Most people work better when they have a clear path to follow–when they understand what needs to be done and why.
Unfortunately, some teams aren’t as focused on their agency’s short and long-term goals. They may come to work and do what they believe is right but still fall short of the agency's overall vision.
How do you align staff with the overall goals of the agency?
One way is through key performance indicators (KPIs).
You’ve probably heard of KPIs in other industries, but can they be valuable in the parks and recreation sector?
In short, YES!
Key performance indicators help parks and recreation agencies achieve their goals and better serve the public.
In this article, learn about key performance indicators and why they’re beneficial. Then, get some KPI examples specific to parks and recreation agencies and maintenance teams.
What is a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)?
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable measurements of an individual, team, or agency’s progress toward a goal. They provide strategic targets for the organization to achieve its overall vision.
KPIs need to be clear, measurable, and realistic. By regularly monitoring them, a parks and recreation agency can ensure efficient, safe operations while working within budget. Achieving KPIs also helps maintain high levels of visitor satisfaction and allows teams to work towards sustainable goals.
Why are KPIs Important?
KPIs can help your staff align with the agency’s vision, mission, and strategic plans. The measurable goals serve as a compass leading them in the right direction.
Here are some ways KPIs benefit agencies:
Set Clear Expectations for Employees
Measurable performance goals give your employees a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Outlining expectations prevents confusion and allows for better transparency and accountability. Staff have measurable goals to work towards, which benefits the agency and their careers.
Improve Employee Performance
When employees work towards clearly defined goals, their efforts are more focused. There is less guesswork and more of a pathway to success.
KPIs can help managers monitor productivity by measuring the outcomes of completed work. Data from KPIs can provide insights into where to use more efficient and effective methods. They can also help foster change by measuring progress towards goals.
Focus on Common Goals
KPI measurement tools help promote the agency’s short and long-term objectives and allow everyone to do their part to reach them. They can collaborate and strategize better ways to meet their goals as a team.
Honing in on specific objectives helps align staff towards the agency’s growth and improvement.
Identify Areas for Training and Improvement
Comparing your KPIs to industry standards or peer agencies helps you benchmark your current and desired state as an agency.
Data from KPIs helps identify areas that require immediate attention or investment. When KPI objectives aren’t met, the discussion opens to examine deficiencies and develop strategies to help reach them.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
As your staff improves performance and the agency runs better, the public will benefit from better programming, customer service, asset conditions, and overall culture. Better customer satisfaction means more returning visitors, participants, and members.
Transparency brought about by using KPIs also demonstrates a commitment to efficiency, sustainable practices, and improving the community.
KPIs in Parks and Recreation
Parks and recreation agencies can use key performance indicators as a way to address goals for areas like:
- Programming
- Operations
- Budgeting
- Customer Satisfaction
- Environmental Stewardship
- Inclusion
- Asset Management
- Sustainable Practices
KPIs focus on improvement. Where there is an opportunity to improve an aspect of your agency, then measurable goals help align your staff’s focus.
Examples of Parks & Recreation KPIs
How can you turn agency goals into objective, measurable stepping stones?
Let’s look at one example. An agency’s goal is to ensure that all facilities, resources, and equipment function to support recreation programs and activities.
Here are some measurable ways to quantify this goal:
- Percentage of work orders completed within the scheduled time.
- Amount of time equipment is out of service due to maintenance or repair.
- Percentage of parks and facilities that pass routine inspections.
- Feedback scores from visitors about programming and asset conditions.
- Percentage of programs or activities that needed to be rescheduled or canceled.
For example, you develop a KPI that 85% of work orders are completed within the time scheduled by the maintenance manager. This indicator is clear, measurable, and objective–staff understand what to do and have a specific benchmark to reach.
Here are some other examples of parks and recreation agency-related goals and KPIs:
Environmental Sustainability
- Measurement of total energy consumption of an asset
- Green space availability as a percentage of land designated as parks or green spaces
- Percentage of energy used that comes from renewable sources
Human Resources
- Staff turnover rate
- Employee satisfaction score
- Hours spent on staff training and development
Customer Satisfaction
- Customer/visitor satisfaction score
- Customer/visitor retention rate
- Customer/member churn rate
Financial
- Total Cost Management
- Budget Adherence
- Revenue from Programming
KPIs Related to Park Maintenance
Park maintenance teams can also have their own KPIs to measure their success and efficiency. Here are some examples:
Operational efficiency
- Work order completion rate
- Average time to complete work orders
- Equipment downtime
Quality & Safety
- Inspection pass rate
- Visitor Safety/incident reports
- Average time inspection deficiencies get addressed
Workflow
- Amount of work completed per maintenance staff
- Total training hours
- Percentage of open work orders
Using Technology to Track KPIs
Technology can be a valuable resource in tracking the progress of KPIs. For example, maintenance management software can help a parks maintenance team keep track of work orders, preventative maintenance, workflows, and more. The data collected from the software shows measurable results that help refine or evolve KPIs.
The Takeaway
KPIs offer a practical way to encourage efficiency and growth in your agency and maintenance team. By providing reasonable, measurable goals, your staff has clear expectations and can align with the agency’s vision, mission, and strategic planning. Software can help you better track your KPIs' progress and identify areas that need refining or improvement.