Community Engagement Resource Guide (NRPA)

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

RESOURCE GUIDE

CREATING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HIGH-PERFORMING PARKS

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has developed this Community Engagement Resource Guide to provide

park and recreation professionals with a roadmap to implement equitable and inclusive community engagement strategies

around the planning, design, construction, maintenance and activation of park projects and park plans. NRPA designed the

guide specifically to address barriers that hinder or prevent park and recreation agencies’ ability to work collaboratively with

community members to utilize their park spaces as local solutions for their community.

This resource guide divides the engagement process into four major themes that will help park and recreation professionals

better meet the needs of all people who are impacted by projects and plans:

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING

This section addresses the internal barriers to community engagement, including staffing, funding, leadership support

and building a community engagement plan.

BUILDING TRUST WITH COMMUNITIES

This section provides strategies for overcoming the community barriers to community engagement, including

acknowledging past experiences, involving community stakeholders, being transparent and delivering on promises.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

This section overviews the importance of a mixed method approach and flexible communication style to ensure

diverse opinions are heard.

EVALUATION

The final section shows how to collect, analyze and communicate the data gathered through community engagement

activities to determine if goals set in the planning phase were met.

Throughout this guide, NRPA provides tips, best practices and case studies from the field that inform how to design community

engagement efforts to ensure all people feel welcome and engaged in park projects and spaces. It is important to note that

every community is different and faces unique challenges, so the information provided in this resource is meant to be tailored

and adapted to meet the specific and unique needs of each community.

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National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

INTRODUCTION

True to the very philosophy of public parks and recreation is the idea that all people — no matter the color of their skin, age,

gender, income level or ability — have access to and feel welcome in the places, programs and facilities that make their

lives and communities great. Local park and recreation agencies work diligently to make this vision a reality in communities

across the country, striving to ensure that their sites provide the health, environmental, social and cultural benefits that

their communities deserve. Equitable and inclusive community engagement is central to this vision and is fundamental to

establishing quality parks that meet the needs of all constituents.

An inclusive and meaningful engagement process ensures that our parks and public spaces are created by the

people they are intended to serve. Many community engagement attempts have failed to truly represent and reach people

who have experience many types of inequities and are at highest risk of living in poor environments and experiencing negative

health outcomes (e.g. people of color, low-income communities, people with physical and cognitive disabilities, etc. as defined

in NRPA’s Parks for Inclusion Policy Guide). Often, this may result in a lack of trust in local government and projects that do not

reflect the needs or desires of the community they impact. Building a community engagement approach that recognizes these

past shortcomings, helps to establish relationships with and engages all members of the community, aligns with community

goals, is inclusive and transparent, addresses unintended consequences as they arise (e.g., fear of displacement because of

increased investment in neighborhood public spaces) and delivers results that can have profound effects on our parks and on

the health of the community.

INCLUSION

A community that

prioritizes inclusion works

to ensure that all

community members feel

that they can access what

they need to be successful.

The result of equity and inclusion working together is

a vibrant community, strong in its efforts to create

environments in which everyone feels welcome, safe

and respected.

EQUITY

A community that

prioritizes equity works to

ensure that all community

members have access to

what they need to be

successful.

NRPA’S VISION FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

LOCATION

People who live within a 10-minute walk of a park stand to benefit

the most given the strong connections between walking distance to

parks and the social, physical, economic and environmental health

benefits

1,2

. However, the community closest to the park is also most

vulnerable to negative consequences such as displacement

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

While parks provide numerous benefits, it is essential that people

impacted by poor environmental conditions and/or public health

threats, or people who are socially isolated from communities, are

well-represented in the engagement process. These communities

have historically had little voice in public decisions but stand to

benefit the most from the outcomes. By including them in the

engagement process, it may improve outcomes for all.

MAKING THE CASE FOR EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Equitable and inclusive community engagement is an ongoing and proactive process of working collaboratively with all people

in a community to build relationships and capacity, create solutions and foster a sense of ownership of public parks through

the planning, design, construction, maintenance and activation of park spaces.

NRPA, 2018. The Economic Impact of Local Parks. www.nrpa.org/publications-research/research-papers/the-economic-impact-of-local-parks/

NRPA, 2016. Making the Case: Parks & Health. www.nrpa.org/our-work/Three-Pillars/health-wellness/ParksandHealth/

Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, 2016. Measuring the Impact of The 606. www.housingstudies.org/media/filer_public/2016/10/31/ihs_measuring_the_impact_of_the_606.pdf

Rouse, David, 2018. Social Equity, Parks and Gentrification. Parks and Recreation magazine. www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2018/july/social-equity-parks-and-gentrification/

• Build trust among community

members and park and recreation

agencies

• Strengthen community capacity

including via civic participation

engagement and workforce

development skills (e.g. voting,

volunteering and park maintenance

and stewardship)

• Ensure that parks and funding are

distributed more equitably across

jurisdictions

•

• Develop a community’s sense of

ownership over park spaces

• Decrease the prevalence of

unforeseen conflicts or problems

• Create higher-performing public

parks that are reflective of

communities

• Improve the environmental, physical,

social and economic health of

communities

• Increase community participation in

parks and public spaces

BENEFITS OF EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT

HOW DO YOU DEFINE COMMUNITY?

