The source of information power.

If "information is power," computers are power plants. Technology makes information powerful by providing easy access to millions of documents, publications, records, and data.

An organization's efficiency can be determined by how well it processes its data. Park and recreation facilities of ten amass huge amounts of information on programs, participants and members, inventories, and finances that must be stored securely, yet remain easily accessible. For these reasons and others, progressive information systems are ideal for use in park and recreation facilities. Yet few of these facilities actually use these systems.

A 1992 study conducted in cooperation with California Polytechnic State University, Dr. Lynn Jamieson, and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) tracked microcomputer and software program use in park and recreation facilities. This study involved 345 NRPA member park and recreation facilities nationwide, and the results were surprising (see Figures 1, 2, 3).

Although some agencies implemented advanced systems for telephone registration for recreation programs, visitor information access, and other uses, almost one-third of the parks and recreation facilities surveyed did not even have microcomputers. This likely is because 70 percent of respondents represented smaller facilities, with fewer customers and smaller budgets. Many respondents indicated that they had limited technical knowledge of computers and software applications, another possible deterrent to computerization.

Word Processing is Number One

Word processing was the single greatest use of agency computers, with WordPerfect and Microsoft Word as the most popular programs. WordPerfect, however, was used in three times as many facilities as Microsoft Word, although some offices had both.

With the acceptance of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Windows is gaining popularity for DOS users, who previously preferred WordPerfect In the future, we likely will see a more equal use of Microsoft Word and WordPerfect.

Use of Spreadsheet and Other Programs

The second most frequently used software application was the spreadsheet; and most facilities named Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Excel as the programs they use, with Lotus cited twice as often.

Facilities indicated they use spreadsheets for many purposes, including internal accounting, financial projections, graphing and charting, program attendance statistics, project management and cost-tracking, maintenance scheduling, making reservations, inventory tracking, and natural resource management.

It is important to note that the macro command languages of spreadsheet programs--which allow the user to automate keystroke functions--are extremely powerful and contain many commands that cannot be entered directly from the keyboard.

Prewritten spreadsheets and programs written in a spreadsheet macro command language are known as templates, and many are available for purchase. Sixty percent of facilities surveyed that use spreadsheet software said they wrote their own templates; 20 percent said they purchased prewritten templates.

Seventy percent of facilities cited database software as the third most popular; and almost one-third of facilities using database software used dBase. Respondents said they use Paradox, MS Works, PFS, Lotus 1-2-3, Q&A, RBase, FoxPro, and other programs. Facilities said they use database software for internal accounting, customer/participant/membership databases, mailing lists, registration, cost tracking, and usage and rental tracking.

Over half the agencies responding used desktop publishing software. Considering the amount of pamphlets, leaflets, flyers, newsletters, schedules, catalogs, and other materials parks and recreation programs generate, it is surprising that this figure was not higher. Possibly, however, budget constraints are forcing many to depend on word processing programs to produce these materials.

Those facilities who said they have desktop publishing software use it for making forms, designing surveys, and making signs, posters, manuals, and handbooks. They also use desktop publishing to enhance reports and grant applications. Pagemaker was named most frequently as the program of choice, followed by First Publisher, Ventura Publisher, and Express Publisher.

Project management software was used by only 15 percent of respondents, surprising since most facilities seem to revolve around many varied projects. Me business world has embraced this type of software, however, and it would be very useful in parks and recreation facilities as well. This software performs the jobs of Gantt and PERT charts, while encompassing other project management tasks. Favorite applications cited by respondents included Microsoft Project, Race, Packrat, Instant Recall, and custom written applications.

Facilities indicated they use this software to oversee development projects, park/facility maintenance, land acquisitions, program projects, and special events.

One-third of the respondents indicated that they had set up recreation specific software. Recware was cited most often, followed by Programmed for Success and LeisureSoft. Other applications respondents said they use include Computer Resolutions, Escom, League Organizer, RMS, SportsLog, and Vermont Systems Rectrac.

Pros and Cons of Recreation-Specific Software

When evaluating the performance and cost of recreation-specific software, facilities should recognize that specialized applications are very different from widely distributed software such as Microsoft Word or Lotus 1-2-3. Software development involves a complex process of needs analysis, design, programming, and testing. Typically, less than one-sixth of the development time to create an application is spent on programming. Based on this, the generally accepted industry average output for professional programmers is about 10 to 20 lines of code to be contained in the released program per day. Programs may run more than 40,000 lines of code. If a programmer is paid the average $25 to $55 per hour, it is clear that developing a software package might be a very expensive process. Unfortunately, specialized software (such as recreation-specific software) has limited markets resulting in limited distribution, which also contributes to its high cost.

Software development is a dynamic process that continues even after its purchaser begins using it. Computer programs are extremely complex, and it is almost impossible for a software developer to test every possible combination of uses on every possible piece of hardware. Recreation-specific software users become an integral part of the software development process when they purchase an application. Recreation-specific software users should expect to find problems and should consider solving these problems through an open relationship with the software developer as a normal part of implementing these specialized applications. Software developers need to know about these problems so that they can incorporate changes in their maintenance releases. They also may have ready solutions for the user's problems.

Finally, those users who anticipate using their recreation-specific software on a local network should expect a significant decrease in response time over running the same software on a stand alone machine. This likely is because recreation-specific software is designed to run on file server systems, which employ a special computer on the network that does nothing but receive, distribute, and store data. When the user starts an application, the complete application must be sent down to the network to run on the user's machine, and then all work with the application's database files must be passed through the network. This is time-consuming.

Taking the business world by storm is a solution called client/server technology. Client/server systems employ an additional computer on the network to run the application, which does all the manipulating of data and, therefore, greatly reduces network traffic. The user's local machine need only run a small application to interface with the parent server to send and receive small amounts of data. All data processing and housekeeping are performed by the parent server rather than by the user's machine, resulting in much improved performance.

The extra expense of setting up client/server systems has precluded their use in the design of recreation-specific software, but the parks and recreation industry may look forward to this technology in the future.

Connecting to the Power Plant

While parks and recreation facilities are using computers for a variety of functions and activities, there still is much technology that remains untapped by the profession. There are two likely reasons for this. First, gaining proficiency with computer applications can take considerable time and extreme patience, therefore making it a low priority for understaffed and overworked personnel. Second, most parks and recreation facilities are under the constant pressure of critical budget decisions and find it difficult to allocate resources for hardware and software.

The business world has embraced information technology because it is essential for maintaining profitability. As parks and recreation facilities strive for more cost-effective and organizationally efficient operations, they also must advance in their use of information technology. This technology can improve every aspect of parks and recreation operations; and effective use of this technology should be considered critical to every facility's overall success. Consequently, parks and recreation facilities must connect to the high tech power sources to make the power work for them.

References to accompany this article are available from the author at [phone].