A report was presented to Council today outlining a Value for Money Review of The City’s culture, recreation and parks service areas which offered an external assessment of current operations and identified areas for improvement.
In January 2020, Council approved a $150,000 value for money review of the then Recreation, Parks and Culture department to evaluate service delivery and value, and to identify opportunities for improvement. Following delays caused by the onset of the pandemic, The City engaged a consultant in April 2021 to provide an understanding of the current value delivered by these service areas, as well as opportunities to improve the value for money residents receive
The review identified and prioritized 20 opportunities for The City to explore, considering benefits and ease of implementation for each. These opportunities included a review of current services and fees, additional revenue-generating opportunities, and broader strategic planning to guide The City in the future.
“We are committed to offering value to our residents and businesses through the services we provide,” said Lisa Perkins, General Manager of Corporate and Employee Services. “Using a values framework adopted by Council, we regularly review services and program areas to evaluate the quality of services we provide and to find ways to do that even better.”
The City developed its Value for Money framework in 2016, and used this approach in reviews of planning and development services in 2016, and a policing review in 2019. Each review offers insight into operations and contribute to meaningful changes and improvements to City service offerings.
The Value for Money Review of Culture, Recreation and Parks Services report was first brought forward to Council’s Audit Committee in November. The Committee directed Administration to develop an implementation plan and bring it back for review within the first quarter of 2022.
“The information and recommendations in the report are quite timely as Council is set to embark on our Strategic Plan and long-term vision in the new year,” said Councillor Michael Dawe, Audit Committee Chair. “This report will assist Council in making informed decisions to better our recreation, parks and culture programming and service offerings for our community.”
Culture, recreation and parks services are now divided between Safe and Health Communities and Parks and Public Works departments, following an organizational restructure in September 2020.
The full Value for Money Review is available on City website at reddeer.ca/ValueForMoney.
For more information, please contact:
Communications & Strategic Planning
The City of Red Deer