Client-Centred Service Delivery

John A. Macintyre

Director, Parks and Recreation

Presentation Overview

• Toronto Parks and Recreation at a glance

• Research Data

• Relevant Findings for Municipal Services

• Challenges and Experiences

• Lessons and Strategies

Parks & Recreation DivisionVision

Toronto will be known by the world as the “City within a Park” - a rich fabric of parks, open space, rivers and streams that will connect our neighbourhoods and join us with our clean, vibrant lakefront. The world will envy and seek to emulate the healthy, productive and balanced lives that the people of Toronto have achieved. Our Parks and Recreation Services will signal to the world Toronto’s commitment to the best of all possible futures.

Parks & Recreation DivisionMission

The people in the diverse communities of Toronto will have full and equitable access to high calibre, locally responsive recreational programs, efficiently operated facilities, and safe, clean and beautiful parks, open spaces, ravines and forests.

Parks & Recreation DivisionThree Key Priorities

• Child and Youth Development

• Lifelong Health and Wellness for All

• Environmental Stewardship

Operate and Maintain for City of Toronto Residents:

• 1,460 named parks• 839 sports fields• 7,344 hectares of green space (12% of

City land base) • 3 million public trees• 140 community recreation centres• 670 other facilities - pools, golf

courses, ski centres, greenhouses, ferries, zoos and a farm

Parks & Recreation Staff

• The Division has approximately 3,375 full time and part time staff that make these services happen

Sample Program Delivery - 2002

• Recreation programs - 2,805,903 drop-in participants

• 517,757 registered participants• 2,510,274 permit users• 8,300 tree plantings• 227,300 rounds of golf• 1,125,000 plants produced• 1,250,000 ferry riders

Benefits of Toronto Parks & Recreation

Services• 91% of residents - parks and recreation

services are important to quality of life• 92% of users - satisfied with visits to

parks• 93% of users - satisfied with visits to

recreation centres

(telephone survey - Environics Research 2001)

Responding to Citizens’ Needs - the Research

• Citizens know that government’s task is more difficult– balance - public interest with progressive

policy– be entrepreneurial with a high level of

accountability

• Still, they expect as good or better service

(Results from Citizens First 2000)

Responding to Citizens’ Needs - the Research

• Nationally, citizens rated parks and recreation services at 71 out of 100 - the 5th easiest to access - out of 12 services they used within the past year

• in Toronto, service quality of parks and recreation was rated at 68 out of 100

(Results from Citizens First 2000)

What are the Drivers of Citizen Satisfaction?

• timely service• staff knowledge and competence• an approach to service that is not only

courteous and friendly but “goes the extra mile”, extra smile

• fairness• outcome

(Results from Citizens First 2000)

Challenges Facing Toronto Parks & Recreation

• Coming from 7 different

municipalities - 7 entrenched cultures– harmonizing 7 sets of

expectations/perspectives

Challenges Facing Toronto Parks & Recreation Out of Chaos Comes Opportunity

• Service Delivery from a multi-diversified organization– co-ordinating and mobilizing a diverse

organization

Sample of Further Challenges

• Council/committee schedule and political agenda

• Access and equity• Volume of requests/information• Establishing priorities • Customer service training• Internal communications

Our Experiences

Registration - what happened, what we learned, how we improved– various methods of registering are available

– many issues involved in getting the customer registered

– knowledge of programs and systems

– ease of access or access period

– choice

– staff training and customer service

Our Experiences

Welcome Policy/Priority Centres – outreach and enhancement– accommodations on CLASS

Our Experiences

Permits– 2,510,274 permit users - 2002 – harmonization– use of CLASS– allocation based on 3 key priorities of

Division

Our Experiences

Mail Tracking System– to accommodate the large volume of

correspondence and action requirements coming through the General Manager’s Office

– efficient system to ensure expedient response to public, councillors and internal departments

– average of 600 action slips per month

Our Experiences

Staff Communication and Recognition - Building Internal Links and Morale– communications protocol– P&R intranet development– Divisional meetings on a regular basis– “Say Thanks”

Our Experiences

YOW - Youth Outreach Workers– work in high needs areas of the City– to reach a population that wouldn’t otherwise

access recreation programs

– create links with young people, regardless of issues

– bring youth into community centres or bring recreation to youth

– help develop relevant programming throughout the Division

Our Experiences

Re-organization of Advisory Councils– work over the past 2 years to develop a

common Terms of Reference for Advisory Councils

– introduction of Advisory Councils to all community centres

– a way to engage the community residents in a continual process of program development and facility management

Lessons and Strategies

• Managing Information - size, scope, complexity

• Media• Staff and Human Impact - stress,

uncertainty, morale, workloads, commuting, health issues

• the “Sprint” and the “Marathon”