Agency accreditation

The following summary of the recently established Agency Accreditation program is offered by Dick Jones of the Metro Dade County (FL) Park and Recreation Department. This discussion, with recommendations, is intended to help the reader understand the process, and to guide those agencies who are considering undergoing the application process.

In office chit chat, during a telephone call or at a meeting we are all typically asked, "How are things going?" This innocent inquiry is actually not a simple question. And there is never a simple answer, since leisure service providers are truly a diverse profession.

About 30 years ago, a document entitled "Evaluation and Self Study of Public Recreation and Park Agencies" was created as a standard for recreation agencies. Today, it could be considered a fore runner to the recently developed Accreditation Program Standards.

How This Program Evolved

In the late 1980s, a movement began to formulate and formalize a more practical program by which agencies might answer the question, "How are you doing?" This initial effort involved staff from Michigan State University, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and NRPA. It later involved several other organizations and resulted in an array of standards, formulated by a special committee, which are further described as follows:

A standard is a statement of desirable

practice as set forth by experienced and

recognized professionals. Standards are

an indirect measurement of effectiveness,

using the cause and effect approach, or

perhaps more appropriately stated

"IF..THEN," IF one acts in a certain way,

THEN it is expected that there will be a

certain result. So, if a desirable standard is

practiced, then a good outcome should be

forthcoming; if an agency engages in

those standards which are recommended,

then there should be a quality operation.

Standards enable evaluation by comparing

what is within an agency operation with

what is accepted by professionals as desirable.

These standards are not a quantitative

measure of the local availability of

funds, lands, personnel, et al, but of operational

practices which are desirable to pro"

vice adequate park and recreation services

and programs for the population to

be served.

These standards and the accreditation process were field tested in 1993 and 1994. Satisfied with the results, the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) was officially established and is now housed with the National Recreation and Park Association in Virginia.

If You Decide To Apply

Beginning in 1994, our agency, the MetroDade County (FL) Park and Recreation Department decided to measure ourselves against the standard. The first task was to request, complete and return to the Commission a brief preliminary application form, along with a $100 (non refundable) application fee.

Upon acceptance of that preliminary application, the Commission provided a three-part manual to fully explain the overall process and the formal application format where the agency responds to the 154 standards presented (you may encounter references to slightly varying totals.) Of this total, 36 standards are mandatory and must be fully met. In addition, at least 85% of the remaining 100+ standards must be met to be granted agency accreditation. The formal application preparation is a big task and must be completed within two years of initial application. The Commission and their assigned visitation team will evaluate the formal application and consider it a reply to each standard. The applicant manuals discuss the entire process in detail and alert the applicant that perhaps as much as one year may be necessary to complete the formal application.

A Closer Look At The Formal Application

Our agency response (preparation of the formal application) required a solid six months to prepare. First we assigned a project manager for overall responsibility of producing the final document. All replies to standards should be evaluated and edited to speak to the point, present the requested information, truly reflect the department's position, and not be redundant, excessive or conflicting with other replies. Department-wide knowledge, along with editing and format, are critical to coordinating and producing a good product.

Organizational and team skills are also important, since several key staff will actually collect and create display materials for the formal application and its on-site exhibits. The 154 standards are divided into 10 major categories:

1. Agency Authority, Role and Responsibility 2. Planning 3. Organization and Administration 4. Human Resources 5. Finance 6. Program and Services Management 7. Facility and Land Use Management 8. Safety and Security 9. Risk Management 10. Evaluation and Research

Within our agency, staff members were selected as category leaders for collecting and/or preparing all items within each of these 10 categories. In smaller agencies, multiple categories may be assigned to one leader. And it is also feasible that a category can be divided and assigned to multiple leaders. All items within a category may not normally be the direct responsibility of that category leader, but still that leader was responsible for producing the needed replies and exhibits. Teamwork and cooperation become critical, and serve as a learning experience for those involved. The core team of 11, plus occasional other staff and administrators, met regularly through the preparation phase, and according to an established timeline.

In many cases, this preparation phase is an endurance event, not a dash. Undoubtedly, your agency will not have all that is needed or desired in place. You may find it necessary to establish procedures, create manuals, identify new responsibilities, etc. Of course, these actions must occur within the agency's framework and with concurrence and support of its administration.

We placed great importance on our exhibits; for each standard, we entered a narrative response and noted in the beginning of our submission that all references and exhibits would be available during the team's visitation.

Once completed, make enough copies of your application not only to satisfy the Commission's review needs, but also for your own staff, future training purposes, and extra copies for other agencies that might request it.

