THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF PUBLIC LEISURE SERVICES: AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION

Abstract

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, public parks and recreation agencies have been called upon to be more accountable for their services and the allocation of resources. At the same time, an increased awareness of the value of personal health and fitness and a cultural reawakening has created greater demand for recreation services. These and other factors led the public parks and recreation system to recognize that their services could no longer be justified solely on the basis of satisfying public demand. Improved analytical measures were necessary in order to provide a more logical and rational basis for decision making. Once in place, they could then be used to evaluate services, measure their benefit and allocate resources. In an effort to develop analytical approaches to decision making, the Perc Priority Rating Scale and Basic Services Model were developed. This paper builds on these initiatives and suggests an alternative approach used to estimate the perceived benefit of parks and recreation services. ...