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<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>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ"><U>FAQ</U></A>   |   <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 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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_the_consultation.htm" TARGET="_top" 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> <div> <IMG SRC="20ba07b0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="123" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></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_the_consultation.htm" TARGET="_top" 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>News and Information</I></div> <div> If you are aware of any news, articles or events that you would like to see listed here, please send us  the information as an e-mail attachment and we will publish it here FREE, for you and other greenspace enthusiasts to share.</div> <div> <I> <img src="HTMLobj-514/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="200" height="100">  </I></div> <div> <I> <A NAME="hlf_confirm_that_gpms_is_ok_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I><I>HLF Confirm that GPMS is ok.</I></div> <bR> <div> The Policy Advisor at HLF has confirmed that GPMS is acceptable as a means of showing an increase in usage as a result of having obtained Grant Funding.  Simply discuss it with HLF Regional Staff at the Pre-Application Discussion Stage.</div> <bR> <div> "If they (Councils) have already collected good quality base-line visitor survey information, (qualitative and quantative) which they are already intending to repeat year on year - or every 2 or 3 years etc. and which can then be used to compare 'before and after' to comply with 'Measuring Success, then this is no problem and quite acceptable, though the data needs to be 'recent' ie from the year before Stage 1 , or the year before Stage 2. Obviously the same Questionnaire what ever it is needs to be used both before and after. </div> <bR> <div> But as we would like to build up comparative UK visitor stats, we will only provide funding towards visitor surveys (as part of their project) if they use the standard format of questions which we have developed with GreenSpace. As the guidance for this VSQ says, you can add-on any other questions they need specifically for their park - so long as the standard VSQ ones are included, with their standard numbering. </div> <div> If in doubt they should discuss whether their existing survey work is suitable during Pre-application discussions with HLF regional staff."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>The LGA have just published their thoughts on yet another inspection service</I></div> <div> However we approach this issue – whether from the perspective of central</div> <div> government; local government; local public service providers; inspectors</div> <div> or regulators – our shared objective is to drive improvement in the delivery</div> <div> of public services and outcomes for local people. We believe, and research</div> <div> has borne out, that the current performance management framework hinders</div> <div> this drive. It focuses on assessment rather than improvement, encourages</div> <div> compliance rather than innovation – and it has become too burdensome.</div> <div> We need a new framework consistent with the changes that are taking place</div> <div> in the way localities are governed, that engages people as citizens, customers</div> <div> and taxpayers and that rewards innovation, improvement and value for money</div> <div> services. This paper sets out LGA and IDeA proposals for a new framework.</div> <div> It builds on what we know about what makes for improvement and draws</div> <div> on the wide range of improvement levers available. If it is to succeed it will</div> <div> require commitment from Government; inspectors; statutory, private and</div> <div> voluntary sector partners; and local government itself. There is still much to do</div> <div> and the LGA and IDeA invite you to work with us in developing our proposals.</div> <div> Councillor Sir Simon Milton</div> <div> <I>Chairman of LGA Improvement Board</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Full details can be found on </I><A HREF="http://www.lga.gov.uk/Documents/Publication/drivingimprovement.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.lga.gov.uk/Documents/Publicat"><U><I>http://www.lga.gov.uk/Documents/Publication/drivingimprovement.pdf </I></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <U>Minister welcomes National Audit Office (NAO) report on urban green spaces</U></div> <div> 02/03/2006</div> <bR> <div> The Government welcomes the NAO report, <I>Enhancing Urban Green Spaces</I>, which acknowledges that the decline in our urban green spaces has been halted.  Liveability Minister, Baroness Andrews said in response to the report:</div> <div> “I am very pleased that the NAO has recognised the renaissance in our urban parks and green spaces.</div> <div> The results speak for themselves - more green spaces than ever have a Green Flag Award, more local authorities have a strategic approach to green spaces and 40 per cent more parks managers believe their spaces are improving or stable, compared to five years ago. Also, for the first time we have a single body, CABE, to champion our public spaces.</div> <bR> <div> This debate is no longer about the decline of urban green spaces but about how to sustain and accelerate the renaissance. We are determined to work on our successes, to ensure that everyone benefits from improved urban green spaces.”