A report submitted to the

• "'MJ.:•j

ISSUES & CHALLENGES FACING RECREATION PROVIDERS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

By

© Pamela C. Mills

A report submitted to the

School of Graduate Studies

In partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of

Master of Physica l Education

School of Human Kinetics and Recreation

Memorial Universi ty ofNewfoundland

March 20 13

St. John 's Newfoundland and Labrador

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Recreation providers face many issues and challenges, w hich make it difficult for them to provide recreational programs and se rvices. The purpose of this report is to a) identify issues and challenges faced by recreation providers in Newfoundland and

Labrador (NL); b) determine the importance of these issues and challenges; and c) discuss and highli g ht recommendations that could help overcome these issues and challenges in the field of recreation. T hi s report was completed as my App lied Research Project as a component of my Master' s in Physical Education degree within the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial Uni vers ity under the supervision of Dr. Angela Loucks-Atkinson. This project was a lso informed by my professional role with

Recreation NL. For the last five and a half years I have worked as Program I Marketing Officer for RNL

The participants identified for this study were recreation providers in NL and included paid municipal recreation practitioners and volunteers, as well as municipal councilors that represent recreation in their community. The data was collected using a web-based s urvey between March and May 2012. A total of 90 participants completed the survey. A faci litated break-out session, offered during RNL' s 41

Annual General

Meeting a nd Conference, was conducted in which approximately 75 participants too k part.

This project gave the recreation providers ofNL an opportunity to reveal all the issues

and challenges they face. This report ca tegorizes and discusses the top ten issues and

chall enges: budget , staffi ng, faci lities , inclusion, p lannin g, understanding a nd support,

marketing, partnerships , evaluation and professional d evelopment. Issues and challenges specifi c to NL are also presented. Findings of the study highlight the fact that all of the issues and challenges impact each other ; with staffi ng , budget, facilities, and

understanding and support having the most overlap . Therefore, one must consid er these issues and chall enges holistically rather than individually.

The response to the survey and faci litated break -out session of this report shows that recreation providers in NL want to be heard and a lso want to be en gaged in terms of finding solutions to their issues and challenges. Th is report g ives clear recommendations that will aid the NL recreation sector in improving and addressing each issue and

challenge. The results clearly show that improved fundin g, increased staff, educational resources for deci s ion makers, and professional deve lopment op portunities for staff wou ld lead to significant impro veme nts for each issue and ch all enge. It was also evident that recreation prov iders within NL look to RNL and the provincial government as the lead supporters for assistance and to provide th ese resources, as wel l as the municipality, funding providers and other provinci al assoc iations . The results of this stud y should be used to develop strategic plans , policies and procedures that will improve the fie ld of recreatio n within NL. It is recommended an evaluation of this nature be cond ucted every three to five years to track the improve ments and changes, as well as any new or growing issues of the recreation sec tor in NL.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ii

LIST OF TABLES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... vi

LIST OF FIGURES ... vii

1.0 INTRODUCTION ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1

2 .0 LITERATURE REVIEW ... ... ... ... 3

2. 1 BUDGET .... ... ... ... ... 3

2.2 STAFFING ... ... ... ... ... . 6

2.3 F AC I LIT I ES ... ... ... ... ... 8

2.4 IN CLUS ION ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11

2.5 PLANNING ... ... ... ... ... ... 12

2.6 UNDERSTAND ING & SUPPORT ... ... ... ... ... 14

2.7 PARTNERSHIPS ... ... 15

2.8 MARKETING ... ... ... ... ... 16

2.9 EVALUATION ... ... 1 7 2.10 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ... 18

3.0 RESEARCH METHODS ... ... .... ... ... ... ... 20

3. 1 SAMPLING AND REC RUITM ENT ... ... ... 20

3.2 SURVEY ... ... ... .. ... ... 20

3.3 FACILITATED BREAKOUT SESS ION ... ... 21

3.4 ETH ICS APPROVAL ... 21

4.0 SURVEY SAMPLE D ESCRIPTION ... ... 22

4. 1 EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF RES PONDENTS ... ... 22

4.2 WORK I VOLUNTEER ENVI RON MENTS REPRESENTED ... ... ... ... .. 23

4.3 EDUCAT ION I TRA IN ING ... .... 24

4.4 OFF IC IAL TITLES ... ... ... ... 25

4.5 FACILITY RESPONS IBILITY ... ... ... .... ... ... 25

5.0 IDENTIFYING AND DESCRIBING PROFESSIONAL ISSUES & CHALLENGES ... ... ... ... ... 28

5.1 RESPONDENTS SELF-IDENTIFIED ISS UES & CHALLENGES ... 28

5.2 RANKING OF ISSUES & CHALLENGES ... ... ... ... 30

5.3 DESCRIBING THE ISSUE & CHALLENGE ... ... 32

5.3. 1 . Budget: ... ... ... ... ... ... 32

5.3.2. Staffing: ... ... ... ... 33

5.3.3. Fac ilities: .. ... ... ... 36

5.3.4. Inc lusion: ... ... ... 36

5.3.5. Planning: ... ... ... ... 37

5.3.6. Understanding and Support: ... 38

5.3.7. Marketing: ... ... ... 38

5.3.8. Partnerships: ... ... ... 40

5.3.9. Evaluation: ... 41

5.3. 10 . Profession al Development: ... ... 42

6.0 DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDATIONS ... ... ... 44

6.11 SSUE I - STAFFING ... 44

6.2 ISSUE 2- BUDGET.. ... ... ... ... ... 47

6.3 ISSUE 3 - FACILITIES ... ... ... ... ... 50

6.4 ISSUE 4- UNDERSTAND ING & SUPPORT OF REC REATION ... 52

6.5 ISSUE 5- MARK ET ING ... 55

6.6 ISSUE 6 - INCLUS ION ... ... .. ... 56

6.7 ISSUE 7- PARTNERSHIPS ... ... ... 58

6.8 ISSUE 8- PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT ... 60

6.9 ISSUE 9 - PLANN I NG ... ... 61

6.1 0 1 SSUE IO-EVALUATION ... ... ... 63

6. 11 NL SPECIF IC CHALLENGES ... ... ... .... 65

6. 1 2 SUMMARY ... ... ... ... 67

7.0 CONCLUSION .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. 69

8.0 REFERENCES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 70

APPENDICES ... ... ... ... ... ... 73

APPENDIX A: SURVEY ... ... 74

APPEND IX B: FAC ILITATED BREAKOUT SESSION INTERVI EW GUIDE ... 85

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Ranking of Recreation Professional Issues Identified in Literature Review .. . . . . 3

Table 2: Official Titles of Res pondents .. .... ... .. ... .. .. .... ... .. ... 25