A community is any group of people who share common characteristics such as, but not limited to, location, age, race, ethnicity,

ability, shared experiences, interests or other commonalities. The community impacted by projects will be different for a small

pocket or neighborhood park compared to a large regional park or a park master plan. For all parks or plans, no matter the size

or location, vulnerable populations should always be prioritized.

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING

Community engagement can seem like an overwhelming task for park projects, especially with limited staff capacity and

project funds. However, for these projects to be fully embraced by the community, community members must be engaged in

every phase of the project and from the very beginning. Community engagement is an ongoing process that requires patience

and resources, so following specific steps prior to jumping into engagement will make the process easier to manage. These

steps include:

ASSESSING STAFF CAPACITY

SECURING FUNDING

BUILDING LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

CREATING A PLAN WITH CLEAR GOALS

ASSESSING STAFF CAPACITY

Having one or two staff who reflect the community and are dedicated to community engagement will increase your

agency’s accountability and unify your approach with one central message, helping to enhance the community’s

trust in your agency to follow through with projects. Community members will likely provide more honest feedback and

your agency will spend its resources on projects that best meet the needs of the community or have community support.

Hiring Community Outreach Staff

If your agency does not already have a staff member whose

sole job responsibility is to interact with the community, hiring

a community outreach specialist is ideal. When hiring someone

to serve in this role, write a clear job description outlining

expectations, including specific qualities that make this person well-

suited to build meaningful relationships with the community. Make

sure you consider candidates who reflect the culture of, reside

in and/or have existing relationships within the community they

are serving, especially when working with vulnerable populations.

While park and recreation subject matter expertise may be a

valuable quality, this expertise can be learned through trainings and

experience. Characteristics such as strong interpersonal skills and

community organizing experience are critical to this role and may

be more important factors to consider when hiring a candidate.

Having at least one or two community outreach specialists on staff is ideal but financing these positions can be difficult. To

move toward hiring community engagement staff, recognize it as a long-term goal for your agency, create an action plan and

get leadership buy-in to help secure funding for these positions. While strategizing about hiring community outreach staff, you

can begin forming relationships with community members in other ways.

The ideal qualities of community outreach

staff are as follows:

• Ability to creatively plan, coordinate and

facilitate community meetings and events

• Strong interpersonal skills, such as listening,

communication and problem-solving

• Highly motivated to implement change

• Representative of the population they serve,

including the language(s) spoken

• Resilient to push back and/or criticism

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

Use Current Staff

Involve current staff who already have connections with

community groups, leaders and youth and provide them with

training opportunities on leadership, communication and

equity. Encourage them to think beyond their day-to-day work

to how they can make an impact in the community.

Establish an Advisory Council

Creating a community advisory council is another way to

increase your agency’s capacity to build relationships with

community members, lead meetings and solicit feedback. The

structure of your advisory council can also help sustain and

institutionalize engagement efforts far beyond a single project or

administration. It is important to address the following when setting up a council:

• Selection method for advisory members (voting, appointment, open volunteer, etc.)

• Criteria for demographic, geographic and other types of representation on the council

• Ways to incentivize participation

• Scope of work

• Length of service

Be sure that however you structure the council, you engage diverse community leaders and partners in the development of

the council. Work to build trusting relationships with them and rely on their community expertise and networks to help recruit

others who are passionate about creating local solutions. The people on this council should embody different interests of the

community, speak their language and live in the neighborhood. Provide them with meaningful opportunities to make decisions,

so they know their opinions are valued and they become your advocates in the field. This council can act as a sounding board

for your ideas, give credibility to your agency’s initiatives and relieve some work from your team.

Recreation center staff members are viewed

as trusted community leaders and are a great

resource to lean on. Every day, they interact with

community members, who often rely on recreation

centers for food access, activity, public information

and learning opportunities.

Community Engagement Resource GuideNational Recreation and Park Association

Perspectives from a Community Outreach Coordinator, Park District of Oak Park

Contributing author: Cate Readling, Community Outreach Coordinator

The Village of Oak Park Illinois, population 52,000, is a western suburb of Chicago. This typically engaged

community historically prioritizes diversity and inclusion as well as green space. The Park District of Oak Park

identified the need for a dedicated Community Outreach staff person primarily because of ongoing facility and

programming improvements and an increase in collaborative opportunities in the community. They started the

search by looking at existing staff and identified the talent for this position through self-identification as well

as continuous solicitation of internal feedback through surveys. The position was created in 4th quarter of 2017

with a 90-day trial period to confirm a good fit for both the agency, the candidate and the community. Cate was

heavily involved with the community through the school system, the Park District Citizens Committee and as an

employee of the Park District so she was a natural fit for the Community Outreach Coordinator position.

Just as the seasons and programs in the parks vary, so does the range in the duties of a Community Outreach

Specialist. Communication with other public serving agencies and organizations is the most critical element.

There are members of every town and neighborhood who are working toward the same goal of deeper

community engagement including public and private schools, libraries, public and social service providers and

recreation providers. Each agency has a variety of contact opportunities. When each of those agencies prioritizes

coordinated engagement, those efforts yield exponentially higher and stronger results!

