Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 25 • Orientation. The facilitators should be informed as to: How many people are expected to intend and who they are, at least categorically The desired outcomes of the meeting (information exchange, consensus, and so on) The logistics, time, and setup The anticipated nature of questions and time of information questions are intended to generate Special attention should be paid to ensuring that the information generated by a meeting or survey is recorded and shared widely Two other techniques for generating insight and capturing perceptions and suggestions are on-site surveys and walking tours • On-site surveys—sometimes referred to as “intercept” surveys—consist of written questions distributed to people while they are visiting the park under study or who are in nearby public spaces These questions are usually shorter and may be open ended rather than “check the box ” A park representative may be stationed at the entrance of the park to ask this short list of questions to visitors • A walking tour is one of the easiest, most effective, and least expensive ways to learn more about perceptions of the park Park staff, stakeholders, decision-makers, and others take part in the tour, asking and answering questions, making suggestions, and sharing comments We have learned to say that the good must be extended to all of society before it can be held secure by any one person or class; but we have not yet learned to add to that statement, that unless all [people] and all classes contribute to a good, we cannot even be sure that it is worth having. – JANE ADDAMS Pursuing Success in Generating Information Generating information can consume a great deal of time, effort, and other resources on behalf of planning The following suggestions may contribute to more successful meetings and focus groups Public Meetings • Go beyond standard announcements for public meetings Consider inviting as many different groups and individuals as possible and encourage them to invite others they know who might be interested • Capture RSVPs by phone or e-mail Follow up a day or two before the actual meeting to make sure you will have a suitable number of people in attendance • Provide sign-up sheets for attendees so people know one another and you are able to follow up with outcomes of the m…eetings and other forthcoming meetings via e-mail Name tags are also useful on site • Ask questions of participants in the first part of the meeting By asking first and talking later, you can incorporate the interests and questions of the attendees into your comments
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