Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 54 Two Important Reminders An agency undertaking outcomes assessment should be aware of two of its particular characteristics. First, outcomes assessment emphasizes an outcome “indicator.” While your program or intervention may not have achieved a particular outcome, it does provide an indicator that the intervention is leading to that outcome. Outcome assessment while following guidelines practiced in some research projects does not purport to ‘prove or disprove’ any intervention or factor. So caution should be issued related to the way in which your results are reported. Positive Outcomes for Marvin Gaye Park As part of NRPA’s Parks Build Community initiative, which focused on community revitalization and the relationship between viable parks and the health of residents, an outcomes assessment was conducted. The Center for Health & Risk Communication at George Mason University, working in partnership with NRPA and the staff of Washington Parks & People, performed this assessment. The outcomes of the interviews and observations revealed that: • The number of visitors to the play area increased as a result of the revitalized park. • The proportion of playground equipment use in relationship to participation in non-equipment areas of the park was 78% versus 22%. • The proportion of those visiting the park that were physically active was 76% versus 23% were sedentary. (Source: Parks & Recreation, September 2010) Steps in Outcomes Assessment The steps in outcomes assessment are quite similar to those for program planning or project development The major difference lies in the deliberate nature of the planning, particularly in the following areas: • Identification of a specific, desirable result • Pre-planning around measurement • Matching activities of the program or service with desired outcomes • Training staff to conduct pre- and post-assessment, if applicable Steps in the process might include these 1 Determine the important community need or issue being assessed 2 Decide which program, service, or park outcome will be assessed 3 Select specific locations and times to assess the identified program, service, or park 4 Identify the specific, measurable outcome to be targeted 5 Decide on the measurement plan 6 Train staff to execute the assessment plan and implement activities 7 Plan and implement activities that support the targeted outcome 8 Conduct the actual assessment 9 Analyze the results 10 Share the results
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