Table 3: Facilities Respondents Oversee ... .. ... .. ... . ... .... .... .. ... .. ... ... 26

Table 4 : Percentage of Self-identifie d Issues and Chall enges by Catego ry . . . .. . . .... . ... 29

Table 5: Examples of Self-Id entified Issues I Chall enges Samples .. .. .... ... . ... ... 30

Table 6: Iss ues I Challenges Rankings .. .... .. .. .. .. .... ... . .. . . .. ... .. ... . ... .. . .. ... .. .. .. . 3 1 Table 7: Sampl e of Comments on Reasons fo r High Staff Turnover .. .. .... .. .... .. . ... 34

Table 8: Staffing Supports ... .. . .. . ... .. . . . .. . ... .. ... . . .. . .... . . ... .. . .. .. .. . .. . . ... .. .. .. . .. . .. .. 35

Table 9: Mark eting Supports ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... ... . .40

Table 10: Professional Development Opportuniti es of Respondents ... .. .... .. .... .. .. 43

Table 11 : Recreati on Providers Issue/Challenges Ranked Greatest to Least .... . .... . . ... . 44

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Employment Status of Respondents .... ... .... ... .. . . ... ... . ... . .. ... ... . 22

Figure 2 : Number of Years Participants Involved in Recreation Field .. . .. . .. .. .. .. . .... . . . 23

Figure 3: Work I Voluntee r Environment of Respo ndents . . .... . . ... ... . ... .. . ... 24

Figure 4 : Self-Identifi ed Top Five Iss ues/Challenges .... . .... . . . . .. . ... . . .. ... . .. ... .. . ... 29

Figure 5 : Marketing Venues .. . . . . . ... . ... . .. ... . . .... . . ... ... .. . .. . .. .. . . .. . ... .. . . . . .. 39

Figure 6: Frequency of Professional Development Oppo rtunities . . .. .. ... . . . . . .... .. 42

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

"Recreatio n is d efin e d as, an acti vity that indi v idua ls participate in durin g their free time for f un or pl easure, whic h contributes to an overall sati sfyi ng and increased quality of lif e. While these activities may mean differe nt things to d ifferent p eople, it is an acti vity specific to the ir needs and wan ts. What is recreatio n to one perso n may be work to ano th er, depending o n the ir prefere nces. By e ngag ing in a stimulati ng or amus ing activity, it helps you refresh your body and mind" (www.recreationnl.com, n .d .).

The re are numerous be nefits to individuals engagi ng in positive recreati on: social, physical, mental and e motional. Recreatio n is not confi ned sole ly to sports and physical activity ; it inc ludes artistic, cultural, socia l and intellectu al activ iti es. It is a soc ial serv ice in the same way that health and educati on ar e conside red socia l services . Community recreation d oesn ' t just assist indiv idua l deve lopment and quali ty of life but comm unity development a nd socia l fun ctioning as we ll (Recreation Newfou ndland & Labrador presentati on, 2011 ).

Try ing to offer the variety of rec reation opportuniti es to satisfy the needs of the individua ls in a community is a chall en ging endeavor ; thi s is the task of the local

recreation provider. Recreati on p rovide rs offer opportunities fo r ind ivi dua ls to participate in during their le isure time and to help particip ants exp erience e njoyment and li ve

hea lthier lives as a resul t of the bene fit s gained from recreatio n experi ences.

U nfo rtunately , having to deal w ith the var ious professional issues can make the task even

more c ha lleng ing. T hese cha llenges inc lude lack of funding, lack of faci lities

(Connaughton, DaMic hele, & Zhang, 2 004) and retaining staff a nd volunteers (Brown, Yoshioka, & Munoz, 2004).

T he needs of recreation organization s are vast; obstac les may be dependent on the o rganization a nd the loca l area. Acco rd ing to Recreation Newfound la nd and Labrador's (RNL) 20 12 membership the re are ap prox imately 50 volunteer commissions a nd 35 recreation departments in NL. The majority of communities wi th a dedicated recreatio n department ha ve a small number of staff, often of three or less, and are o nl y able to hire extra staff on a seasonal basis for program s upport.

Recreation providers face many issues and challenges. The purpose of this report is to a) id entify issues and cha llenges faced by recreation providers; b) determine the imp ortance of these iss ues and cha lle nges; and c) di scuss and hi ghlight recom me ndations that could he lp ove rcome these issues and challenges in the fi eld of recreat io n. Thi s report was comp le ted as my Applie d Research Project as a component of my Master's in

Phys ical Educa tion degree with in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial U niver sity under the supervision of Dr. Angela Loucks- Atkinson . This Project was also informe d by my professiona l ro le with RNL. For the last 5.5 year s I have worked as Program I Marke ting Officer for RNL. I believe that my experience working with recreation providers (practitione rs and volunteers) in L was beneficial to this study.

Having an " insi ders" perspec tive a llowed me to be se nsitive to the concerns and iss ues of privacy and confidentiality of the participants invo lved . My professional ro le a lso

provided me with ap pli ed knowledge of issues and c ha lle nges faced by recreation prov iders in the province.

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2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

Recreation practitioners face many issues and challenges in th eir day -to-day jo bs . A review of peer-reviewed journal articles was c onducted to identify the majo r issues and challenges faced by recreation practitioners . It should be noted that limited research has been conducted in recent years, wh ich specifically examines profess ional issues within public recreation. From w hat empiri cal resea rch does ex ist, the lite rature review res ulted in the identification of several issues and challenges (see Table 1 ) .

Table l: Ranking of Rec reation Professional I ssues Ide ntified in Literature Review 1.) Budget (lack of funding) - in multiple areas

2.) Staffing (Qua lity workers - staff and volunteers) 3.) Faciliti es - lack of, outdated, non-inclusive 4.) Inclusion support

5.) Planning - long term (mission statement)

6.) Understanding and support- from public and decision makers 7.) Partne rships

8.) Marketing I promotion/ communication 9.) Evaluati on (needs assessment)

l 0.) Professio na l development support

2.1 BUDGET

Public recreation users expect quality programming, services and facil ities ; this is challenging for recreation professiona ls to maintain with bud get constraints (Maynard , Powell, & Kittredge , 2005). Financial hardships affect recreation agenc ies at one time or another whether it is due to funding cut backs or increased cost. Therefore, agencies need to be crea tive in how they deal with this challenge. Some agenc ies have privatized

serv ices or initiated revenue-producin g activi ties such as see king donati o ns and hostin g

fundraiser events. Others have tried to do the fo ll owing to address budget constraints:

increasing use r fees ; reducing operating cost; a nd seeking additional and alternative funding (Connoll y & Smale, 200 I /2002).

