Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 23 • Other public agencies with an involvement in the area • Advocacy groups, such as friends of parks and conservation groups • Community foundations Determining the Desired Outcomes While it may seem obvious, the desired information and outcomes for meetings and surveys should be determined before deciding on formats or questions The overarching goal is to design a park that best addresses the needs and issues of the neighborhood So it is useful to review the purpose and flow of outcomes • Purpose. Is the purpose of the meeting to disseminate information, solicit input, or arrive at a consensus? Questions and group facilitation techniques will vary accordingly • Flow of outcomes At the beginning, the focus is on information exchange: What are the needs? Who wants to help? How are we defining the issues? During the process, the insights of individual and stakeholder participants help transform a physical project into a revitalization initiative Near the end of planning, information dissemination will lead to reactions and suggestions The end of the planning process focuses on information dissemination relating to the various elements of the project The end of the process could include a celebration in appreciation of the participants Generating Questions The survey questions are generally written, rewritten, piloted, and rewritten prior to mailing the survey or conducting the phone interview, This is considered a best practice for such endeavors The questions being asked at meetings should receive the same time and attention • Often, open-ended questions are best used at the beginning of the process, when you are looking to gather insight into people’s perception related to an issue or project • Multiple choice questions (or a multifocused response) require respondents to select the best or most preferred response These questions would be asked further along in the process, when respondents have both the information they need and time to reflect on these choices Selecting the Most Appropriate Method The essential questions rely on two factors: the people whose input you are seeking and the level and type of insight you need This list shows some of the techniques and methods that are appropriate for these various groups Public Meetings Stakeholder Meetings Focus Groups Open to everyone Can accommodate large numbers of people Individuals or groups with specific interest in the project Small group of 6 to 10 people who receive information about a specific focus/topic Focus is information sharing and group opinions Secure greater depth of understanding of needs, ideas, and preferences of stakeholders Detailed insight
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