Rethinking Parks Insights to date

Welsh Audit Office Cardiff October 2015

• Why Re-Think Parks

• Snap shot of ideas being tested with Rethinking

Parks

• Programme progress to date

• Observations and lessons

Rethinking Parks

Rethinking Parks

£1 million fund

to test new business models that

may sustain the UK’s public parks

in the face of significant funding

cuts.

The Push for Rethinking Parks

“Budget reductions on this

scale simply cannot be

achieved without a more

radical reassessment of the

range and scope of council

functions.”

Simon Parker, Director, NLGN

The Pull for Rethinking Parks

The process of innovation

arms people to

better face challenges

and embrace opportunities.

Conversation

What do we mean by innovation?

Less

What do we mean by innovation?

More

Experimentation in Government

Programme to date

A continuum of experimental government:

‘Seat-of-the-pants’ experiments

Trying something new and systems in place to learn

Experimental research

Control group randomised sample

e.g. RCTs, quasi-experimental research

Formal research design Sharing knowledge

No rigorous learning or evaluation strategy No real ‘testing mind-set’ e.g. a pilot

Programme to date

Describe

the business

model

Forecast

for the

future

Adapt based on

feedback and

insight

Select the

best ideas

to test

Design with

and for users

Observe &

measure

impact

• Business sign up for volunteering in parks

• Staff identify projects to be involved in on

monthly basis

• Benefit for local authority in improvements

• Benefit for business in CSR & staff

teamwork building

Rethinking Parks A selection of ideas being tested

Darlington Rethinking Parks

• Inviting ideas from businesses

• Combination of building relations and interest with specific projects

• Testing income and appeal of bookable work space in parks

• Exploring ways to best engage large and small organisations

Rethinking Parks A selection of ideas being tested

Park Hack

• Horticultural training for people who are

long term un/under employed

• Skills support people back into work and

build confidence

• Participants improve under-maintained parks

• Some income from placements

Rethinking Parks A selection of ideas being tested

Park Work

• Subscription scheme for park

• Park still free

• Combination of one-off , monthly or annual

contributions

• Promoting opportunity of new projects for

community park

Rethinking Parks A selection of ideas being tested

Heeley Subscription Society

Rethinking Parks Observations and lessons

The world is

complex

There is

no elegant answer.

But we do have

some good places

to start.

Know where you stand

now (finances)

Know where you stand

now (users)

Get senior buy-in

Rethinking Parks Lessons and insights so far

Think layering

Make use of

partnerships

Take time to understand

the needs and

expectations of partners

Look beyond the usual

suspects

Test and test again

Be confident in your idea

but be open to change

Prepare for the long

haul

Rethinking Parks What’s next?

The blue prints of successful

models

Evidence of impact

Participants’ advice & learning

Tools to support

adoption

Rethinking Parks