When bud geting for programs a nd serv ices the practiti oner must first consider the agencies operating cost. All or some of this cost of a progra m or service can be reco vered through the user fee(s) (Johnson, Tew, Havitz, & McCarville, 1999). Setting the price for the user fee(s) can be a delicate decisio n as many users look at the price as their first indicator for qua lity; hi gher prices may convey high qual ity and induce purchase by some, but unfortunately may create a barrier for others. Therefore, the practitioner needs to try to recover the ope rating cost withou t setti ng the fee too high for the target ma rket and not too low to devalue the program to pote ntia l users (Connaug hton, DeM ichele , &

Zhang, 2 004).

A ll expenses of a program, serv ice or faci lity should contribute to the agency ' s abi lity to satisfy the participants experi ence in the recreational opportunity being delivered . The qua lity of the program o r serv ice must be considered when looking to reduce operating cost to overcome a financial problem. Reducing cost can result in low quality programs, se rvices and facilities that are pub licly frowne d upo n. Reducing expenses in areas suc h as maintenance schedul ing and purchasing of suppli es and equipment results in lowe r qua lity programs and services, decrease in users and can jeopardize safety (Maynard, et a!., 2005).

There are funders that supply grants that are avail able fo r practitioners to apply for in order to finance programs. Most grants are usually designed for a particular population or a specific type of program to address a defi ned need as o utlined in the reg ulations of

4

the grant app licatio n. Therefore, the grants avai lab le may not be a direct fit to the

program an agency requires to address the need in the community. The practitioner must

then decide to either apply for the grant as specifi ed or attempt to revise the community needs to some extent to eli gible for available funding. Being able to write a successful application involves being able to position the needs in the community with the outlined intent of the grant as wel l as writing the appl ication in the format required. It is important then that recreation practitioners make the time and focus on the task of grant writing to

increase an agency's chances of being awarded such grants (Barnes & Bray ley , 2006).

Additional writing is needed for some grants beca use they require a written report after the program/event has been completed outlining how the funds were used .

When budgeting for recreation programs and services there are many factors to take into consideration: the quality and safety of the program or service being delivered as

well as, the possible funding grants available . There are crucial issues for the practitioner to be aware of a nd there are things he/she should be stri v ing to maintain I improve.

Organizations need to be aware of the risks they face when programs or services are not

priced appropriate ly and the operating costs are reduced too low. The organization and

the recreation practitioner need to work together to seek additiona l funding, giving the

practitioner the resources they need to effective l y apply to grant opportuniti es, or they

need to work together to find other ways of balancing the finances .

2.2 STAFFING

Recreation organi zations have program staff to help with the day-to-day work of preparing a nd deli vering programs and services to the community . Organ izations, especially not-fo r-pro fit, may also seek vo lunteers to help with prog ram and event delivery. Add itio nal worke rs, w he ther paid o r volunteer, can be crucial to the amount, variety and qua lity of rec reational opportunities an organi zation is a ble to provide . Both the prog ram staff and volunteers usuall y wo rk under the lead ership and su pervis ion of the recreation prac titio ne r. The practitioner has the responsibility of creating positions and seeking out worke rs to fulfill them; ensuring workers have the necessary competences to do the job effective ly and a re satisfi ed in the ir pos ition in order to manage employee turnover.

Recreati o n staff and volunteers require a unique set of com petences. There is no written se t of essentia l s kill s, knowledge, abi lities, or personal characteristics that has been defined for recreation workers. An organization may stream line t he competences by defining the ir position and job description. It is expected that a person with an education in recreation, d egree or diploma, should have the bas ic skills to pe rf orm well in an entry- level pos itio n; workin g with the partici pants, program plann ing and coord inating (Hurd, 2005). T herefore , practitioners need to have an understanding of the skills being taught to recreation students in different post-secondary institution s, to ens ure that they have the exp ected sk ills.

Simila r to the emp loyed and volunteer staff, having a Board of Director' s with the necessary compe te ncies is crucia l to an organization . The Board of Directors is a major

6

part of the organization, and the ir perform ance is pi votal to the effectiveness of the organization ( Hurd, 2005). A recreation practitioner has to be able to work with and seek adv ice and take direction from qualified people s itting on the board who understand the recreation sector. The members of the boa rd should understand not only the overall organizatio n but a lso the work of the practitioner including the time needs, support and requirements for practitioners to do what is asked of them.

Staff and vo lunteers may be attracted to workJvolunteer at an organi zati on for a variety of reasons. Some may be attracted by the organization ' s mission

statement/mandate and others for the ty pe of work they get to perform in their position;

but the worker mu st be satisfied in the position to stay with the organi zation . Employees may decide to leave an organization for many di ffere nt reason s. According to a study by Brown, Yo shioka, and Munoz (2004) examining employee retention, pay satisfaction was the fundamental reason why an employee decides to leave or stay. Whereas vo lunteer satisfaction is the interaction between funct ion and job sett ing. Vo lunteers need to enjoy their role and fee l apprec ia ted for the time they do na te. Therefo re, practitioners need to work with each volunteer to under stand why th ey want to vo lunteer and place them accordi ngly w ithin the organi zatio n (Brown, eta!., 2004).

Satisfied employees and volunteers are more likely to comm it to the organizat ion, set higher perfor ma nce goals , a nd ma intain better performance levels. However, as disc ussed above workers leave fo r a variety of reasons (Connaughton, DeMichele, &

Z hang, 2004). When a worker leaves, the organization posts the job opportunity and fi lls

the positi on. Whether the new hire is someone who has an education in recreatio n or j ust

a n interest in the fie ld I organization, there may be a need additional training in

spec iali zed areas that re late to the position. Training new workers can be very beneficia l for an organi zation but a lso req uires dedicated fund s and can be very costly for the organization.

2.3 FACILITIES

Some recreation practitioners are recreation facility managers . A rec reation fac ility can range from an arena, a swimming pool, bowling a lley, gymnasium , a multi- purpose structure, and so forth. These facilit ies sometimes have a target use r group, such as yo uth or o lder adu lts or it may incorporate the entire comm unity. It is the practitioners job to know the recreational need s of the community and the faci lity operations, the refore they are know l edgeable to ass ist in the development, design a nd planning of ne w faci li ties and facility upgrades. Practitioners who work in facility ma nagement positions require a variety of skills , knowled ge and support in the fol lowing a reas: budgeting , maintenance, risk management, staffi ng, operation and deve lopment (Recreati on Directors Handbook, Manitoba, 2008). Unfo rtunatel y gaining these supports a nd knowledge can become cha llenging for practitioriers.