The ideal qualities of creativity, motivation, communication, representation and resilience are absolutely crucial

and all of that implies remaining flexible. The ability to change gears and direction with grace and understanding

is also a key to success. For example, in a given day, I may communicate with the Village Clerk, Library Outreach

and the Township manager to gather materials for a New Resident Meet and Greet event in a park district facility

or use social media to address public inquires and share information about scheduled maintenance needs and

also attend an evening meeting of the Community of Congregations. This level of participation allows my agency

to be considered a partner and a resource in the community and enhances the many relationships that other

staff engage in.

The element that contributes the most to the success of this position is trust. There must be trust that is

built between the agency and the community but just as important is the internal trust between staff. When

Directors and Managers model that they value the position of Community Outreach, that trust strengthens the

public’s perceived value and trust in the agency. The internal champions of the Community Outreach staff have

a very real impact on the strength of the relationships that exist. Differentiating between Customer Service and

Community Outreach is essential and allows both departments to maximize results and outcomes.

The business of the Park District is to provide access to wellness and quality of life. The sometimes-intangible

contribution of intentionally creating the sense of belonging and value results in very tangible increases in the

health and diversity of both our agency and those we serve and therefore enhances the experience of each and

every person who encounters our staff, volunteers, facilities and programs.

CASE STUDY

DEDICATED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF

Community Engagement Resource GuideNational Recreation and Park Association

Community-led Park Advisory Groups; City of Covington Parks and Recreation,

Kentucky

Contributing author: Rosie Santos, Parks and Recreation Manager

The Midwestern city of Covington, Kentucky, with a population of 41,000, is located on the banks of the

Ohio River, just across from Cincinnati, Ohio. It did not have a citywide park’s board or a formal community

engagement strategy, which resulted in inequities in the distribution and quality of parks. Like other cities, the

model was top-down decision making or holding traditional community meetings that did not lead to meaningful

involvement of the community. Wanting to honor its value of inclusive planning, Covington decided to start a

resident-led park advisory group.

The city put out a request for people to join an 11-person park advisory group to objectively analyze city parks

and prioritize redevelopment projects. Group members serve three-year terms and are recruited based on their

experience in at least one of the following areas:

• Agriculture, trees, horticulture and/or trails

• Youth and family interests like pools, playgrounds, sports or recreation

• Adult interests like passive recreation, active recreation or sports

• Covington Independent Public Schools

• Physical design, aesthetics and art incorporation

• Crime prevention through environmental design expertise; community health and park maintenance

The advisory group is charged with assigning parks a “Park Potential Index” based on several factors, including

condition, economic development, green infrastructure, crime prevention, health and connectivity improvements

and equity. This allows for redevelopment to be prioritized by identified community need.

Once the high-priority areas are identified, the park advisory group forms neighborhood stakeholder groups with

trusted community members and offers incentives for participation, such as a $75 gift card for groceries. The

neighborhood stakeholder groups receive feedback from their community and report to the city’s park advisory

group. In addition, they organize fun, pop-up events to program the parks and gather feedback through prototype

projects like temporary garden beds.

The park advisory group has increased buy-in and trust in city park redevelopment projects. Furthermore, it will

be central in the development of Covington’s first citywide Parks Master Plan and will work with the consultant,

as well as continue to manage the community engagement process. The city of Covington’s Parks and Recreation

Department created an effective model for park development putting community engagement, co-design and

responsive construction at the heart of capital development.

CASE STUDY

ESTABLISHING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

SECURING FUNDING

Project budgets can be tight, and most often funds are only earmarked for direct construction costs. However, if effort is not

invested in community engagement, you risk losing community buy-in and ownership from the community. In every phase of

the project, budget for community engagement activities, including stipends or gift cards for community participants, to allow

for flexibility and the use of a variety of methods to ensure diverse voices are heard. Leveraging grant funds and dedicated

internal funds are two methods to ensure community engagement is adequately funded.

GRANT FUNDS

When applying for grants from a foundation or government agency, build community engagement funds into the budget as a

separate line item, and explain the use and importance of these funds. You can also look for specific grant opportunities dedicated

to supporting community engagement activities that can supplement existing project funds. If your agency lacks capacity to

actively apply for grants, partner with community-based nonprofits and friends’ groups to enhance your fundraising efforts.

INTERNAL FUNDS

Funding for these activities should also be supported by your agency. This means either shifting a portion of the funds

from implementation to engagement or creating a separate pot of money for ongoing engagement and relationship building.

Establishing dedicated funding is ideal because it ensures that community engagement will not end when the project is

complete and showcases your dedication to the community.

BUILDING LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

Staffing community engagement positions, budgeting for

activities and following through on commitments are easier

to accomplish when your leadership values community

engagement and input. To demonstrate why community

engagement is not only important to the community,

but also the long-term success of projects, invite

the mayor’s office, other municipal agencies and

your leadership to community events. These events

allow leadership to see how parks are celebrated by the

community when they are designed to reflect their needs.

In addition, when writing park plans and budgets, include

community engagement as a key element to inspire

leadership and other agencies to take the same approach.

CREATING A PLAN WITH CLEAR GOALS

The last step before starting community engagement is creating a clear, goal-oriented plan. Consider the following planning

framework, which can be used for both neighborhood-level or park system-planning projects. It is important to note that the

plan should reflect the community and that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach.

KEY QUESTIONS FOR INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

What current staff work closely with the

community or represent the community?

Are there positions are we hiring for that we

could prioritize candidates with ideal qualities for

community engagement?

