Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

8-25-1978

Abstract

The Problem

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent of use of private sector assistance techniques and resources among municipal park and recre­ation departments within South Central United States.

Procedures

A direct mail questionnaire was developed to obtain data from 116 cities in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with populations above 20,000. The questionnaire, validated by a panel of experts and pilot-tested, was designed to determine the following: private sector resources and funding techniques; the extent of awareness and use of private sector resources and techniques; and efforts undertaken to implement a private sector assistance program.

The data were tabulated by automatic data processing using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences {SPSS) program. Frequencies and crosstabulations of 361 variables were analyzed by state and by five assigned population groups.

Findings

  1. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents reported lack of awareness of private sector techniques.

  2. Over half of the cities received no funds for parks and recreation from private sources.

  3. Eight categories of private sector funding resources within a community were identified.

  4. Seventeen private sector funding techniques to supplement park and recreation budgets were identified.

  5. Less than one-third of the respondents reported having approached the private sector in terms of parks and recreation needs and expenses.

  6. In terms of private contribution, the following resources are most commonly indicated: cash, labor and materials – service clubs; land – land developers; and use of facilities – universities and schools.

  7. Over eighty percent of the responding cities do not have an organized program to implement private sector assistance.

  8. One-fourth of the respondents used another agency or private entity to obtain contributions from the private sector.

  9. The most common mechanisms to reach the private sector were: organizing volunteers, designating a special committee and developing set-aside ordinances.

  10. The two most commonly reported deterrence of the use of a private sector assistance program in communities were: lack of personnel to develop a private sector program and lack of awareness of private sector techniques.

Conclusions

  1. Most city officials are not aware of the variety of the private sector assistance techniques.

  2. Most city officials involved in park and recreation do not approach the private sector for park and recreation needs and expenses.

  3. There is little use of the private sector resources to supplement public parks and recreation projects or programs.

  4. Private contributions for parks and recreation can be divided into six categories: cash, equipment, labor, land, materials and use of facility

  5. There is a need for park and recreation officials to have information about private sector assistance techniques and resources.

Recommendations

  1. That all park and recreation officials be made aware of techniques and resources which can be used to obtain private sector assistance for municipal park and recreation projects and programs.

  2. That municipal park and recreation officials have a working knowledge of techniques that can be useful in approaching the private sector for assistance.

  3. That municipal park and recreation officials use the private sector whenever possible to fund or to supplement the funding of a park and recreation projects and programs.

  4. Their existing efforts to educate city officials on the values and potentials of private sector assistance program can be continued and expanded.

  5. That municipal park and recreation officials consider the possibilities of another agency or private entity to organize a private sector assistance program.

Implementation

A statement of guidelines was developed as a result of the study to assist municipal park and recreation officials in implementing a private sector assistance program.

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Health Education

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

Steve Rubio

Second Committee Member

Paul Adolph Klemm

Third Committee Member

Leon E. Griffin

Fourth Committee Member

Robert Dale Campbell

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