Come together: park, recreation and open space cooperatives - @ Issue

Parks & Recreation, Jan, 2003 by Glenn Haas

Park and recreation professionals are hardly strangers at building broad-based coalitions. But today's unique conditions require looking past previous models if we're to conserve for the future. Increasingly, our profession needs to establish cooperatives, an idea born in 1762 by Benjamin Franklin and thriving today.

A park, recreation and open space (PROS) cooperative is a recognized association of park, recreation, open space and related entities united voluntarily to achieve through collaboration what can't be achieved through individual and independent action. PROS cooperatives conserve the diversity of valued resources and recreation opportunities for the benefit these afford individuals, communities, the economy and the environment. PROS cooperatives:

* Serve as a conduit connecting the diverse public, private and nonprofit entities managing parks, recreation resources and open spaces.

* Pursue mutually identified needs, desires and opportunities that can be better achieved through collaboration.

* Increase effectiveness through joint ventures.

* Expand public understanding and support for conserving a seamless system of diverse recreation opportunities within regions, and help assure reasonable access and inclusiveness for all publics.

* Foster a cooperative spirit, creative enterprise, and a level of public service and benefit that isn't possible through individual initiative.

PROS cooperatives have a few underlying principles.

Members are committed to corporate betterment: Cooperative members are investors in important endeavors that can be better achieved--and sometimes only achieved--through collaboration rather than independent action.

Mission is mutually defined: The mission of a PROS cooperative is framed by the mutually defined needs, desires and opportunities that can be better achieved through collaboration. Mutual interests can relate to planning, management, information, research, finances and physical connections.

PROS cooperatives are recognizable associations: The nature of the association may range from an informed "virtual" organization, to one codified by a cooperative agreement or memorandum of understanding, to one legislated as a special district or other designation. Cooperatives should have a mission statement, organizational structure, responsibilities, planned direction, committed membership, leadership and accountability.

Membership is voluntary, diverse, open and committed: Membership is open to public (local, state and federal), private and nonprofit entities, and requires a commitment to collaboration. Individuals representing an entity must value a regional systems perspective and be willing and able to be an active participant.

Members retain autonomy: Cooperatives value the autonomy of each member, and recognize that each member has unique circumstances that will enable or restrict collaboration on occasion. Cooperatives don't have any authority that the members don't agree to provide or otherwise secure.

Membership development is ongoing: Most people have little experience with successful cooperative ventures of any size or duration. Successful cooperatives often require a broader perspective than we're accustomed to in many insular institutions. Membership development is important to nurture the organizational skills vital for sustainable cooperative ventures. Also, the imbalance and diversity in expertise, experience, backgrounds, capabilities and resources among park, recreation and open space entities in a region requires an ongoing commitment to training and membership development. Creativity and potential collaborative improvements will require members to be knowledgeable of the needs, desires and opportunities of other entities. Sharing such resources as information, competencies, equipment, etc., is important to membership development.

PROS cooperatives benefit the members, community and region: The contribution and operations of a cooperative should be regularly evaluated by its members and community leaders. PROS cooperatives should document and disclose progress to the public on a regular basis. The life cycle of a cooperative is dynamic, and like any organization, cooperatives will be subject to change, merger, expansion or dissolution.

@ Issue is your chance to write about a broad, emerging issue in parks and recreation. If you're interested in submitting an opinion piece for this column, write to sdouglas@nrpa.org.

Glenn Haas, Ph.D., is a professor in the College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. He moderated a session on this topic at NRPA's National Congress & Exposition in Tampa, Fla., last October. Copies of his brochure that more fully describes the concept of PROS cooperatives are available by contacting Haas at glenn@cnr.colostate.edu or 970-498-9350.