Parks, Recreation, Libraries Consulting | Master Planning

Innovative strategies for parks, recreation, and libraries

BerryDunn's consultants work with you to improve operations, drive innovation, identify improvements to services based on community need, and elevate your brand and image―all from the perspective of our team’s combined 100 years of hands-on, practical parks, recreation, and libraries experience.

Services

Our services are tailored for each client and can be applied across parks, recreation, libraries, and university settings.

Strategic planning

Master planning

Feasibility studies

Operational assessments

Pricing and cost recovery studies

Strategic planning

Envision, create, and implement a plan to bring your agency's mission, vision, and values to life. Our comprehensive process includes an environmental scan, community needs assessment, and most importantly, staff engagement. The planning process also includes how to successfully implement strategic recommendations.

Community engagement

We help you engage constituents, prioritize needs, and develop goals to create the programs and services for your community to thrive.

Visioning

We encourage you to ask, “What if?” and think beyond what you thought was possible and develop a focal point for long-term, continuous improvement.

Implementation

We develop action plans, timelines, and KPIs necessary to make your plan real—because strategic plans aren’t meant to sit on shelves.

Master planning

Our process for parks and recreation, libraries, and university settings includes a robust community engagement component as well as assessments and analyses of demographics, infrastructure, levels of service standards, and operations to provide you with a well-defined action plan—created in collaboration with you and through a lens of equity and inclusion.

Community engagement

We help you engage constituents, prioritize needs, and develop goals to create the programs and services for your community to thrive.

Facility and system assessment

We assess your system through the lens of what is achievable, analyzing service levels, gaps, locations, space, and fiscal impacts.

Program and service assessment

We help you consider accessibility and equity and help you align your services to community needs and industry trends.

Visioning

We encourage you to ask, “What if?” and think beyond what you thought was possible and develop a focal point for long-term, continuous improvement.

Implementation

We develop action plans, timelines, and KPIs necessary to bring your master plan to life—in partnership with you and through a lens of equity and inclusion.

Feasibility studies

Our feasibility studies help you determine the financial viability and ROI of a new facility or amenity. Serving as an unbiased third-party, we provide market analysis, operating requirements, revenue generation recommendations, and a pro forma that predicts future revenues, expenses, and any subsidy requirements.

Community engagement

We help you engage constituents, prioritize needs, and develop goals to create the programs and services for your community to thrive.

Market analysis

We provide insight into your program opportunities, regional service providers, and demographics of the markets you seek to serve.

Financial modeling and pro forma

We provide realistic, detailed projections of expenses and revenues, and guidance around planned staffing, operations, and partnerships.

Operational assessments

Our operational analyses provide expert, objective perspective of the internal workings of your organization. Our approach brings staffing, culture and service delivery, workforce capacity, leadership, finance, and technology into focus, providing organizations with a clear picture of where they are now, and recommendations for improving areas for higher performance.

Staff engagement

We actively collaborate with your staff, providing input on identified focus areas and issues and always seeking to understand your goals.

Organizational structure analysis

We analyze workflow, organization charts, onboarding/training, culture, capacity, and policy to develop outcome-based recommendations.

Level of service assessment

We assess staffing to ensure levels are aligned with goals and expectations, and help you thoughtfully maximize limited resources.

Change management

We work with you to understand the emotional and strategic implications of change, guided by our practical experience in the field.

Pricing and cost recovery

Our customized pricing and cost recovery studies include a review of your revenue plan, subsidy levels, and pricing policies—positioning your agency to be resilient and successful, regardless of the economic or political climate.

Impact fee studies

We start with what you already have and build from there, customizing a solution that helps you plan for new projects and services.

Cost of service and fee studies

We help you measure what it takes to provide quality services in response to your community’s needs—now and into the future.

Cost recovery studies

We work with you to assess your current fees and build a tailored model to evaluate your programs and maintain sustainable service offerings.

Let's Talk Parks

Change the way you think about your impact. Tune in to the Let's Talk Parks with BerryDunn podcast. Our host, parks and recreation consultant Becky Dunlap, invites experienced professionals from the field to join her for inspiring conversations. Get fresh ideas and learn new approaches to advance innovation in the parks and recreation industry.

Listen to the podcast