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It’s an easy rut to fall into--someone pulls the file from a drawer, changes the dates and times, and the same programs run year after year or season after season without much thought. Sure, the community loves the program, and evaluations are good, but it may be time for a full, comprehensive programming audit of your facilities. And who knows--you might even identify holes or downtimes for niche programs--things you didn’t even realize were possible.
Coordinating Programs And Resources
Getting everyone to the table to conduct an audit is difficult, but vital to align the most coordinated use of facilities. Attendees might include agency staff members who have programs in the facility, maintenance staff and perhaps contract users. The purpose is to acquire a complete picture of programming, as well as any available space and time (including downtime for maintenance, field rest and repairs). For example, an audit of an aquatic facility with two pools and an indoor classroom requires a conversation among contract swim-team coaches, fee-class coordinators and aquatic personnel. A complete audit of programs might reveal an extra hour in the facility for non-traditional programming, such as a ballet class in a classroom or a robotics class that uses the pool deck or pool for testing.
A separate audit might reveal an area in a park where a summer lawn-bowling league might be feasible if the mowing height is adjusted. The idea is to think differently about available space, which might lead to new ideas or niche uses.