What resources are currently allocated towards

community engagement?

What engagement strategies have worked in the

past and which ones haven’t?

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

PLAN ELEMENT DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE

Project

Description

Detail how the project started and what

the project entails.

A park in an underserved neighborhood is up for

reinvestment and the agency was tasked to design a new

sports amenity in an underutilized open green space.

Budget Include a project budget in the description

to ensure the project is attainable.

The total project budget is $150,000. Implementation will

cost at least $100,000, leaving $50,000 for engagement.

Community

Planning Efforts

Describe any previous plans, investments

or community engagement efforts related

to the project.

The surrounding neighborhood has received significant

investment in the last five years, but the park has not had

any investment. The community has been over-surveyed

about new local amenities.

Community

Sentiment

Understand and document the current

community sentiment regarding the project.

The community has voiced concern about gentrification

and that the project will not be thoughtfully designed to

meet its needs.

Community

Participation

Identify the level of participation you are

asking of community members in the

project and the purpose of engagement.

See Community Engagement Spectrum.

The project team needs feedback on what sports amenity

the community would utilize. Collaborate with the

community to design and develop the project and support

community members to make the space their own.

Community

Snapshot

Outline the demographics, key leaders and

cultural influences of the community. Include

race/ethnicity, primary language spoken,

age, sex/gender, homeowner/renter, etc. to

reveal the character, key players, behavior,

assets and challenges of the community.

The primary language spoken by 70 percent of adults

surrounding the park is Spanish with a secondary

language of Chinese. The project team should conduct

the meeting and create materials in Spanish with Chinese

translation offered.

Community

Engagement

Strategies

Identify a mixed method approach by using

multiple strategies to ensure diverse voices

are heard. Strategies should reflect culture,

communication style and preferences, and

common communication outlets and values

of the community.

1. Host events with pop-up sports play and culturally

relevant food and music geared towards families during

weekends at the park.

2. Observe how families interact at the park and have one-

on-one conversations. Are they kicking around a soccer

ball? What are their concerns about the park?

3. Partner with local schools and utility provider(s) to send

out multilingual mailers to share event information with

families.

Goals and

Metrics

Set realistic goals for community

engagement, including a timeline to attain

them and metrics to measure success.

Goal: To have 100 people ages 25 and under from the

park’s surrounding underserved neighborhood provide

input on the new sports amenity, design and features.

Metric: Record demographics of people engaged who were

spoken to at events and the park, as well as through

surveys. Success is 90 percent of the people engaged

were youth ages <25.

Evaluation Outline the desired information you wish to

collect at community engagement events,

meetings, one-on-one conversations, etc.

such as name, address, comments, needs.

Create a plan for collecting and reporting

out about community engagement efforts.

Data at the pop-up sports event will be collected via

registration, tablet sign in and a concluding survey. Notes

will be taken from organic one-on-one conversations.

A fun infographic highlighting the community’s thoughts

will be shared on Facebook after the event.

Framework for Community Engagement Planning

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECTRUM

When planning your community engagement strategies, determine the level of engagement you are seeking from the

community using the following spectrum.

PARTICIPATION

GOAL

Is it to INFORM

the community?

Is it to CONSULT

the community?

Is it to INVOLVE

the community?

Is it to

COLLABORATE

with the

community?

Is it to SUPPORT

the community?

DESCRIPTION

A decision is made,

and the community

needs to be aware

but doesn’t have

the ability to make

changes to the

decision.

The community

is asked to react

to something and

provide feedback

that will shape the

outcome.

The community

is asked to share

their ideas that

will help to shape

the outcome.

Community

members and

the agency

have a trusting

relationship to

work together to

develop solutions

that are best for

their community.

The agency

provides

community

members with the

tools needed to

make decisions.

EXAMPLE

The sports facility

will close at 7

p.m. on weekdays

and 10 p.m. on

weekends.

The agency is

asking community

members how

the current

programming at

the sports facility

could be improved

to bolster

attendance.

The agency is

asking community

members what

new programming

at the sports

facility could be

added to better

reflect their needs.

The agency has

$150,000 to design

a new addition to

the sports facility

to meet the needs

of the community

and they are

engaged in every

project phase

to influence the

design.

The agency

provides the

facility, space,

marketing, and

group exercise

training for a

community leader

to develop and

lead their own

Zumba class at the

sports facility.

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

BUILDING TRUST WITH COMMUNITIES

Community engagement is about building relationships, providing ongoing support and making informed decisions with the

people you serve. Building trust is key as without trust, community members will be hesitant to work with your agency

to reveal their desires for park spaces and will likely not use or respect the space, threatening the long-term success of

the project. Vulnerable populations have often been left out of decisions or ignored when it comes to park investments. To

overcome these past decisions:

ACKNOWLEDGE PAST EXPERIENCES

INVOLVE LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PARTNERS

BE TRANSPARENT AND DELIVER ON PROMISES

ACKNOWLEDGE PAST EXPERIENCES

Many municipal agencies, including parks and planning, have some history of systematic and/or overt practices that have

intentionally or unintentionally forgotten, ignored and underinvested in certain communities (e.g., communities of color, low-

income communities, etc.). This history often leads to a mistrust of local government. While many agencies have invested

time, energy and resources in changing these systems, communities continue to be over-surveyed, overpromised services and

amenities and displaced from their neighborhoods due to a lack of voice, power and representation in the process and decision

making.

