34 Illinois Parks & Recreation www.ILipra.org

Quality is hard to define. It's even harder to define the quality of intangibles, like recreation services.

We think we know quality when we see it, touch it, feel it, hear it. Sometimes, we know quality by reputation. For example, we know that a Lexus is a quality car, or that Hyatt is a quality hotel, or that Coach is a quality handbag. But how do we know?

As with most anything, when we judge the quality of an object or service, we make a mental comparison. We compare the item against a known - a standard. We judge the Lexus by the feel of the seats, by the ride and by the repair history.

Quality is an inherent or distinguishing characteristic. Characteristics are marked by standards. A standard, according to Funk and Wagnalls dictionary, is "any model or example for comparison; a criterion for success."

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What Standards Are

In 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals squeaked into the playoffs with an 83 and 78 record. (The team, which played in an extremely weak National League Central Division, would have finished third or fourth in any other division in baseball that year.) But, the Cards got it together in the post season and beat the Tigers four games to one in the World Series. At one point, a reporter asked if they were the worst team ever to win the Series. However, for most baseball fans - and for posterity - the best team is the one that wins the World Series. Why? Because winning the World Series is the standard of excellence in Major League Baseball.

All industries, public and private, have standards. Think of a few common standards:

--  Airlines - on-time performance, luggage handling

--  Grocery Stores - freshness of produce

--   Internet Services - speed of access

--  Cell Phones - dropped calls

--  Newspapers - scoops

--  Publishing - the New York Times Best Seller List

--  Tools-durability

--  Autos - minimum number of defects

--  Package delivery - "absolutely, positively overnight"

--  Restaurants - flavor of food

These are just examples. Actually, each industry listed has many more standards in their grand schemes to be successful. Let's look a little more closely at some of the standards for a restaurant.

--  Great tasting and well presented food

--  Comfortable tables and chairs

--  Proper ambient music

--  Cleanliness

--  Excellent condition of restrooms

--   Prompt and courteous greeting by the host or hostess

--  Friendliness, speed and responsiveness of the wait staff

--  Plentiful, convenient parking

All of these and many more come into play when we mentally judge the quality of a restaurant.

Standards for Park, Recreation, Conservation and Special Recreation Agencies

In the eyes of consumers, a public park, recreation, conservation or special recreation agency is no different than any other service organization. We are judged by standards - standards that our customers and residents have in mind. When we falter in our efforts, we are judged to be of lesser quality. When we meet standards, we are meeting expectations. And when we perform outstandingly, our residents enjoy the highest quality: we are perceived as having the best value and as an excellent use of taxpayer money.

In our industry, we define quality as performance against a set of standards.

Standards are, or should be, used in every aspect of our operations. Parks, facilities, pools, recreation programs and registration systems are all subject to standards such as those in the following list.

Sample Park, Recreation, Conservation or Special Recreation Agency Standards

Handicap parking stalls are always free of ice and snow or any obstacles.

Phone is answered before the third ring.

Financial reports are distributed to management before the 10th of each month.

Recreation instructors are always in uniform.

Recreation programs always begin and end at the advertised time.

Floors have no visible dirt or dust.

Shorelines are free of litter and debris.

Agency vehicles are free of dents and rust.

Promotional material always contains logo, phone number and Web address.

Benefits of Developing Standards

By intentionally and methodically identifying and applying standards, we become consistent in improving the quality of parks and recreation services. Simultaneously, we improve our efficiency and increase the productivity, morale and attitude of our staff.

Getting Started

When establishing a standards program, key elements come into focus:

--  Setting standards

--  Establishing an inspection process

--  Soliciting and appropriately responding to feedback

Let's take a look at each of these.

Setting Standards

It's likely that at each level of your organization your top performers carry a set of top-notch standards in their heads. A key component of setting formal standards is getting that information on paper so that those ingrained standards can be discussed, refined and shared with others.

For each area of your operation, begin by compiling a list of the components and defining the criteria for the standard. That is, what is the expected outcome or how should a proper result look? The written standard should include an outcome that is measurable (e.g., turf kept three inches high, phones answered by the third ring, return calls made the same day) and include tasks and the frequency of when tasks are to be completed to achieve the standard. A sample set of written standards for the maintenance of ball fields is shown on page 37.

Involving department members and encouraging their participation helps with their buy in to the process. Whenever possible, solicit input from your customers and residents to determine their expectations, too.

