Eastern Region Parks & Open Spaces Forum - Benchmarking
The Client
North Hertfordshire District Council and the Eastern Region Parks & Open Spaces Forum
The Background
CFP were appointed to gather data about landscape management, maintenance and development functions across twelve authorities within the Eastern Region.
The Objective
To establish benchmarking data for participating authorities about expenditure and income relating to all aspects of landscape management, maintenance and development. The purpose of this project was to gather data in a consistent fashion to allow comparison with other participating authorities and also to allow comparison against a similar exercise carried out in 2001.
Just add CFP
CFP used their understanding of the sector to ensure that data relating to both expenditure and income was collected in a consistent manner producing guidance notes with explanation of the terms used and how the data should be presented. We structured the data collection to gain data about different green space types, broadly reflecting those used in Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 - Planning for Open Space Sport and Recreation. We also gathered data on levels of public satisfaction to allow authorities to show the potential links between expenditure and overall quality.
A benchmarking system was developed which collates the data and presents this in a user friendly manner in the form of tables and charts.This was accompanied by a report which records the approach and methodology, findings and a comparison against the earlier exercise carried out in 2001 as well as wider national data.
The Result
Participating authorities have been able to understand their performance with respect to a variety of functions in the context of their neighbouring authorities.
One participating authority stated that "we have been able to establish that per head of population the average cost of delivering all parks and open spaces activities for a whole week within a borough or district is less than a single visit to empty a wheelie bin".