The Application Is Finally Submitted

Shortly after the Commission receives and reviews the formal application, and if finds it sufficient, a site visitation team will be assembled from the list of professionals who have received training in this process. The team chair is identified by the Commission. The applying agency will then have an opportunity to select at least a portion of the remaining visitation team members (resumes of potential team members are also provided by the Commission.) Be prepared for last-minute team changes as individual schedule problems may arise. Once the actual site review dates are established, team members confirmed and final preparations made, you are ready for the visitation.

The Visitation Team Arrives

The 10 categories of information should be displayed in a decentralized fashion; using a separate room, or even building, for each. These separate locations allow the assigned visitation team member to discuss each item with the presenter in a somewhat relaxed and personal manner. Typically, our display areas were located near the category leader. Not all team members review all categories, as each member is assigned certain categories. Reviews can take a couple hours, depending on size, clarity and completeness of each exhibit. Some standards may need supplemental information to be gathered during the visitation period. Clear and succinct exhibits will encourage quicker and smoother reviews with fewer questions.

The visitation team also emphasizes field trips, or actual inspection of facilities and programs. This phase can consume up to 50% of the visitation team's total review time. Site inspections, of course, offer the visiting team an opportunity to see programs in operation, speak to staff and patrons and generally get a better overall sense of the agency. Naturally, team members will observe field practices in comparison to paper and exhibit presentations. Not all team members will take the same inspection trip. In our case, due largely to size, team members scheduled individual inspections of a chosen geographical area, and were hosted by that area's supervisor in coordination with the Accreditation Project Manager.

Shortly into the review schedule, you should provide a personal computer with operator to the team's operations room. This affords them some privacy in the preparation of their report. With our agency, the total review time amounted to about four and a half days and the last full day was devoted to the team's report preparation. A staff member, preferably the project coordinator, should be available if questions or needs arise throughout the report preparation period. A final meeting is usually held with the agency director and chosen staff prior to team departure. The team chair, assisted by the other members, will informally advise the director of their general findings. Any formal communications, however, must originate with the Commission.

About The Team

A word on the visiting team members. Yes, they are fellow professionals, and you may even know them. But they are on a tight schedule, away from home and in an unfamiliar city. Small favors will greatly help them, and therefore, expedite the process.

Greet them at the airport. Recommend in advance a pleasant and convenient place to stay and offer to handle the reservations. Provide as much transportation as possible. Schedule a few social events such as an initial reception and a midpoint dinner. This affords the team an opportunity to meet senior staff and to engage in informal discussion. Much of this schedule will be guided by the visiting team chair, however, be prepared for something close to this generalized format.

As our agency staff prepared for the team's visit, we also tried to prepare the team. We mailed each member a video tape used in a recent Gold Medal Awards competition. Although it was not in the correct format for the formal application, the tape did familiarize the team with the county and the department. I can honestly say that each of our visitation team members were thoroughly professional easy to work with and conducted a helpful--not critical--evaluation.

The Team Report Is Submitted

At this point, the process is in the hands of the Commission. After a reasonable review time, the Commission will contact the agency to convey the team's general findings. The agency now has an opportunity to respond, as appropriate (see Chart 1 for various optioins). The next step is taken by the Commission at their next regular meeting. At that meeting, Commission members will discuss and vote on the application, after a presentation by the visiting team chair and comments by the agency Director. Agency Accreditation is valid for five years, subject to an annual report to the Commission and a maintenance fee.

Program Expenses

How much does this project cost? Certainly, immeasurable in-house time and materials are required. Other associated costs include the visiting team (transportation, housing and per diem), application fees (sliding scale) contract computer operator, mail/shipping, staff and consultant travel, and certain office supplies, which in our case just exceeded $10,000.

In Retrospect

I cannot close without encouraging applicants to speak with others who have been through the process. Personally, I first believed our staff would do a fine job by themselves based on their abilities. Subsequently, I am convinced that our conversations with Ray Kisiah, retired director of Parks and Recreation for Ashville (NC) who has been through the process, were most enlightening. Similarly, information received from Monmouth County (NJ) and Roseville (MN) were also of great value. Each of these sources helped us better understand certain standards, the overall process and what would be expected of us.

To all of you considering Accreditation, I submit that the effort is demanding, but worthwhile. Receiving Accreditation will demonstrate to the upstream administrators, elected officials, agency employees, media, and the general public that your agency is professionally managed and well organized. To your own office and employees this recognition will stand as a matter of pride, and set a course for further improvements which undoubtedly will result from the process. No one and no agency ic perfect. But upon examination, and only then, will you really know how to answer when asked, "How are things going?"

COPYRIGHT 1996 National Recreation and Park Association
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group