FAQ

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=86 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="26c085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>KMC Consultancy</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="KMC Consultancy"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U>About Us</U></A>   |   <B>FAQ</B>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="References"><U>References</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Experience and Qualifications"><U>Experience and Qualifications</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10 Steps to a Great Park"><U>10 Steps to a Great Park</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services"><U>Our Products and Services</U></A>   |   <A 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<div> <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Management Plans"><U>Management Plans</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Strategy Preparation"><U>Strategy Preparation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Auditing"><U>Auditing</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contract Monitoring"><U>Contract monitoring</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20_m.htm#the_consultation" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="FAQ"><U>Consultation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PPG 17 Needs Assessments"><U>PPG 17 Needs Assessments</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact us</U></A></div> <div> Since 1995 we have established ourselves as one of the key players in the local government and contracting market.</div> <div> Our clients have included more than 150 Councils and several housing associations in the past ten years.</div> <div> Should you wish to contact us please click <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>here</U></A> or ring </div> <div> 01285  750569</div> <div> <IMG SRC="2535f200.jpg" border=0 width="95" height="32" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0d8ae560.jpg" border=0 width="174" height="86" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Greenspace Performance Management System"><U>Greenspace Performance Management</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services"><U>Product and Service Listing</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tender Evaluation"><U>Tender Evaluation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contract Preparation"><U>Contract preparation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CPA and Best Value Reviews"><U>CPA and Best Value Reviews</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Management Plans"><U>Management Plans</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Strategy Preparation"><U>Strategy Preparation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Auditing"><U>Auditing</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contract Monitoring"><U>Contract monitoring</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20_m.htm#the_consultation" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="FAQ"><U>Consultation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PPG 17 Needs Assessments"><U>PPG 17 Needs Assessments</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact us</U></A></div> <div> Since 1995 we have established ourselves as one of the key players in the local government and contracting market.</div> <div> Our clients have included more than 150 Councils and several housing associations in the past ten years.</div> <div> Should you wish to contact us please click <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>here</U></A> or ring </div> <div> 01285  750569</div> <div> <IMG SRC="2535f200.jpg" border=0 width="95" height="32" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=394 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>FAQ</I></div> <div> The most frequent enquiry is with regard to our <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Greenspace Performance Management System"><U>Greenspace Performance Management System</U></A>. The following provides answers to the most common questions.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Greenspace Performance Management System</B></div> <bR> <div> FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#how_does_the_system_link_in_to_green" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How does the System link to Green Flag, CPA, PPG17, and CabeSpace</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#what_is_included_in_the_reports_" TITLE="FAQ"><U>What is included in the reports</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#how_does_the_system_work_" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How does the System work</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#how_are_catchment_areas_for_the" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How are catchment areas for the consultation defined</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#how_big_are_the_consultation_samples_" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How big are the consultation samples</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#how_are_the_sites_chosen_for_auditing_" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How are the sites chosen for auditing</U></A></div> <div> I<A HREF="#is_there_a_limit_to_the_number_of_parks" TITLE="FAQ"><U>s there a limit to the number of parks that can be included</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#what_is_the_usual_timescale_from" TITLE="FAQ"><U>What is the usual timescale from commission to report</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#why_do_you_have_to_do_more_than_one" TITLE="FAQ"><U>Why do you have to do more than one year</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#how_do_you_ensure_consistency_in_the" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How do you ensure consistency in the auditing process</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#how_many_councilscompanieshousing" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How many councils/companies are using it</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#how_much_does_the_service_cost_" TITLE="FAQ"><U>How much does the service cost</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions regarding the service</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_does_the_system_link_in_to_green"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How does the system link in to Green Flag, CPA, PPG 17 and CABE Space?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Green Flag</B> assessment is carried out for those sites that are considered by the auditors to be capable of winning a Green Flag.  The consultation and comparison information provided by the system enables the <B>CPA</B> diagnostics to be easily completed, and the fact that you will have a performance management system that is capable of national comparison on qualitative issues such as cleanliness and safety is clearly an advantage too.</div> <bR> <div> <B>PPG 17</B> requires local auditing and an assessment of needs - this System provides what is required.</div> <bR> <div> The links to <B>CABE Space</B> are many.  The goals and aspirations of CABE are already taken into account in this System.  The Community is actively engaged in setting and monitoring standards, and the standards are based on customer needs and requirements.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="what_is_included_in_the_reports_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>What is included in the reports?</B></div> <bR> <div> Two reports are provided - one from the auditing and one from the consultation.