IAPD/IPRA Conference January 2011 Integrating Needs Assessment with Organizational Strategy

1. IAPD/IPRA ConferenceJanuary 2011Integrating Needs Assessment with Organizational Strategy Ron Vine, President, Leisure Vision Barbara Heller, President ,Heller and Heller Consulting, Inc.

2. Session Overview • Creating a strategy focused organization based on community needs • Why do a community needs assessment study? • Steps to completing a community needs assessment study • Benchmarking comparisons • Why do strategic planning? • Strategic planning development and deployment • Developing and implementing strategy

3. Leisure Vision Illinois Clients Wheeling Park Dist. Champaign Park Dist. Mundelein Park Dist. Schaumburg Park Dist. Elk Grove Park Dist. Highland Park District City of Rock Island Geneva Park District Winnetka Park Dist. Gurnee Park Dist. River Trails Park Dist. Hoffman Estates Park Dist. Bloomingdale Park Dist. Deerfield Park Dist. Lindenhurst Park Dist. Carol Stream Park Dist. Urbana Park Dist. Downers Grove Park Dist. Lisle Park Dist Freeport Park Dist. Northbrook Park District Park District of Oak Park Des Plaines Park Dist. Glenview Park District Sugar Grove Park Dist. Lake Bluff Park District

4. Why Did These Park Districts Do Needs Assessment Studies? To understand usage of Park District today Usage and satisfaction with parks Usage and satisfaction with major facilities Participation and satisfaction with programs Marketing efforts used the most Barriers to participation Position as a market provider for youth and adults Value of park services

5. Why Did These Park Districts Do Needs Assessment Studies To understand community vision of Park District tomorrow • Needs for parks, trails, and facilities • Unmet needs for parks, trails, and facilities • Priorities for parks, trails, and facilities • Usage of special facilities, i.e. community centers, aquatic facilities • To understand opportunities to expand Park District percent of service market

6. Why Did These Park Districts Do Needs Assessment Studies To understand support for funding improvements Support for increasing program markets for priority programs Level of increased tax support for priority projects Potential successof tax funding initiatives Money is Not A Problem it is A Solution. Awareness is the Problem

7. Steps in the Community Needs Assessment Process • Setting the Stage • Build Stakeholders and Community Confidence • Conducting the Needs Assessment Survey • Analysis of the Needs Assessment Survey including Benchmarking Buy-In Starts at the Process Beginning and Continues Through Implementation

8. Set the Stage

9. Build Confidence • Stakeholder Interviews - One on one interviews with key decision makers (elected officials, business people, sponsors, boards, etc.) • Focus Groups – (8-15 persons) (Park Board, staff, youth sports associations, seniors, youth, non-profits, citizen users, school officials, arts organizations) Understand Issues of Key Importance to Build Consensus Inside and Outside District & to Build Early on Trust , Transparency and Buy-In

10. Test What You Hear Though Needs Assessment Surveys • Quantitative Public Input includes statistically valid phone and mail/phone surveys that build buy-in • A survey of 400 households has a 95% level of confidence with a margin of error of +/-4.9% • A survey of 800 households has a 95% level of confidence with a margin of error of +/-3.5% • A survey of 2,800 households has a 95% level of confidence with a margin of error of +/-1.9% • @ Leisure Vision (913) 829-1215 Ensure Survey Results can be Broken Down by Key Demographic Groups, i.e. Household With and With-out Children, Visitors to Parks User of Programs, Geographic Areas

11. Glenview Park District Program Participation

12. Gurnee Park District Rating of Park Conditions

13. Level of Satisfaction with Overall Value Received from the Geneva Park District

14. Needs for Parks and Recreation Facilities in the Woodridge Park District

15. Unmet Needs for Parks and Recreation Facilities in the Woodridge Park District

16. Priorities for Parks and Recreation Facilities in the Woodridge Park District

17. Understanding Program Areas With Highest Growth Opportunities

18. Understanding Support for Bond Elections

19. Benchmarking Provides Better Information Regarding Realistic Performance Goals

20. Benchmarking Provides Better Information Regarding Realistic Performance Goals

21. Benchmarking Provides Better Information Regarding Realistic Performance Goals

22. DevelopingStrategy • Why? • Who is involved? • Community, stakeholder input • Map out the process • What is the difference between strategic planning and master planning?

