CPRE Recreation Programming and Services 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A park agency is applying the programming for outcomes approach. Which step comes first in the process?
- Selecting activities and scheduling sessions
- Identifying the desired community benefits and outcomes (Correct answer)
- Setting registration fees and capacity limits
- Recruiting and training program instructors
Correct answer: Identifying the desired community benefits and outcomes
Outcomes-based programming starts by defining what community benefit is sought, then works backward to design activities most likely to achieve those results.
Question 2: What distinguishes contract programming from direct agency programming?
- Contract programming uses only volunteer instructors
- Contract programming engages independent instructors who deliver programs under agency branding while sharing registration revenue (Correct answer)
- Contract programming is exclusively for youth activities
- Contract programming requires a federal license
Correct answer: Contract programming engages independent instructors who deliver programs under agency branding while sharing registration revenue
Contract programming leverages outside expertise, expands offerings without adding staff, and typically involves a revenue-sharing arrangement with instructors.
Question 3: In recreation programming, program saturation refers to:
- A program that has reached maximum quality standards
- The point in a program's lifecycle where participation plateaus and growth potential is exhausted (Correct answer)
- A facility being used at 100% capacity
- A marketing campaign reaching all target demographics
Correct answer: The point in a program's lifecycle where participation plateaus and growth potential is exhausted
Saturation signals that a program has maximized its market penetration; at this stage managers must decide whether to refresh, reposition, or phase out the offering.
Question 4: Which principle should guide decisions about discontinuing an underperforming recreation program?
- Programs should never be discontinued once launched
- The program should be phased out if it consistently fails to meet cost recovery targets and community need has shifted (Correct answer)
- Only programs with zero participants should be discontinued
- Discontinuation decisions should be based solely on staff preference
Correct answer: The program should be phased out if it consistently fails to meet cost recovery targets and community need has shifted
Continued investment in programs that do not recover costs and no longer meet community need diverts resources from higher-value programming opportunities.
Question 5: A recreation manager wants to increase revenue from an existing adult fitness program. The most financially sustainable strategy is to:
- Reduce program quality to lower costs
- Analyze cost structure, optimize class size, and introduce a premium tier with enhanced offerings (Correct answer)
- Outsource the program to a private fitness company entirely
- Increase fees by 50% without program changes
Correct answer: Analyze cost structure, optimize class size, and introduce a premium tier with enhanced offerings
Optimizing cost structure and offering a premium tier increases revenue potential while maintaining access, rather than burdening existing participants with undifferentiated price hikes.
Question 6: Under NRPA's Park Metrics benchmarking, what does the operating cost recovery ratio measure?
- Ratio of park acreage to population served
- The percentage of a program's or department's operating costs recovered through earned revenues (Correct answer)
- Staff-to-participant ratio in programs
- Volunteer hours relative to paid staff hours
Correct answer: The percentage of a program's or department's operating costs recovered through earned revenues
The operating cost recovery ratio compares earned revenue (fees, rentals, etc.) to total operating costs, indicating how self-sustaining a program or department is.
CPRE Recreation Programming and Services 3
A park agency is applying the programming for outcomes approach.
Which step comes first in the process?