As previously di scussed , budget constraints are a major challenge when trying to offer the needed recreational opportunities of a community . A facil ity can have many benefits including adding additi onal recreation oppo rtunities to the existing variety wi thin a community and by creating more space for programs to grow . Users expect high qua lity fac iliti es whenever they are looking for recreational services , but unf ortunate ly the cost associated with faci li ty developme nt and ma in tenance can sometimes o utwei gh the

8

benefits of the facility itself (Recreation Directors Handbook, Manitoba, 2008). If a facility isn' t cost effective, there may a need for financial support to s ubsidize the

operations. If the support isn ' t available then it can become too costly for users. This can be challenging for practitioners to balance, as there are many things to consider when

setting user fees. The financial support to subsidize the cost of operations requires time, planning and dedicated funds.

A hi gh quality faci lity is a facility where users shouldn't question their safety.

Faci lity manage rs have to ensure the safety of everyone within the facility at all times. To do this they need to establi sh safety reg ulat ions, rules and expectations. Some facilities have more potential risk than others. Creating a risk manage ment program to ide ntif y and

control potential risks or hazards, can also be costly but are essential to the operations.

This also links to the issue of professional development section (Recreation Directors Handbook, Manitoba, 2008) .

Users not only want to feel safe when us ing a facility they are looking for quality programming in a welcoming, comfortable environment. Staff members play a large role

in creating that environment. Staffi ng for facili ty operations is another important

component of facility management. Practitioners should know the sk ill s needed to operate all the necessary equipment and hire the correct personnel to do so. They must also ensure workers have the required certification I education to do the job efficiently.

A lthough there are cha llenges in the management and operations of recr eation facilities , the number one issue is the lack of facilities. Many communities have a need for either their first or an additional faci lity or require faci lity upgrades or maintenance.

Practitioners understand the needs of a community and are knowledgeable abo ut the need

for a facility in a community, for exampl e: pool vs. arena and additional multi-purpose features such as meeting space or a walking track . Unfortunate ly decisions abo ut facility deve lopment are some times made without the practiti oner's involvement. Thi s can create challenges and problems such as the ab ili ty for the fac ili ty to be cost effective and

efficient and the ability of a facility to include the space, fea tures a nd eq ui pme nt

necessary to meet the needs and demands of current and future programs and users. T he structure being phy sically inclusive to all the needs ofthe community is also an important issue including s ite loca tion, mobility ass istance and layout. Practitioners should be included from concept to completion of facilities and be involved in the strateg ic planning process to e nsure consistency throughout all aspects of facilit y d evelopmen t and

manageme nt. Planning will be di scussed in more detai l in another section .

Facilities are neede d in order to meet the needs and de mands of the community . Practitioners require space a nd specialized facilities, such as swimming poo l o r a

gymnas ium, in order to offer the programs and services that are de sired . As experts in the field, practitioners appreciate being a ble to participant in all stages of fac ili ty

developme nt, from concept to completion. They have to be invo lved and/or understa nd a ll aspects of the facility from budgeting, ri sk management, operations, and development.

The necessary supports includin g fi nancia l, staff and plans need to be in place to ensure a quality facility a nd rec reational experie nce for all users.

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2.4 INCLUSION

Most practitioners are required to serve the whole population of a given community or area. They conduct needs assessments to gather information on the community to better understand each individual wants, needs and potential barriers. By understanding

the needs of the community the practitioner is able to provide recreational opportunities that are inclusive for all, as all individuals have the right to freely choose if, when, where, with whom, and how they participate in recreation environments and experiences (Schol l, Glanz, & Davison, 2006).

A facility should be accessible to everyone that would like to participate. This means all the needs of the community should be taken into consideration in al l aspects of the facility including location, access to and from the location, the physical structure

(doorways, ramps, etc.) and user fees. For a facility's location to be completely inclusive the location would be an area that is central and accessible be all means of transportation , including walking and public transit . The physical structure of a fac ility should not on ly meet the building codes, but be looked at through the eyes of a participant to determine what would be the most convenient and customer friendly ; for example hav ing the height of the counters appropriate for children and indiv iduals in a w hee lchair or having the elevator next to the stairwell so those who need to use it don' t feel excluded. T hese are just some examples of how an inclusive facility can faci litate enjo yable experience for participants.

From a needs assessment practitioners Jearn about the financial situations of the

household s in the community, g iving the practitioner an understanding of how much a

fami ly may be able to afford and an indication of what to set the prices fo r programs a nd services. Recognizing the financ ia l limitation s in a comm unity is very important to

providing opportunities that are inclusive for all. However, as disc ussed earlie r managing a cost effective fac ility can be difficult. Keeping prices low isn ' t always achievable;

offering reduced ra tes and subsidy programs for participants that need financial support are examples of ways to ensure all indiv idua ls have a means to partic ipant in all

recreational opportunities (Tirone, 2003/2004).

Some individuals within a community may have other persona l needs that they require assistance w ith in order to participate and en joy a rec reational opportunity to the fu llest. These can a lso be identified through both a needs assessment and the registration process. Personal assista nce may require physical , beh avioral or communicat ive support.

The program staff may require training to ga in knowledge , se ns iti vi ty and skills to work with diverse populations.

2.5 PLANNING

Planning re lates to ma ny other issues r aised in the review of literature, as having a plan he lps g uide a ll aspects of an organizati o n o r department. Without comprehensive plan s, disc ussions may become disjointed and reactive. T here are many differen t levels of planning; there are plans, which assist with the future direction and decisions of an organization as well as ass ist with making the day-to-d ay operations of the o rganization easier. These p lans are: s trategic , o perati ona l and programming or project planning. Many community recreation strategic plans are comprehensive and requ ire community

12

invol vement, v isions, dreams and strategies for recreation in the next few years.

Development of large plans can take tim e, skills , community co operation, a budget and an e valuation process.

Time is often the main issue for not plarming; to p lan prope rly practitioners need dedicated time to resea rch past a nd possible fu ture direction s and dec isio ns. When in the planning process it is important to prog ress and start impl eme nting the p la n as soon as possible. Unfortunately man y times the day-to-d ay operations get in the w ay of the planning process by eithe r prolonging it or preventing it fro m starting. Many organizations and d ep artments don ' t have the needed staff sup port to pro pe rl y plan.

Developing comprehensive commun ity or operationa l and program I project plans requires knowl edge and skills in the area of pl a nning. For example, strategic planners must be able to work with and develop information fro m the w ho le community includ ing the staff, recreatio n conm1ittee I commi ssion, partner organi zat io ns and the general popul atio n. Wh ereas, operational and program I project plann ers mu st be ab le to connect w ith the directio n of the stra tegic pla n and have knowledge of time , space and recreation m anagement, to ensure that a ll are as of the o rganization or departmen t sync together.

Planning is no t achievable without a dedi cated budget to s upport it. It is necessary to ass ist practitione rs with the support staff, materi als and train ing to pla n effic iently.

