2.3 What Kinds of Needs Can Be Met Through Leisure Programming?
Determining Need
To determine the programmatic need/s of an individual, group or agency, recreation professionals must collect data on recreation users and non-users to obtain a fulsome picture of what is needed recreation-wise and what is not. Data can be gathered from websites, personal interviews with agency managers, directors and staff, through client focus groups, surveys and questionnaires, or from community town hall meetings, local Chambers of Commerce, personal phone calls or informational interviews. The kind of information that needs to be collected may be on individuals, groups and/or organizations:
Demographic Data:
Demographic data includes basic, descriptive, factual information on a given person, group or agency. The information you gather can include age, gender, ethnic identifiers, language/s spoken, physical and cognitive and physical abilities/disabilities, level(s) of education, addresses and postal codes, employment and unemployment levels, income levels and occupation (what people do for work). Gathering this information allows programmers a foundational understanding of “indicators” – pieces of data on the individuals, group or agency in question – and allows programmers to create and manipulate the program environment and its associated elements to meet the needs of the participants, thereby increasing the chances of programmatic success. Note: Personal information is a precious, valuable and often protected commodity in Canada, and should therefore be handled with respect and mindfulness by the programmer. Professional programmers should endeavour to gather only the most essential client information, and only when necessary, in order to get a clearer picture of an individual, group or agency.
Helpful Tip
A considerable amount of demographic information can be obtained by visiting Stats Canada – Canada’s national statistical office. “(Statistics Canada) ensures Canadians have the key information on Canada’s economy, society, and environment that they require to function effectively, as well as citizens and decision-makers” (Statistics Canada, 2024).
Municipal strategic plans – reports generated by local government – can offer a wealth of data and information on a village, town or city’s vision, mission and priorities that reflect the needs and expectations of the community. Most strategic plans include strategic areas of focus, often including those related to recreation, that act as a roadmap for local governments to organize and implement existing financial and social resources. A link to London, Ontario’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan (London Canada, 2023) is here as an example: 2023-2027 Strategic Plan City of London (PDF)
Engagement Data:
Similar to demographic data, engagement data is purely factual. Are there a high number of older adults participating in existing aquatics programs, or are the numbers here consistently low? What drop-in sports programs at the local Recreation Centre have seen waning attendance (tennis), while others are seeing an uptick in popularity (pickleball)? What programs and events are already available at an agency and should not be duplicated? What kinds of programs are people NOT engaging in, and why might this be? Asking these questions can give you an idea of the recreation resources or programs in high demand, as well as those underutilized or non-existent. Engagement data can also reveal specific barriers facing a group (i.e., cognitive impairment, financial viability of a program for an agency, affordability of program enrolment fees, transportation barriers, lack of information about how to get involved) and spark a conversation among programming professionals on how to address and hopefully remove those barriers.
Pre-existing Skills and Experience:
Before planning any recreation program, the programmer needs to determine the pre-existing level of skill or experience (if any!) in the group for whom the program is being designed. Creating an advanced archery program will not do stakeholders any good if 90% of them are at a novice level, just as a beginner class introducing the fundamentals of lapidary will be a frustrating waste of time to those already skilled or experienced in rock tumbling. Obtaining information on pre-existing skills and experience can be obtained through several means:
Observation – sitting in on a class or activity and watching how easy (or challenging) the participants find the activity;
Self-reporting Tools – asking stakeholders to fill out a paper or electronic self-assessment survey or questionnaire that will help present a clear idea of programmatic preferences as reported by the people themselves – what they would like to see offered – and at what level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) to offer these programs;
Program Evaluations and Registrations – digging through old program evaluations, registration forms and feedback summaries is a great way to obtain historical information on prior participants’ pre-existing skills and experience in a given program area.