23. Strategic Planning Benefits

24. Checklist for Strategy Development • How do you conduct your strategic planning? • What are the key process steps? • Who are the key participants? • What are your short and longer term planning time horizons? • How do you ensure the plan addresses: SWOT, major shifts in technology, markets, customers, etc., long term organizational sustainability, your ability to execute the plan? • What are the key objectives and timeline? • How do your strategic objectives address innovation, and balance the needs of all stakeholders

25. Review of Organizational Performance and Results • Mission. Vision, and Values development or review • SWOT • Financial measures (non-tax revenue, gross revenues, fund balances)

26. Review of Organizational Performance and Results • Customer measures (customer satisfaction, customer referrals, lost customers, customer issues) • Internal business results (internal customer satisfaction, efficiency measurements, process improvements, operational measures, benchmark comparisons) • Employee measures (satisfaction, core competencies, alignment with strategy)

27. Consideration of Demographics and Trends • Aligning strategy with community needs • Aging population, yet park and recreation offerings are youth oriented • Ethnic diversity • Balance of programs among age segments and ethnic groups • US Census information • School district, city planning • Environmental Services Research Institute • US Sporting Goods Association, American Sports Study • Trends process/lifecycle review

28. The Balanced Scorecard Approach to Strategy • Addresses the leadership infrastructure • Can include master plan elements/or bridge to master plan • The four perspectives: customer, financial, internal business support, and employee learning and growth • Cause and effect relationships • Themes, Objectives, Measures, and Initiatives • Building a Strategy Map

29. Strategy Hierarchy • Major Focus Areas • Strategic Themes • Strategic Objectives • Strategic Measures • Strategic Initiatives • Tactics • Cascade to business units

30. Creating Value through the Balanced Scorecard Customer Perspective • Product/service attributes (price, programs, quality, availability) • Relationship (customer loyalty) • Service (access mechanisms, standards, requirements, and encounters) • Image Financial Perspective • Productivity, growth, financial results Internal Perspective • Operations Management (maintenance practices, program development, park design) • Customer Management processes (support systems and use of technology) • Innovation processes • Regulatory and Social processes (safety, environmental) Learning and Growth Perspective • Human capital • Information capital (management of organizational knowledge) • Organization capital

31. Strategy Map Delight the Customer Expand recreation opportunities, aligned with customer need Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty Provide a quality product at a good value Customer Perspective Financial Capability Non-tax revenue Aligning financial resources Growing program and facility revenue FinancialPerspective Operational Excellence Build image and brand Drive innovation Streamline critical processes Build strategic alliances InternalPerspective Continuous Employee Development Employee Learning & Growth Perspective Foster a positive work environment Develop competencies Develop customer focus

32. Balanced Scorecard Vision: To serve the community by delivering best in class parks and recreation opportunities. Mission: The Park District is a leader in providing leisure experiences that enhance the quality of life for our community. StrategicThemes StrategicObjectives StrategicMeasures • Expand recreation opportunities, aligned with customer need • Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty • Provide a quality product at a good value • Program registration (q) • Customer satisfaction (q) • Customer referral (q) • Customer retention (q) Customer Delight the customer Financial capability • Non-tax revenue growth • Aligning financial resources • Growing program and facility revenue • Program and facility revenue (q) • Alternative revenue (q) • Non-tax revenue percentage (q) Financial Operational Excellence • Build image and brand • Drive innovation • Streamline critical processes • Build strategic alliances • New programs (q) • Internal customer satisfaction (a) • Partner satisfaction (a) • Efficiency savings (q) • Key process documented (q) Internal Continuous employee development • Foster a positive work environment • Develop competencies • Develop customer focus • Employee satisfaction (a) • Regrettable turnover (q) • Percent competencies achieved (q) • Percent service staff rated high (a) EmployeeLearning & Growth

33. Effectively Deploying Strategy • Top leadership commitment • Retreats • Regular reporting system • Annual report • Measurement system (12-20 Key Measures) • Continuous communication with employees • Performance appraisal for senior leaders • Cascading to divisional and personal levels after a year • Governance and staff involvement

34. Effectively Deploying Strategy, cont’d • Stakeholder sharing…cliff notes version • Spreadsheet, software for tracking • Just in time adjustments, annually • Visual management • Tie it into budget process • Institutionalize the process—board retreat, staff retreat, educate employees about strategy, recalibrate measures

35. Deploying Strategy, cont’d. • Strategy formulation process Fair process: engagement, explanation, and expectation clarity • Attitudes: Trust and communication: I feel my opinion counts • Behavior: Voluntary Cooperation: I’ll go beyond the call of duty • Strategy Execution: Exceeds Expectations: Self Initiated Blue Ocean Strategy: Kim, Mauborgne

36. Summary/Discussion Thanks for attending our session For more information: Barbara@hellerheller.com 224.456.6934 Rvine@Etcinstitute.com