36 Illinois Parks & Recreation www.ILipra.org

Carol Stream Park District Standards for Baseball and Softball Fields

Standards for Baseball/Softball Fields

Turf areas will not exceed three (3") inches in height __Free of debris __Safe, playable condition __Free of weeds and graffiti

Maintenance and Care Procedures

Process for draining and drying out infields

1)  Assess water depth and size

2)  Decision made by athletic field specialist to do one of the following:

a)  Roll or brush infield (see process A)

b)  Pump infield (see process B)

c)  Infield not playable (MUST NOTIFY RECREATION STAFF)

Process A

1)   Roll or brush water back into the infield

2)  Apply Calcine clay (10 bags max)

3)  Hand rake Calcine clay to absorb water

4)  Groom infield with infield grooming machine

Process B

1)  Pump areas designated by athletic field specialist or management

2)  Apply Calcine clay (10 bags max)

3)  Hand rake Calcine clay to absorb water

4)  Groom infield with infield grooming machine

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The Inspection Process

Establish an inspection process to ensure that the standards are being adhered to consistently. Develop a checklist and establish regularly scheduled observations and document the findings. Reporting on standards via an inspection process versus anecdotes or opinions will be more meaningful, giving you the opportunity to be objective rather than subjective.

Feedback

How do you know if your agency is achieving the standards it set? Feedback, feedback, feedback!

This critical factor of being aware of the successes and failures of each standard gives insight into what works and what doesn't.

Where feedback is obtained is also critical. Get performance ratings on standards from internal (staff, board members) and external (customers, residents) sources. Types of feedback include surveys, staff inspections and, perhaps, a customer hotline.

With standards in place, the feedback can narrow the field of solutions. The information gives direction on what needs to be improved or changed. Possible solutions can be weighed against the likelihood that those solutions will meet or exceed the exiting standards. Internal and external feedback could also initiate the revision of standards. Feedback can also guide the allocation of money or other resources.

Communicating the results of feedback and, more importantly, what is going to be done as a result of it, enhances the whole process. This kind of follow-up sends a clear message that continuous improvement is entrenched within the organization.

Implementing Standards

After standards are set, and after developing an inspection process and putting a feedback system in place, the final step is to train your staff and to encourage them to provide input on ways that standards or processes can be improved.

One way to reinforce your commitment to the standards is to have performance objectives, rewards and promotions tied to the standards. For example, at the Bloomingdale Park District, maintenance logs are now connected to the standards.

Setting Standards for Maintenance at the Bloomingdale Park District

The Bloomingdale Park District, a 2006 Gold Medal agency, is always looking to improve the management of its park and recreation services. Bloomingdale recently finished work with Rich Lucas of Lucas Consulting to set performance standards for the district's park and facility maintenance functions.

Director of Parks and Planning Ed Reidy and Maintenance Supervisor Michael Ratajczak spearheaded the effort. Now the district has put in place written maintenance standards that address everything from flowers to gazebos. The standards are divided into three main categories:

1.  Common conditions

2.  Specific park conditions

3.  Individual parks

Reidy's plan is to complete a full year of working with the printed, tangible standards. After that first year, the district will begin to review the processes used to achieve standards. The plan is to ask themselves: What is different? What didn't succeed? What annual tasks didn't get up to standard.? According to Reidy, they will start with standards that they are not regularly meeting and investigate the processes that should be used to achieve those standards.

After nine months, Reidy reports that the best benefit so far is in training new staff. "There's no guessing. Everything we do is black and white. Our standards lay out all the expectations clearly".

Reidy and Ratajczak revealed the completed set of standards at one of their regular department meetings. "The only hard part was convincing our staff that these were the things that they were already working to do; not that it was more on their plates," confides Reidy.

While they don't have statistical reports, Executive Director Steve Scholten happily reports, "We have certainly received more compliments this past year."

For more information on the Bloomingdale experience, call Ed Reidy, 630-529-3650.

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Outcomes

Does setting and adhering to standards work? Yes. It has worked in private industry for decades. It is working at the Bloomingdale Park District, where residents have complimented the district more than ever since the agency defined its standards. It is working at the Carol Stream Park District as maintenance procedures are being altered and improved to meet standards consistently.

Perhaps the best result that will occur with written standards is consistency. When work is performed to meet standards, it doesn't matter who does it. Eventually, each individual in the work team is trained, coached or shown what the standard is. Even though individuals may have slightly different ways to complete tasks, conscientious employees know and deliver a work product that is consistent with a codified standard.

Franchise and chain businesses have based their success on such uniform operations. McDonalds restaurants are excellent examples. McDonalds food looks and tastes the same in Maine as it does in California because each outlet performs to the same standards.

The concept holds true for our industry. No matter which recreation program, facility or staff member that patrons of your agency encounter, the experience should be consistently favorable. That will occur when everyone on the team knows the standards and performs to meet or exceed them.

Everyone wants to play on a winning team. When a park, conservation, recreation or special recreation agency uses a set of standards to continually improve the quality of its services, it too will be a winner.

The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals may not have been the best team to ever win the World Series, but, on the evening of October 27, 2006, after the last out was put into the scorebook, every other team in the Major League would've gladly been in their shoes.

Rich Lucas is the director of Lucas Consulting. You can reach him at 630-232-4215.

Arnie Biondo is the executive director of the Carol Stream Park District.