Professional deve lopme nt opportuniti es to improve plann ing skills ar e required . T he more knowledgea ble practitioners are a bo ut p lanning, the mo re ef fi c ie nt they will be in developing a plan that is cos t effecti ve and ensures quality a nd safety . F und ing may also be used to he lp ga in community in vo lvement in the planni ng process making it

inter esting, enjoya ble and rewarding for all those invo lved . Some organi zations go to the

participants; either to their homes or public areas, such as shopping centers. They may a lso provide incentives , or ho ld public gatherings with refres hm ents and thank you ite ms.

In additi on to support staff for operations and programs, there can a lso be a need for additional staff to assist in the planning process; this ca n help relieve pressure from the practitioner and assist with gaining necessary skill sets .

2.6 UNDERSTANDING & SUPPORT

R ecreation is a widely used term used in many situations but unfortunately the field of recreation is not we ll und erstood by the general public . Recreation includes a wide var iety of opportunities and experie nces tha t can provide many benefits for participants, however recreation is often mi sunderstood for health or sport, as many community health and spo rt opportunities are offered by or through the communi ty recreation provider. Additionall y, perhaps due to this lack of unde rstandi ng and suppo rt recreation is not considered an essential serv ice and thus is often overloo ked and

undervalued in budgeting deci sions. T his misunderstanding leads to practitioners having to explain and positio n themselves and the programs and services they offer to gain appreciation and support.

Recreati o n practitioners do not a lways receive support because they are mis understood. It is the role of the practitioner to qualify the importance of rec reation programs or services for a community , the ro le of the participant to qualify the benefits they gain through their expe rience and the ro le of provincia l and post seco ndary

institution s to assist the practitioners and advocate on their behalf. Recreational programs

14

and services are expected but are not always supported; s upport providers need to understand the importance of, and requirements nee ded fo r practitio ne rs to meet expectations.

2. 7 PARTNERSHIPS

Partnersh ips combine the strengths and reso urces of a variety of organi zations, and have been identifi ed as key to providing successful programs. They help e lim inate duplicate prog rams , encourage shared responsibility , gener ate m o re ideas and strategies, invol ve more peo ple in addressi ng iss ues a nd are expected fro m many fu nd ing agencies (Recreation Directors Handbook, Manitoba, 2008). While partnerships can be very positive and benefit a recreation organization or department they can also be chall enging as the people involved have different ideas, pe rsonalities , goals, va lues, etc. These differences can c reate barriers a nd limi tations to the partnership .

Partn ership acti v ities should fac ilitate the allocation of key resources toward

improving recreatio n prog rams and servic e. T he mo st important factor when e ntering a

partnership is having a common goal, values and mi ssion. As discu ssed in the section on

planning , th ere are steps to foll ow w he n creating new initiatives: plan, implement and

evaluate. This is also true with partnerships; th e relationship shou ld have an outlined

purpose s tating what each pa rty wi ll contribute. T he relationship should also be evaluated

and reviewed on a reg ular basis to ensure all parti es still have the same goal or mission .

Failing to do so can cause unnecessary cha llenges and if left too long before being

addressed can comp licate the quality of th e program or service.

Pa11nerships can he lp eliminate duplicate programs and services, reduce operating costs, as well as eliminate competition between organizations. By combining the key strengths and resources of two organizations professionals can create better, high quality, and sometimes even cheaper recreational opportunities then either organization would be able to offer on their own. While partnerships can provide needed support for an

organization or department, they can also create challenges and issues if not created and maintained properly. Often these challenges and issues can be avoided if the right measures are in place.

2.8 MARKETING

Practitioners create, plan, organize and coordinate programs and serv ices but they need participants to come and take advantage of these oppo11unities. While some

participants may come looking for th ese opportunities, others ne ed to be told or reminded.

Marketing is essential to promote the recreation opportunities being offered to the target market it is intended for. It is important to promote the importance of recreation and its many benefits to gain appreciation from the public for the programs and services that are available to them and ga in support from key stakeholders. "P eople need to be informed, educated , inspired , motivated, sometime s persuaded and often rem inded, to come to programs" (Recreation Directors Handbook, Manitoba, 2008, p.51 ). Marketing is complex; being able to reco gni ze ava il able promotional opportunities, knowing wha t to promote and how to communicate the message is important and can take time . Marketing

16

needs to be built into the plan process a nd re quires w ritten po licies a nd procedures to be effective.

Planning, creating and delivering marketin g strate g ies can be costly, time consuming and require spe cia l skill s. Mar keting resources need to stand o ut to be recognized by the publi c, a nd be in deli vered in a m anner that pote ntia l partic ipants w ill notice and a t t he ri ght time . For e xample, if pro motions are publ ished too late partic ipants may not be abl e to a tte nd, or if marketed too ea rly tha t participa nts m ay fo rget. Ma rketin g is an importa nt component to a ny prog ra m a nd servic e so peopl e know the op portunit ies that are a vaila ble . Without adequate support and tra ining practiti o ner s wi ll not be able to market suc cessf ully.

2.9 EVALUATION

A rec reat io n need can be defined as th e gap when w hat is considered a necessary level or condi t ion is not be ing me t by what is actua lly occurring ( ograd i, 2000).

Recreation prac titi oners sho uld assess the need s of the ir current and potential parti c ipants to unde rsta nd the valu es and benefits th ey seek from the se rv ices in o rde r to str ategically m anage these needs to m aximi ze return. Because practiti oner budge ts com e fro m pu bli c funds, they must be accountab le fo r the ir decisions and ac tions and ded icated to provid ing needed services in t he m ost efficient way po ssible . Communi ty need assessm ents collect data that g ives impo rta nt inf ormati on about what parti cipants think abo ut curre nt

prog ram s and services and insight on the prog ram s and se rv ices they woul d li ke to see in

the future . T he organi zati on or departm ent ca n use this infor m ation ; planning,

implementing, eval uating, and justifying the programs and services they offer (Nog radi, 2000). U nfortunate ly need assessments are time cons uming and can be costly. This stresses the importance of planning a nd building evaluation into the plan.

Rec reation departments who are truly concerned about quality of li fe and service to the public, must be acti vely engaged in id entify ing and assessing needs and then utilizing this information to their f ull potential (Nograd i, 2000) . Being ab le to

communicate to the community how the department has found and fulfilled gaps will help participants see value in the opportunities being offered. In order to do this, practitioners need the tools and support to effective ly eva luate programs and services.

2 .10 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional development is very important for practitioners to increase and improve the ir sk ills, as well as to stay o n top of current knowledge a nd trends. The challenge for practitioners is being able to take the time to attend professiona l

development opportunities due to lack of support staff. Professional development can be costly, a nd require additional funding.