It is important to understand where hesitancy comes from so that you can address concerns and reassure the community

how your process may differ from past experiences. Start by meeting community members where they are. Go to popular

community events, their neighborhoods, worship centers, community centers and parks and listen to their concerns, rather

than asking them to come to city hall for a public meeting. Reiterate your desire to work together to create solutions and your

commitment, as a park and recreation agency, to serving their needs. By investing time in understanding the community

you can begin to heal old wounds and start to build the foundation of trust.

Observe and Start Conversations

Take the time to understand community needs through observation

and conversation. Sometimes the best way to learn about a community

is to see how people interact with public spaces or attend meetings

and events without an agenda. Do kids regularly play basketball in the

street? Perhaps they need a basketball court. Do families have a lot of

neighborhood block parties? They might like a park with more gathering

space and grill areas. Are parents voicing road safety concerns at PTA

meetings? Maybe the solution is to create more safe walking routes to

parks. Once you have observed and listened, engage in conversations

with community members to understand more about their frustrations,

what their needs are and how you can work together to create solutions.

Focus on asking thoughtful questions and listening to them rather than

directing the conversation around your priorities to fully understand how

your agency can better serve the community.

USING TECHNOLOGY

Gathering data through technology

is also great way to see usage that

could support your observational data

collection. Remote monitoring systems

can be helpful but are also expensive. If

your agency does not have the resources

to use this technology, the observational

data is still necessary to collect.

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PARTNERS

Community leaders are the gateway into a community. These leaders

may work in local schools, run neighborhood businesses and/or

lead worship services. They have a stake in the well-being of the

community and have built connections and trust. While community

members may be reluctant to engage with your agency, they already

have a bond with these leaders that can give your efforts credibility.

Get involved with these existing networks and build relationships

with them. Work with these trusted community members to

advocate for the project and be the project’s representative in

the community.

Align Goals with Community Needs

Communities, particularly those that are most vulnerable, may be

struggling to meet their basic needs — food, housing, jobs, safety

— and may not have the same goals for the project as your agency

initially set out to achieve. To build trust, you must acknowledge

those most basic needs and align your project goals with those of the

community even if it means altering your project plans.

After you have listened to and considered the community’s

needs, see if your goals align with what you heard and observed and ensure that it continues to prioritize equity.

Take a step back and reconsider your project goals and plans. How do they align with the community’s needs? Do these

goals address their concerns? Stay adaptive and open to feedback from the community. For example, if community members

originally hoped for an aquatics center and that is not in the project scope, meet them halfway and consider a smaller water

play project like a splash pad. Talk through these questions with the member of your community advisory coalition and be open

to their perspectives.

Stakeholders must be

representative of the community

and may include:

• Religious institutions

• Community development corporations

• Neighborhood groups or Homeowners

Associations (HOAs)

• Government community affairs

department

• Local businesses

• Community-based nonprofits

• Park friends’ groups

• Schools

• Youth

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

BE TRANSPARENT AND DELIVER ON PROMISES

Communities, especially vulnerable populations, have historically been overpromised on projects. Engage community

members early in the planning process; even before a project scope has been decided, if possible, and involve

them in creating the scope and identifying project funding. Communicate the project description up front and reiterate

it whenever you speak with community members. It’s important that they know what your agency can and cannot deliver

through the scope of the project. For example, you have funds to create a sports field, but not to construct a new aquatics

center. This will eliminate any sky-high aspirations that will result in disappointment.

In addition to being transparent about the scope of the project, it is important to communicate the project timeline and the

municipal processes involved. Some projects require an extensive approval process, and, as a result, will take a long time to

complete. Be upfront with the community and engage the community advisory council in other community events

to keep the momentum going. If the project will require approval from city council, consider how community members might

be involved in advocating for the space. If this will be a long-term project, consider how they will be engaged throughout each

project phase. Are there existing community events your agency can take part in? Can the community take part in the project

and help build the frames for the community garden or plant flowers in the park space?

Celebrate Project Milestones

The most important part of engaging the community is

following through on the promises made throughout the

process. Celebrate even the smallest project milestones with

the community instead of focusing only on the final product

and show them how their ideas have been integrated into the

project plans. Continue to engage the community members

throughout the project by giving them ownership of a specific

aspect of the project. This will further show them that this is

their space.

Stewardship

Once the project is completed, continue to host events and activate the space. Work with the leaders, volunteers and

community members you have engaged in the project and delegate tasks for them to continue to be active in the space. Give

them ownership over a community garden or organize park clean-up events. The long-term success of engagement and the

well-being of the new space depends on continued stewardship by the community.

Host volunteer events, such as

landscaping, painting and building, to

help with phases of the project. Supply

the community with the tools needed to

complete ongoing maintenance of the

space to make it their own.

