other means of protection.
assessment and risk management
procedures to enhance public safety.
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Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, Fort Worth/ Texas
Strategic Plan
page 4 of 5
IV. Issue: How will resoures be identified, achieved, maximized and
allocated?
Goals Objectives (continued)
* To explore alternative forms of * Conduct a systematic review of the
financing the development and infrastructure needs to support
delivery of services. budgetary decisions and capital
improvement program requests.
To ensure that resources are at levels
adequate to meet infrastructure
maintenance requirements. Strategies
* Establish a volunteer coordinator to
To establish and then meet or exceed foster and promote more volunteers
basic levels of service. in parks and programs.
To ensure equity of facilities, Investigate the establishment of a
programs and services across all areas non-profit 501(c)3 organization for
of Fort Worth. the purpose of channeling private
gifts to the park and recreation system
(e.g.,The ParkPeople of Houston,The
Objectives Houston Park Board).
* Increase the number and scope of
volunteer opportunities. Develop computerized system to
track operation costs by facility and
Establish formal methods of soliciting program, in order to measure cost-
and receiving contributions for the effectiveness and efficiency.
improvement and operations of parks
and services. * Maximize the use of grant funds for
facilities and services, including
Explore alternative strategies for funding of staff,
service delivery and seek the
appropriate support for the Develop a quarterly report for the
implementation of selected strategies. public officials on the goals/
objectives/activities of the
Communicate more effectively the department.
resource demands on the park and
recreation system in order to secure Develop appropriate measures of
adequate resource levels. effectiveness related to maintenance,
Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, Fort Worth, Texas
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Strategic Plan
page 5 of 5
IV. Issue. How will resources be identified, achieved, maximized and
allocated?
Strategies (continued)
communications, product or service
development.
* Work with the Information Systems
Department to develop computerized
park inventory and cost tracking system
to support measurement of department
activities.
* Develop a policy and process by
which offers of private gifts for capital
development or service support may
be addressed quickly.
AMC4
Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, Fort Worth, Texas