ParkStat+ Program Overview
ParkStat meetings bring field supervisors together with senior management to review park ratings and performance indicators. Boroughs are invited on a rotating schedule so that all boroughs participate in ParkStat at least once a year. The centerpiece of ParkStat is a PowerPoint slideshow featuring detailed ratings information and photos of unacceptable conditions. Discussions center around feature ratings and the strategies and innovations employed by field supervisors to reverse unacceptable trends. A typical ParkStat meeting lasts approximately four hours and consists of intense questioning of field supervisors by the Director of Operations and Management Planning (OMP) and the First Deputy Commissioner.
ParkStat has been in existence since 1997; however, after observing the Department of Correction's T.E.A.M.S. program, we revised our program. The program is now called ParkStat PLUS+ and includes additional indicators, staff, and divisions in order to create an even more comprehensive management tool. Executive management now goes beyond the park condition ratings and examines a variety of new indicators. Our goal with ParkStat PLUS+ is to increase the level of accountability of field supervision based on indicators including Fleet Operations, Customer Service, Enforcement, Administration Initiatives, Personnel Management, Partnerships for Parks, and Training.
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Improved Performance: Since its inception in 1997, ParkStat Plus+ has contributed to improving the citywide Overall Condition PIP rating from 73% to 88% acceptable in CY 2002.
Increased Accountability: By creating a forum where senior management can systematically question field supervisors in the presence of their own executive borough management, supervisors are more answerable to their PIP ratings and directly accountable for their overall job performance.
Broadened Management's Field Knowledge: ParkStat Plus+ gives senior management a unique opportunity to interact directly with field supervisors, allowing constructive discussion about particular obstacles, difficulties or accomplishments.
Resolved Problematic Conditions: The presence of senior management from citywide support divisions has allowed problematic conditions or recurring issues to be immediately addressed. If a problem cannot be resolved during the session, a follow-up is generated for the appropriate division.
Shared Innovations and Best Practices: Often, a supervisor or a manager solves a particular problem with a unique innovation. Realizing that a solution in one district will, in many cases, be a solution in another, ParkStat Plus+ values creative solutions that can be utilized throughout the agency.
More Information
Parks Inspection Program