Community Engagement Resource GuideNational Recreation and Park Association

Building Trust with Communities; Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Contributing authors: Erin Tobin, Community Engagement Manager, and Susan Rademacher,

Parks Curator

Since its founding in 1996, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has promoted public involvement in planning,

designing, building and caring for parks. Early efforts were focused on master planning and on capital projects

in large regional parks. As the organization matured and gained trust, it has been increasingly invited to work in

neighborhood-scale parks. The inequities in distribution and quality of these smaller parks became apparent to

the Parks Conservancy, which then identified a set of parks for revitalization efforts. The selection of the parks

was based on geographic distribution, potential for community impact and historic significance. Among them,

McKinley Park emerged as a high-potential for successful revitalization because of the strength of its community

leadership, and a Master Plan was completed in 2016.

In 2017, the Parks Conservancy engaged the community in a project to restore and upgrade the “Chicken Hill”

section of McKinley Park. The Parks Conservancy hosted a series of community meetings to develop a scope for

park improvements and to help shape the design. To meet community members where they were, the project

team attended already-scheduled community meetings and hosted more intimate “living room conversations” at

community members’ homes to engage people that could not make it to the regularly scheduled meetings.

When community members began expressing reservations about the project within an economic context, the

Parks Conservancy had to think creatively about how to meaningfully address their concerns. Deep listening

led to the Conservancy team’s better understanding of other perspectives, like the lack of jobs available to the

community. Although the process wasn’t easy, the Parks Conservancy continued to affirm its commitment to

finding solutions for the community throughout the duration of the project. The Conservancy secured additional

funding for workforce development, carved out specific scopes of work for local contractors and worked with the

community to identify the right skill sets needed for the project.

In December 2018, the city of Pittsburgh and the Parks Conservancy further demonstrated their mutual

dedication to community engagement by embarking on a five-month “Parks Listening Tour.” The purpose of the

tour is to share new data about park conditions city-wide and to gather information on what neighbors love

about their parks and what investments they would like to see. By the halfway point in February 2019, the Parks

Listening Tour and had already engaged more than 2,000 Pittsburgh residents at community meetings and

events and through an online survey. By the tour’s completion at the end of April 2019, the Parks Conservancy

intends to have reached residents in all nine City Council Districts and in 70 of the 90 neighborhoods that form

the city. The information gathered will be used to develop an equitable investment strategy to guide future

investments made in Pittsburgh’s parks.

To supplement the Parks Conservancy’s two full-time staff people dedicated to community engagement, it

has established “Park Champions.” This program lays out a formal training process and is supported by an

endowment. As on-the-ground community advocates, Park Champions receive a stipend to engage their

neighbors in park projects. They will engage their local communities to raise awareness of the benefits and

needs of our park system and will promote the dedication and hard work required to develop and maintain such

an excellent resource. In years to come, Park Champions will play a critical role in rallying the awareness and

support needed to ensure that all Pittsburghers have access to vibrant parks.

CASE STUDY

MEETING THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY ARE

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

As you are building relationships with the community, start to identify the specific engagement methods that will return the

level of community involvement you are seeking based on the project, community snapshot, your community engagement

goals and previous engagement activities. Think about what engagement approaches will be best given the needs and

characteristics of your community. While there are specific methods listed below, remember that every community and project

is different, so use these as a starting point and stay adaptive and receptive to community and project needs.

COMMUNICATION STYLE

Project management language can often be hard to follow

if you are not as intimately involved with the project as the

project manager or planner. Finding the right communication

style is key to understanding community needs and working

with the community to build a solution. Use the community

snapshot information and attend community events to learn

how community members communicate with one another.

Tailor your method and approach to communicate with

the community in a way that they feel comfortable with

and are receptive to.

Create a communication schedule and plan to keep community

members engaged throughout the entire life of the project. Make sure your plan addresses how to deal with problems and

concerns quickly. Provide regular updates to the community to ensure people know they are being heard and the project is

addressing their needs.

Consider and observe languages

spoken in the community, local media

outlets, community social media groups,

community listserves, popular gathering

places, etc.

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

MIXED METHODS APPROACH

Just as communities are diverse, you should use a variety of methods of engagement as well. A mixed methods approach

allows you to experiment to see what works best for the community, reach a diverse population, to ensure all voices are heard

and to reduce the risks associated with relying on a single method. The selected methods should be based on the community,

as well as the content and purpose of the engagement. For example, inviting community members to a fun public event in the

park will necessitate a different approach than inviting them to a small targeted focus group.

Be adaptive and creative. Sometimes the right approach might be something new and personalized that you create in response

to community feedback.

Addressing Conflict

Natural to any feedback process, tensions may arise and you will need to address pushback. Setting up ground rules for

engagement ahead of time will help address possible conflict. If there is tension, address it directly. Remind community

members that disagreement and conflict of ideas is normal and useful. Remind everyone that it is acceptable to challenge

someone’s ideas, but it is not acceptable to challenge them personally. Conflict that is harmful including personal attacks,

name calling, or putdowns must be interrupted immediately, whether online or in person. as soon as they occur. Don’t hesitate

to appeal to the group for help; if the group members are bought into the ground rules, they will support you.