Trai ning needs to be availab le to all if new ideas and thinking are to be

implemented (Anderson, Fredrickton, & Dybiec, 1995). It also helps to remove barriers as co-workers unde rstand a commo n knowledge, as wel l as incre ase job satisfaction and performance (Anderson , eta!., 1995). Unfortunate ly as many departments have a sma ll number of s taff there isn ' t enoug h support staff to accommodate one being absent to attend training opportunities.

18

Professional development of staff should be considered in the budgeting process.

Hav ing well trained staff who a re knowledgeable about the mo st up to da te ideas, trends and resources can help benefit the department in the future. Ben efits can res ult in better resources, qua lity programming, and ease a nd reduced costs of day-to-day operations.

Unfortunately, when de partments don ' t have adeq uate funding recreatio n professionals are not able to participate in training and professional development, whi ch can have negative long-term effects ofthe o rgani zation and the community.

Prof essional d evelopment is an important part of any career, being ab le to

improve existing skill s and stay up to date on trends and resources is important in a ny

field of employment. When organizations an d departments in vest in their staff it can

improve employee morale and make the employee feel valued , resulting in higher

productivity and a professional work environment. Recr eation d epa rtme nts can benefit

g reatly by providing o r s upporting staff to participant in training opportuniti es.

3.0 RESEARCH METHODS

3.1 SAMPLING AND RECRUITMENT

The participa nts ide nt ified fo r this study were recreatio n prov iders in L, paid municipal recreatio n practiti o ne rs and volunteers, as we ll as munic ipal counci lors that represent recreation in the ir community . The p articipants were contacted v ia em ail and at events hosted by RNL.

3.2 SURVEY

T he survey aske d questi o ns re levant to the recreatio n profession o r their volunteer endeavo rs and id entified issues/c ha llenges facing recreation providers in th e provi nce (see Appendi x A: Survey). Participants were sent an e mail th rough RNL me mbe rship da ta base inf orming and invit ing them to parti cipate in a web- based survey. The survey was a lso availabl e in print upon request or du ring events hosted by RNL. The web-based survey was hosted o n Survey Monkey (http://www.surveym onkey.com/). Survey Monkey is a web-based s urvey s ite and tool that e m ploys mul tiple layers of security to make sure that th e survey acco unt a nd data re ma ins private a nd secure. They employ a third-party firm to conduct da il y audits of thei r security , and the survey data res ides behind the latest in firewall a nd intrusio n prevention techno logy. Any data that is collected is kept comp letely and absolute ly confi de ntia l. T he web-based data was only accessi bl e to the researcher and supervisor who have the password for the site. Survey data was co llected between March

20

and May 20 1 2 and a total of 90 participants comp leted the survey. Date analysis invo lved descriptive rathe r than inferential statistics.

3.3 FACILITATED BREAKOUT SESSION

Approximately 75 participants took part in the facilitated breakout session, which was offered as a session during RNL' s 41

A nnua l General Meeting a nd Conference.

At the one-hour faci litated breakout the participants were presented the findings of the survey. T he purpose of the facilitated breakout session was to give participants an

opportunity to comment and add to the issues/c ha llenges presented as well as get them to work together on a series of questions (see Appendix B: Facil itated Breakout Session Interview Guide). Participants were randomly divided into groups of 8 to discuss and answer questions on 5 of the 10 issues I challenges: budget, staffing, facilities, inclusion, and marketing. In these working groups they had the opportunity to develop a nd suggest potential so lutions and recommendations. Each working group discussed the issue they were g iven; one person recorded the ir respo nses . As the evaluator, I and an ass istant were present and provided assistance to the g roups if they needed g uidance. The responses were sorted into categories and themes.

3.4 ETHICS APPROVAL

The proposal of this research was reviewed by the Interdisciplinary Committee on

Ethics in Human Research and fou nd to be compliance with Memorial U ni versity's ethics

policy.

4.0 SURVEY SAMPLE DESCRIPTION

4.1 EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF RESPONDENTS

Respondents were asked to self-identify their employment status and select all categories that applied to them . As o utlined in Figure 1, there were not many stud ents, which is like ly d ue to the sampling technique used. The highest percentage of respondents were fu ll-time employees in the recreation field (55%), it is interestin g to see that the second highest number of respondents were volunteers (34%) . The maj ority of the

vo luntee rs id entifi ed that they have been volunteering fo r less than 5 years. It is important to note that the volunteers in the provin ce are committed e no ugh to complete a survey of this nature.

34%

,

I

~---·-

zot 2%

to,

r

• Full· Time Student= 2%

Full· Time Employee (in the Rccrc~tion field) = 55%

""Part-Time Employee (in the Recr~<1tion field)= 7%

Volunt~er

=

Figure 1: Employment Status of Respondents

22

45.00%

40.00%

35.00%

130.00%

:25.00%

20.00%

'15.00%

; 10.00%

5.00%

0.00%

wless than 5 years

5-10 years

- 10-15 years ... 15-20 years

~ 20-25years

25-30years

Number of years employed in the Number of years volunteering in 30+ years rereation field the recreation field

Figure 2: Number of Years Participants been Involved in Recreation Field

4.2 WORK I VOLUNTEER ENVIRONMENTS REPRESENTED

The respondents represented a wide range of work I volunteer e nv ironme nts. As dep icted in Figure 3, the highest pe rce ntage of participants (19.6% ) are fro m a city and are like ly to be e mployed, whi le the second hig hest are from rural communities - population under 1000 (17.4%) and are likely to be vo luntee rs. Overall , most of the respondents (80.4%) represent a municipal environment: c ity, la rge town (popula tion 5000+), me dium town (population 3000-4999), small to wn (populatio n I 000-2999), and rura l community (population unde r 1 000). Some of the environments that fell in to the

"other" category" include : aquatic center, arena manager , non -government agenc ies,

gove rnment, military community , not-for profit, outdoor yo uth progr am , etc .

City Lnrge town Medium town Small town Environment

Rural community Community organization

"'Provinical organization

Health care center

5.000;(, 10.00% 15.0()<)1, 20.00% 25.00% Sport club

I

I

' - - - · · · - · - · - - · - - - · - ··---·-

4.3 EDUCATION I TRAINING

The respondents also reported the ir leve l of educatio n I tra ining. Twenty perce nt ( 19 .6%) indi cated a high school diploma as their hi ghest level of education. Among those providers who had a Bachelor degree (58 .7%) only 20 .7% have a Bachelor degree in Recreation whi le the majority (3 8.0%) has a B achelor degree in a different program such as Bus iness, Art and Education. The simil ar pattern was fo und a mong prov ide rs who have a co llege diploma: onl y 15.2% have a dip loma in community recreation whil e 19 .6%

have a dipl o ma in a different program s uc h as Architectura l E ngineering and Business.