</div> <bR> <div> 15 page (approx) mini management plans are provided for the major sites audited, including recommendations for improvement.  All your sites audited are scored and a database is provided with hundreds of sites scored for national comparison purposes.</div> <bR> <div> What is included in the report from the consultation? The simple answer is cost, quality, satisfaction and usage information at any level that you require.  The report runs into several pages, and includes information on who uses what, when, why, how often, etc. MORE THAN 540,000 people have been surveyed already.</div> <bR> <div> Information is provided on satisfaction ratings for CLEAN, GREEN AND SAFE as well as information from several hundred non-users.  What people wish to see by way of improvement and whether or not you have improved are also included.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_does_the_system_work_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How does the system work?</B></div> <bR> <div> The system's methodology has two parts: 1) A professional audit, and 2) A consultation exercise. But is also contains other useful management tools such as a Data Mapping Tool and a Usage Calculator.  For full details, please review the whole website or simply contact us.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="the_audit"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>The Audit:</B></div> <div> The audit procedure is based on a system that has been tried, tested and improved by KMC Consultancy over the past ten years. It can be summarised as follows</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Create a Hierarchy of Parks, Open Spaces</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Audit/Benchmark the quality of the sites within the Hierarchy, using a pre-determined checklist as an aide-memoir</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Accept that not all sites are able to achieve excellence, and that some are going to be of a higher standard than others</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Set targets for the quality of each of the categories in the Hierarchy</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Compare the quality results from the audit with the set targets </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Compare the amount being spent on each site with the quality provided </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Combine the quality and the price to obtain the value of the site to the customers</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Compare this to the target</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Review, and make appropriate changes to quality and/or expenditure to ensure cost-effectiveness</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Repeat and analyse for trends</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="the_consultation"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>The Consultation:</B></div> <div> The consultation exercise asks the views of the public on the same issues as those that are being professionally audited.  This in turn provides quality scores for <B>Key Performance Indicators for Cleanliness and Safety</B> from users and non-users<B> </B>and provides much more information, such as:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Scores for satisfaction</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Who is using the sites</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">How often they are used</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">How they get there</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">What they do</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">How they think the sites could be improved</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Total number of visits to individual parks and/or total parks</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_are_catchment_areas_for_the"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How are catchment areas for the consultation defined?</B></div> <bR> <div> The questionnaire is sent out to a random 10% of households at the same time every year to ensure that everyone has an equal chance of being consulted, that sufficient people are consulted to make the process statistically valid and that most will not get `pestered' more than once a decade.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_big_are_the_consultation_samples_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How big are the consultation samples?</B></div> <bR> <div> That clearly depends on the size of the Authority - 10% of households could range from 3,000 to 30,000</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_are_the_sites_chosen_for_auditing_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How are the sites chosen for auditing?</B></div> <bR> <div> Either at random, or on the basis of the results from the consultation where the best and most visited sites can be audited together with a selection of the worst.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="is_there_a_limit_to_the_number_of_parks"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Is there a limit to the number of parks that can be included?</B></div> <bR> <div> The number of sites audited will normally be 10.  This seems to be the optimum number to ensure that the quality and standard of provision is adequately assessed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="what_is_the_usual_timescale_from"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>What is the usual timescale, from commission to receipt of report?</B></div> <bR> <div> 3 months in Year One, less time in subsequent years.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="why_do_you_have_to_do_more_than_one"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Why do you have to do more than One Year?</B></div> <bR> <div> We are trying to measure continuous improvement and consistently engage the public in the setting and monitoring of standards.  To do this means a commitment to compare and consult on a regular and consistent basis.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_do_you_ensure_consistency_in_the"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How do you ensure consistency in the auditing process</B></div> <bR> <div> Up to now about 95% of all sites audited have been undertaken by us in order to ensure total consistency. However, the number of clients now means that the task is becoming too large for our organisation.  We are therefore now offering <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Conducting a Park Audit"><U>training in the auditing process</U></A> to ensure that all those engaged in the System undertake Peer Review and are capable of assessing on a like for like basis as far as possible.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_many_councilscompanieshousing"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How many councils/companies/housing associations are using it?</B></div> <bR> <div> More than 30 (very different) councils, and 8 housing associations are using the System, and some are even linking it to Ken's true performance based contract, which takes the results from this system and  provides financial incentives to the contractor to motivate improvements on the ground still further.</div> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="how_much_does_the_service_cost_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>How much does the service cost?</B></div> <bR> <div> Please go to the <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Current Price List"><U>current price list</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>