Evaluating Leisure Services

This book fills a void in our literature with a comprehensive, up-to-date treatment of evaluation in recreation, park and leisure services. The book provides a basic over view and working knowledge of evaluation procedures for upper level undergraduate students, beginning graduate students, and practitioners who wish to apply evaluation research in their work. The authors have written the book in concise, clear chapters in which they not only outline key points, but also provide examples of various evaluation issues.

Evaluation is a process that each of us uses every day. Professionals in any field of human services must have the means to access and assess information. Having information is not enough, however, unless that information can be applied and used. To organize and manage recreation services (i.e., all elements related to the various specialties in the field such as parks, tourism, sports, arts, therapeutic recreation, camping, event management), information is needed about people's preferences, needs, and behaviors and the programs, administrative structures, and resources that comprise the organizations. To build a body of knowledge and to document the value of recreation, systematic processes are necessary. Evaluation and research can provide information that will enable "enlightened decisions." Evaluating Recreation Services: Making Enlightened Decisions, Fourth Edition, is about systematic evaluation and research that focuses specifically on identifying explicit evaluation criteria or research questions, collecting evidence or data, and making judgments about the value or the worth of something applied to service improvement or knowledge development. This book aims to provide a basic overview and working knowledge of procedures. Knowing basic steps in evaluation research and having some familiarity with evaluation and research tools can help you to begin a process of lifelong learning about systematic inquiry.

Leisure Services Management, Third Edition, outlines essential knowledge and competencies for successful leisure managers. The text prepares students for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) exam and for careers in commercial recreation, public agencies, and the nonprofit sector

Leisure Services Management, Third Edition With HKPropel Access, outlines the essential knowledge and skills that successful managers must learn, and it assists students in building those competencies. The text prepares students for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) qualifying exam and for the challenges they’ll face in their future careers in commercial recreation, public agencies, and the nonprofit sector. Throughout the text, there are activities, projects, and examples to help students connect competencies to real-world situations. Leisure Services Management begins by presenting a firm foundation of competency-based management. Students will examine the scope of leisure management, management responsibilities, and how a manager can affect an agency and its customers. They will also explore specific management areas such as marketing, financial management, human resources, employee development, communication, and evaluation. For each chapter, the ancillaries offer experiential learning activities that simulate on-the-job situations. Each of these activities asks students to assume the role of a manager and address common management issues by completing a work assignment or project. These activities will facilitate student development and help students gain essential management competencies. Other learning aids include learning objectives, review questions, key terms, and a glossary to reinforce student learning. In addition to updated references that provide contemporary management perspectives, the third edition features the following: Expanded content on social media, planning, and international leisure A new chapter focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion to broaden students’ perspectives From the Field sidebars, which offer readers a glimpse of what happens in the field, so they can better understand what they will be facing in the future Leisure Services Management has related online learning activities delivered via HKPropel. These activities include flash cards and undergraduate- and graduate-level case studies for each chapter. Chapter quizzes, which are automatically graded, may be assigned by instructors to test comprehension of critical concepts. Students can also access a list of competencies tested in the CPRP exam and a competency scorecard to track their development relative to professional standards. These online resources will help students build useful knowledge and apply the information. The competency-driven approach of Leisure Services Management, Third Edition, assists readers in gaining the knowledge and practicing the skills needed to begin a career in leisure management. Bolstered by the practical information in this text, new managers can contribute to the success of their organization as they enjoy the challenges and rewards of their career. Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is not included with this ebook but may be purchased separately.

It has been over 20 years since the first edition of "Productive Management of Leisure Service Organisations" was conceptualised, written, and published. Now in it's 4th edition, "Managing Recreation, Parks & Leisure Services" considers three critical changes in the leisure services field: technology and information resolution, nature of the workforce, and the basic revision of our economy. These changes have greatly impacted the management of human resources, which is the main focus of this book.

This book fills a gap in the therapeutic recreation literature concerning client assessment. It educates the reader about the importance of client assessment, how assessment relates to treatment planning and programming, and ways to improve the process of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting..

This course textbook provides a comprehensive three-step plan for successful programming of services, programme leadership and understanding operational management in recreation and leaisure organisations.