Thus among the respondents there are a hig her percentage of individuals with non- recreation e ducation. This result may be due to the fact that there was a hi gh

representation ofvolunteers who comp leted the s urvey (i .e., whose professions might not be in recreation). However, the result makes one question if there is a lack of support in the profession to hire recr eation specialists.

24

4.4 OFFICIAL TITLES

The respondents were asked to provide their official job I vo lunteer titles to help give an indication of the type of position they held within the community I organization they represented . The titles were grouped into o ne of five categories ; each category had a variety of different job titles and variations (see Table 2). Some titles are much more explanatory and focused than others .

T a e bl 2 Offi I Cia . l T It I es o fR espon d e nts

Category Sam pie of Titles Percentage of

Respondents

Recreation Arena I Aquatic Manager 42.4%

Practitioner I Director of Parks I Recreation and Tourism

Leader Fitness L eader

Supervisory ofRecreation and Healthy Li ving Youth Cente r Coordinator

Volunteer Cha irperson 20.7%

President

Secretary I Treas urer

Management I Executi ve Director 18.5%

Bus iness Financial Officer General Manager

Municipal Deputy Mayor 5.4%

Employee I Town Clerk

Councilor Town Manager

Other Elementary Teacher 13 .0%

Pl ayground Designer/Consultant, Estimator Sales & Design Consultant

4.5 FACILITY RESPONSIBILITY

Respondents were asked if they were direc tl y respo nsible for a facility and if so to

identify the type(s) offacility(ies) they oversaw (see Table 3). Forty-five percent (44.6 %)

of the respondents identified that they are responsible for a facilit y. The number one and two ranked faci liti es that were identified are both outdoor fac ilitie s : O utdoor Sport Fields (64 .1 %) and Playgrounds (61 .5%). The third and fourth ranked responses were the indoor facilities with the hig hest percentages: Community Center/ Youth Center ( 46.2 %) and Indoor Swimming Pool (35.9%) . Among the 132 respondents, 56 .8% of them are responsible for o utdoo r facilities. No individuals were responsib le for Indoor Sport Fields. There is only one indoor sport fie ld in the province; thus, no recreation professionals from this facility responded to the survey.

T a e -': ac1 bl "' F T. 1t1es R espon d ents 0 versee

Facility Percentage

Outdoor Sport Fields 64.1 %

PlaygrOLmds 6 1.5%

Community Center I Youth Center 46.2 %

Indoor Swimming Pool 35 .9%

Hiking I Walking Trails 28 .2%

Gymnasium 25 .6%

Indoor Arena 25.6%

Other 20.5 %

Outdoor Arena 10.3 %

Outdoor Swimmin g Pool 7.7%

Boating Facility (canoe, kayak, etc.) 7.7%

Bowling All ey 5. 1%

Indoor Sports Fie ld s 0 .0%

The re spondents wer e also as ked if they used facilities ope rated by a nother organi zation for their programs and services. It was interestin g tha t 60.0% of the respondents identified they do use other organizations faci lities for their programs and services. Ove r ha lf of these respondents (58.3 %) stated that the ir progra ms a nd services are regularly hou sed in another organi zation s facility. Seventy -five perce nt of indiv iduals

26

who utilize other organizations' facilities have a partnership fo r the usage a nd 60.0%

receive the fac ility space for free or at a reduced price.

5.0 IDENTIFYING AND DESCRIBING PROFESSIONAL ISSUES & CHALLENGES

5.1 RESPONDENTS SELF-IDENTIFIED ISSUES & CHALLENGES

Respondents were asked to identify the top five issues they are challenged with on a regular basis in terms of providing recreation services and programs and , as well as manag ing faci lit ies. The responses were categorized into the 10 issues/challenges that were identified the lite rature re view. Those that did not fit were placed in the catego ry named other (see Fig ure 4). The category "other" consists of chal lenges that are specifi c to NL. It is interestin g to note how the responses decreased : 78 respondents provided a response for the ir top issue; 75 gave an answer for issue two; 68 provided a third issue; 47 respondents gave an answer for issue 4 ; and o nly 38 indiv idua ls provided a fifth iss ue.

This suggests that respondents were mostly interested in the ir top issues or had difficulty identify ing additional issues .

The top three issues/challenges that were self - identified by the r esponde nts were the same three identified in the lite rature: budget, staffing a nd fac il ities. Issues and Cha llenges categorized as "other" were also very high (see Tab le 4). Each of these categori es represented a variety of issues I challenges; some examples are p resented in Table 5.

28

Issue 1

I I

! Issue 2

I

. Issue

I

I

Marketing

Evaluation

Inclusion

Partnerships

Professional Development

Budget

Facilities

"'Staffing

.. Other

Understanding and

I

!

Issue 5

I I

^o.o5

^0.2

Pla

nning

L-·-· ----·- --- Fi ~~~~-~~.:..? - ~.~~ ~- ~~ -~~!~!~~~. !_ ?!? ~iy~~.~~~-~ /.~~- a ^II ~- ~g~.~ . ^. ... _ __

Table 4 : Percentage of Self-identified I ssues and Chall en ges by Category

Category Issue! Issue2 Issue3 Issue4 IssueS

Budget 32 .9% 25 .7% 23.5% 23 .4% 18.4%

Staffing 22.4% 35.1% 25 .0% 23.4% 15.8%

Facilities 25 .0% 9.5% 14. 7% 2 1. 3% 5.3%

Othe r 15.8% 13.5% 27 .9% 2 1. 3% 34.2%

Table 5: Exampl es of Self -Iden tifie d Issues I Cha lle nges Samples

Category Responses

Budget

Lack of fundi ng and reso urces

- Not having e nough fund s for program s

-

Operating grant - Cost of utilities

- Finding the diffe rent grants that are ava ilable to our recreation organization

Staffin g - Younger people, most do n't want to work

- Volunteer Recrui tmen t I getting ha rder each year to fi nd quality volunteers

- Staffin g .. . L i feg uards needing to be 17 - Re tai ning Trained Staff - Staff Turnaround

-

No paid staff

- Too much work fo r one staff

Facil ities - Our facili ties a re o ld and in nee d of repair - Fac ility upgrades

-

Ag ing inf rastructu re - Lack of fac iliti es

- Scheduling programs I F inding space in o ur facil ities Other - Meeting needs of all c hildren

- Tran sportatio n - Area mostly sen iors

- Customer expectations sometimes unrea listic

-

Small pop ul atio n - Weather

5.2 RANKING OF ISSUES & CHALLENGES

The respo nde nts were asked to rank the importance of the 10 iss ues/challenges identified in the literature rev iew. For each issue, respondents rated the issue on a 5-point sca le ( I = low importance ; 5 = hi gh importance) in terms of importance. An issue v iewed as very cha lle nging (l imiti ng the prog rams and services o ff ered by the organi zation or community) respo ndents rated the issues as a "5" ; while if the issue was somewhat limiting the n respondents rated the issue as 1 to 4 dependin g on the perceived severity of th e issue. If an issue was not a cha llenge respondents selected "not app licable." Similarl y,

30

responde nts were a lso asked to rate if they have the resources needed to address the issues and challenges (1 = low/no; 5 = high/yes) .