• Hold focus groups

• Post on social media

• Post information and updates on your website or

create an interactive, multilingual, ADA accessible

project website

• Knock on doors/visit houses

• Organize and host fun events for the community

• Attend other stakeholder/community events

• Organize and host site visits

• Conduct interviews

• Hold design charrettes

• Send personal invitations through the mail or hand

deliver

• Use technology like apps and text messaging

Employ a combination of these common communication methods in your outreach:

Community Engagement Resource GuideNational Recreation and Park Association

Gathering Data to Make the Case; Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation

Contributing authors: Norma E. Garcia and Clement Lau, County of Los Angeles Department of Parks

and Recreation. Paul Simon and Jean Armbruster, County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health

The Los Angeles Countywide Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment was a historic undertaking to address

health equity and collaboratively engage all communities within Los Angeles County to gather data and input for

decision-making on parks and recreation. The primary goal was to engage the public, cities and unincorporated

areas, community-based organizations (CBOs) and other stakeholders to quantify the need for parks and

recreational facilities and determine the potential costs. It was the first Assessment to engage the entire Los

Angeles County community and a broad-based coalition from an equity-based approach.

The Needs Assessment began November 2015 when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed $3.5

million to the County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to bring its 10 million+ residents together to

complete the Needs Assessment. A Board-appointed Steering Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee

guided the work that was completed in just 14 months.

The massive scale community engagement required in a short time frame called for creative and nimble

partnerships and administrative processes. It included a broad-based partnership with many different sectors,

regions, agencies and organizations, including First 5, sports teams, and businesses. CBOs were especially

valuable partners in engaging park users. DPR worked diligently to create a shared vision and goals with

these partners. Their transparency and flexibility in sharing leadership helped the process evolve into a truly

collaborative joint effort.

The County gave stipends to the cities and established non-profit partners that implemented the community

engagement plans instead of going through lengthy contracting processes. Each entity signed a funding

agreement which outlined what meetings would look like and what accommodations would be made, such

as providing food, childcare, transportation and translation. School data on languages spoken in the home

was analyzed to prioritize languages for translation. DPR provided backbone staffing such as: clerical support

(printing materials and developing toolkits with area data and an engagement guidelines); support to accelerate

administrative processes; technical assistance for cities and organizations new to this approach; and design and

implementation of a social media, radio and newspaper campaign. DPR hired a public engagement expert who

trained over 300 facilitators and CBOs countywide. DPR staff also got the word out broadly about the community

meetings and facilitator trainings, monitored meeting attendance and allocated resources for additional meetings

as needed.

The final Needs Assessment data and input was gathered through a series of community workshops held in

188 study areas between December 2015 and February 2016. Extensive outreach was conducted in advance, so

community members were aware of the opportunity to learn about local parks and share their input on park

needs. These efforts included a countywide education and awareness campaign, and focused efforts to recruit

community members within each study area. Thousands of residents participated in workshops. Trained staff

(city, county or community-based organization) facilitated the workshops, using a Facilitator Toolkit provided

in print and digital formats, with a $2,500 stipend to cover expenses. Translation of materials was available in

Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Armenian.

CASE STUDY

USING A MIXED METHODS APPROACH

Community Engagement Resource GuideNational Recreation and Park Association

The Needs Assessment was finished ahead of schedule and its findings were so compelling that the Board of

Supervisors decided to put a parks funding measure, Measure A, on the ballot in November 2016. Due in large part

to the extensive community engagement process for the Needs Assessment and the effective dissemination of

public information, Measure A was passed with nearly 75 percent of voters supporting it and provides about $94

million annually.

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

BEST PRACTICES

Be concise and choose your words carefully

Eliminate use of technical jargon and acronyms and provide data in a visual form and with small, easy-to-understand numbers.

Be upfront and honest about project expectations

It’s important that you explain the project description and address the perceived and real results in a way the community

understands so that they can make informed decisions.

Don’t fear push back

Remember that the community engagement process is critical to the long-term success of your project, so your goal must be

for open and transparent dialogue.

Be fun!

Create materials and activities that are fun, attractive, inspiring and informative to draw people in and keep them engaged.

Be consistent

Continuously refer to your broader message and reiterate your goal to serve the community and their needs.

Weave in educational components

During meetings and outreach events, include educational elements to make people feel comfortable in the space and to break

down barriers between groups.

Designate a point person

Designate a person to regularly engage with the community and address any questions/comments in a timely manner.

Make it easy

Provide incentives to participate in meetings, such as child care, food and transportation, including free shuttle or bus service,

transit passes, etc.

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

EVALUATION

Whether you are just starting your community engagement efforts or have been doing so for years, it’s never too late to

begin evaluating your process. It is critical that you evaluate engagement activities on an ongoing basis and after completing

a project to determine if target populations were engaged and to inform your future engagement approach and methods.

Evaluation will provide valuable feedback such as the best times or locations for meetings or specific accommodations that are

needed.

Just as involving the community throughout the life of a project can help strengthen the project and ensure you are addressing

community needs, involving the community in the planning and administration of project evaluation can ensure that you are

asking the right questions and involving the right people. Create opportunities for community members to be involved in

the evaluation of the project by inviting them to evaluation planning meetings and carving out specific tasks for

community members, such as data collection at events. Provide incentives, such as childcare and food, and offer these

meetings at times more easily accessible to the community.

Before outlining an evaluation plan, refer to your community engagement plan and goals. Consider the following:

• Success: What would success look like one or two years following the start of your community engagement

efforts, or beyond? What data would you need to collect to assess your success?

• Measurement: Who will be collecting this data and when? What are the measurement methods? How will you

store the data? Who will analyze the data and when?

• Stakeholders: Which stakeholders should be involved in project evaluation? Which stakeholders would be

interested in receiving progress updates about your community engagement efforts?