</div> <bR> <div> The report recognises that Government's initiatives are having a real and positive effect on the ground, and are directly benefiting communities across the country. Nearly 85 per cent of park managers think their parks are improving or stable – 40 per cent more than in 2000 - proof that the renaissance of parks is well underway. And 83 per cent of them think ODPM and CABE Space have raised the status of green space issues. The report reflects the achievements, not just of our policies, but of those professionals and communities who put them into practice on the ground.</div> <div> We are committed to driving the standard of our green spaces higher. The Green Flag Award Scheme is the national standard for green spaces and is it helping to drive up the quality of parks across the country. The number of Green Flag Award winners is increasing - tangible evidence that the quality of parks across the country is improving, which is also reflected in an overall trend of increased public satisfaction in their local green space.</div> <div> We are already working to make sure our successes are sustained. For example, we are targeting the 50 poorest performing areas to improve their public spaces through the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund and in all other areas through Local Area Agreements. And with the new Academy for Sustainable Communities and CABE Space, we are delivering skills training and support for green space practitioners.</div> <div> We will carefully consider the report's findings in detail and present our formal response to Parliament in due course.</div> <div> News releases and reports are available on the NAO website, which is at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>www.nao.org.uk</U></FONT>. Hard copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702 3474.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>KMC Consultancy have published information on 'What Every Park Manager should know'</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="20434820.png" border=0 width="564" height="386" ALT="Microsoft Excel Chart" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> It probably comes as no surprise that toilets are the poor performer, but they are so far down the pecking order that it's astonishing that we are not all targeting the improvement of this absolutely essential facility as the Number One priority.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2069bca0.png" border=0 width="667" height="458" ALT="Microsoft Excel Chart" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="20707160.png" border=0 width="7" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">                                            <B>Figure 2   Why People Use Parks - %age of overall use</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> The results from this are more surprising.  Most Parks Managers would, perhaps, expect to see dog walking making up a larger proportion of the chart.  It is also interesting that exercise, taking children to play and relaxing are nearly always the top three reasons for visiting a site, regardless of its size or locality.  For every council, two of these three reasons are the most common response. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="209e7fc0.png" border=0 width="743" height="508" ALT="Microsoft Excel Chart" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="20a07120.png" border=0 width="7" height="18" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>                                              <B>Figure 3   Some statistics regarding user profiles</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> This aspect of the analysis again throws up some surprises.  An average of 22% of respondents visit sites daily. Further analysis shows that they generate 80% of the 3 billion or so visits that are made to local parks by residents every year.  But perhaps the most surprising statistic is that only 3% of the 40,000 respondents say that they feel very unsafe in parks and open spaces.  This is in spite of the media's best efforts to make everyone think that parks are dark and dangerous places never to be visited for fear of mugging.  That is not to say, of course, that things should not be improved so that we can reduce this relatively small figure even further.</div> <bR> <div> It is also encouraging that the figure of 66% for those that use Borough Parks is the same figure that Sport England found when they did their research on who uses parks and who doesn't.</div> <bR> <div> We hope that this information will prove of use to Parks Managers and enable them to focus on the issues that are important.  The Councils that are using GPMS, the System that created these results, are certainly finding it a very cost-effective way of improving their communication with their customers and improving the way that they manage.  It also allows easy demonstration of continuous improvement, as well as providing some spin-off benefits such as creating a lot of the information that is required under any CPA or Best Value inspection. </div> <bR> <div> If you would like more information about the Greenspace Performance Management System please do not hesitate to contact Ken McAnespie on 01285 750569 or e-mail <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:ken@kmc-consultancy.co.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:ken@kmc-consultancy.co.uk"><U><U>ken@kmc-consultancy.co.uk</U></U></A></FONT> </div> </td> </tr></table></body>