Table 6: Issues I Cha lle nges Rankings

Importance of the issue I challenge

Issue I Challcnoc Mc:w Standard Deviation

Staffing 3. 9

Budget 3.9

Faciliti es 3. 6

U nderstanding & 3.4 Support

Marke ting

Inclus ion

Partners hips 3.3

Profess io na l

Development

Planning 3. 2

Evaluation 3.2

a

1 = low importance ; 5 = hig h importa nce

b

1 = low/no; 5 = high/yes

1.29 1.1 9 1.3 6 1.31 1.33 1.1 6 1.1 9 1.42 1.28 1.1 7

Resources to address the issue I challenge b

Mean Standard Deviation

2.7 1.25

3.0 1.35

3.0 1.25

3.2 1.13

3.0 1.2 1

3.0 1. 1 1

") ")

.),.)

1.09

3.4 1.12

") ")

.),.)

1.19

3.0 1.10

As identifie d in the prev ious results, staffing , budget and facil ities remained the top issues/chall enges facing recreatio n providers in NL (see Table 6). This tab le also c learl y id entifies that recreation pro viders do not have the resources they need to overcome the larges t issues/challe nges they face. Accordi ng to these statistics the issues/challenges that they are most equipped with reso urces to address are : professional development, planning, and partnerships. These three issues and challenges r anked 8t

9th,

and i

in importance. Thus the re appears to be fewer resources for the most

challeng ing issues whi le prov ide rs indi cate a greate r a mo unt of reso urces fo r issues that

are not ranked as most important.

5.3 DESCRIBING THE ISSUE & CHALLENGE

To gain a better understanding of each issue I challenge and how it affects

recreation providers' work, services and programs. The survey respond ents were asked to complete a seri es of questions fo r each of the I 0 issues and chall enges. For each of these questions responde nts were asked to rate each statement o n a 5-po int scale (1 = low/no; 5

= high/yes).

5.3.1. B udget:

Seventy participants answered the survey questions about budget. It is ev ident that recreation providers in NL have a limited budget. The majority of respondents indicated that they did not have a s ufficient budget for each program or serv ice deli vered (average = 2.9). The majority of respondents felt that reviewing the operati ng costs of their facilities/programs/services wo uld not ha ve a positive effect on issues related to budget; they feel that increasing fees would not increase revenue as it may increase

baniers. Recreation providers need mo re g ra nt funding, as 22 .9% stated they do n ot see increasing fees o r chang ing ope ratio ns to have a positive benefit to their budget. N inety- five percent of respondents stated that their organization would benefit from add itio na l g rant funding. Considering that respondents indicated that they had the resources (staff, skill s, etc.) to seek the additional funding (average = 3.5) the issue may be that there isn ' t enough gra nts to ap ply fo r or the grant funding a mo unts are no t large enough.

Budget as an issue and cha llenge was discussed during the faci litated breakout session and reinforced the findings of the survey. The partic ipa nts stated that budget is a

32

major issue as with no money that ca n' t provide prog ra ms or services . Ma ny of the programs and se rvices they provided re ly on g rants and some tim es th e gra nts don 't provide a sufficient amount of funding to do an efficient job. Provid ers fe lt that th e grant applica tions can be difficult to complete a nd often have unreaso na ble dead lines fo r submi ssion. G ra nt f unding is depe nd en t on munic ipa l council ; the co tmec tio n between this issue of budge t with the issue of understanding and sup port is disc ussed later in thi s paper. It is difficult to compete for dolla rs when c ompetin g agains t essentia l services and recreatio n is not seen as one. Prov ide rs indi cated that in ord er to ope rate w ith a limited budget they need to do better long term and short te rm planning ; thi s links to t he issue of planning. To be successful in acquiring additi onal funding, they need access to more professionals (e.g . recreation practitioners, council leaders, governme nt consultants) and access to othe r fina nc ia l supports .

5.3.2. Staffing:

Seventy parti c ipants a nswere d the staffin g sectio n of the survey. Recreation providers ra ted the skills (recreatio n competences needed to rev iew/oversee the organization) of the ir board of directors/town as being a bove average (average = 3.5).

Resp ondents (73 .1 %) indi cated that they do not have the num ber of staff o r volunteers to

ef ficie ntly delive r qua lity programs a nd serv ices. Sixty -seven perce nt of providers fel t

that new/potentia l wo rkers of their organi zatio n ha d average o r lowe r skill s requ ired to do

the ir job effic ie ntly w ithout additi ona l training. Survey respo ndents indicated tha t th eir

organization offers empl oyees regul ar traini ng (average = 3. 6). In co ntrast the fac ilitated

breakout session discussion suggested that recreation organizatio ns and co mmissions in NL have limited ski lled workers (staff and volunteers). It is uncl ear if there are enough workers to ensure quality programs and serv ices and the y could benefit from additio nal education and training.

Respondents felt that the staff in their organization was sati sfied in their current positions. The majority (52.9% rated the statement as 3 or hig her) stated that the ir organization experiences frequent staff turnover. These respondents were asked to comment on why they felt their organization has been struggling with securing long-term staff (see Table 7). The majority of the responses co mmented on young staff (students) was the reaso n they have high s taff turnover. Young staff work w ith the o rgan ization for only short periods and then they move on to either a different career, seek post- secondary education or move out of town. Other comments suggested that low wages a nd entry level positions were the reaso n staff only stayed for sho rt peri ods. It was a lso mentioned that it is hard to retain volunteers, as people seem to be busier.

Table 7: Samp le of Comments on Reasons fo r High Staff Turnover

Lack of competitive wages for the amo unt of work being done and responsib il ity that the job carries.

Compensation vs duties and role. Staffing turnover is a direct reflection of an organization that has not changed the way they do business with the change in staffing expectations.

People are j ust busy with their full time jobs o r their family life to volunteer more time with us.

The bulk of our staff are students who leave the community to further the ir ed ucatio n.

Inability to offer further recreational supports w ithin the town ; a lso there are no incentives for volunteers which today is a bi g motivator if yo u wish to get new volun teers involved.

The facilitated breakout sess ion stated that staffing challenges has a strong connection to the issu e of budget. Providers are highly dependent on grants to hire

34