• Purpose: How will you use your evaluation results to build knowledge among your staff, improve your community

engagement efforts moving forward?

• Communication: How will you communicate your results to the public and other key stakeholders? In what

format will you communicate the results?

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

DATA COLLECTION

To help collect the necessary data to evaluate your

community engagement efforts, create a spreadsheet

on which to log the details from each community

engagement event. This can be used for everything from

formal community events to one-on-one conversations.

Following each engagement event, debrief with the

project team to discuss the successes, lessons learned

and opportunities for improvement. Organize a tracking

system to house all this information.

Based on your goals, evaluate your engagement efforts

following the completion of a project or at the end of

the year. The specific information you collect will vary

based on your goals but consider the following outputs,

outcomes and measurement methods.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVALUATION

An example spreadsheet should include the

following information:

• Event location and time

• Number of people engaged

• Demographic information about the attendees

(age, race/ethnicity, etc.)

• Purpose of the event

• Methods of outreach and advertising for the event

• Any feedback received regarding the location, time,

methods of outreach for the event

• Accommodations provided or required in the future

WHAT’S BEING

MEASURED

DATA POINT

MEASUREMENT

METHOD/DATA

SOURCE

TIMING

Outputs

# of community

engagement events

your agency held

# events Count Annual or per project

# of community

meetings your agency

held

# meetings Count Annual or per project

# of community

members directly

engaged

# engaged Count Annual or per project

Demographics of

meeting/event

attendees

# of attendees by age

and race/ethnicity as

compared to census

data for the community

Count and census data Annual or per project

Short-term Outcomes

Community satisfaction

with engagement

% satisfied

Interviews, community

surveys

Annual or per project

Long-term Outcomes

Effectiveness of your

agency’s community

engagement

% effective

Interviews, community

surveys

Before and after

engagement activities

Community knowledge

of your agency, mission

and work

% increase

Interviews, community

surveys

Before and after

engagement activities

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

DATA ANALYSIS

This information will help you assess whether your engagement efforts improve from year to year or from project to project.

You can now ask yourself questions to assess your success, such as:

• Demographic Representation: Do the demographics of meeting attendees reflect the larger community? Are

there any groups of people in the community that were missing from the community engagement events? If so,

why and what is a strategy to reach the missing groups?

• Satisfaction: Was the community satisfied with how it was engaged and with the outcome of the engagement?

If not, how can this be improved? Note: You will have to define what “satisfaction” means to ensure respondents

understand what they are being asked to measure.

• Attendance: Was attendance at events as expected? If not, how can attendance be improved?

• Effectiveness: Did the community feel that the

chosen engagement strategies were effective?

Note: You will have to define what “effectiveness”

means to ensure respondents understand what

they are being asked to measure.

Evaluating your community engagement efforts will not only

allow you to communicate strengths and weaknesses internally,

helping you improve future activities, but will also help you add

value to your work by providing data to illustrate your outreach.

Create flyers with infographics and

pictures from the events and share

them with community members, donors,

partners and other stakeholders.

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

CONCLUSION

Public parks and recreation provide essential community benefits when they are reflective of the community’s desires and

address their needs. Therefore, it is critical that park and recreation agencies ensure all people are welcomed and engaged

in park projects and work collaboratively with community members to utilize their park spaces to create solutions for their

community. To do this, agencies must commit to an ongoing equitable and inclusive community engagement plan that focuses

on building relationships and trust, improving the community’s conditions, creating higher-performing park spaces and

equitably distributing investments across their jurisdictions.

This Community Engagement Resource Guide is intended to provide park and recreation agencies with a roadmap highlighting

the essential steps to performing meaningful engagement around neighborhood-level and park-system planning projects.

However, remember that every community engagement plan will look different from project to project and municipality to

municipality, so each must tailor the steps and tips to best fit the unique characteristics and needs of the community. Don’t

forget to assess internal capacity, set a community-based, goal-oriented plan, build trust with community members, use a

variety of engagement methods and always evaluate and communicate progress.

ABOUT NRPA

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing parks,

recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and

park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and

equitable access to parks and public space.

NRPA brings strength to our message by partnering with like-minded organizations including those in the federal government,

nonprofits and commercial enterprises. Funded through dues, grants, registrations and charitable contributions, NRPA produces

research, education and policy initiatives for our members that ultimately enrich the communities they serve.

NRPA places immense importance on research and data to raise the status of parks and recreation and conducts research with

two goals. First, NRPA creates data to help park and recreation agencies make optimal decisions on operations, programming

and spending. Second, NRPA generates data and insights that support park and recreation professionals making the case for

greater and more stable funding to policymakers, key stakeholders, the media and the general public. The NRPA research team

works closely with internal subject matter experts, respected industry consultants and the academic community to develop its

reports and data resources. Learn more at www.nrpa.org/Research.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The National Recreation and Park Association would like to thank the many professionals who contributed, provided feedback,

and assisted in the development of this resource guide. We greatly appreciate your time and contribution to this work.

This work was made possible by the generous support of the JPB Foundation.

Graphic Design: Molly Benson

Cover Photo: Coopers Ferry Partnership

National Recreation and Park Association Community Engagement Resource Guide

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

RESOURCE GUIDE

CREATING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HIGH-PREFORMING PARKS