Richland County Recreation Commission
Awarded National Agency Accreditation --
First and Only South Carolina Agency to Accomplish this Goal!
The Richland County Recreation Commission is the first and only public park and recreation agency in South Carolina , and one of only 66 in the country, to have successfully completed the National Recreation and Park Association’s agency accreditation process. The Commission on the Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) announced the award on Tuesday, October 10, at the 2006 National Recreation and Parks Association Annual Congress in Seattle , Washington .
The National Recreation and Park Association and the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration developed this quality assessment method for public recreation and parks agencies in 1989. Since then, of the southeastern states, North Carolina has three accredited agencies, Georgia has four, Florida has 11, Tennessee has one, and Virginia has three. And until now, South Carolina lagged with zero. But no more!
On September 14, 2004 , the Richland County Recreation Commission Board of Commissioners, chaired by James R. Davis, committed the agency to working on this major milestone. Since then, a team of staffers now under the chairmanship of Rev. Charles Epps , has used the CAPRA self assessment tool to evaluate every aspect of how business is done at the Recreation Commission. The Recreation Commission successfully met 100% of the 36 required standards and 95% of the remaining 119 standards. Standards addressed every aspect of operations, from management, human resources, and communications, to safety, park maintenance, programs, accessibility, customer relations, partnerships, and volunteers.
What does it mean for the public? Agency accreditation offers the following: 1) assurance and validation of well-administered services in accord with approved professional practices; 2) increased potential for external financial support and savings to the public; 3) external recognition of a quality governmental service; 4) enhanced accountability to the public and assurance of responsiveness to meet their needs; and 5) improved customer and quality services.
The Recreation Commission is very proud to have achieved this level of national accreditation and recognition. It is an affirmation of the quality of the work being done by the agency as it addresses the human development, wellness, and recreation needs of Richland County residents.
Learn More About the Accreditation Process Click Here |