Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices

Outdoor recreation programming is a growing and diverse field that requires administrators to be ready to work in complex and multidisciplinary environments. Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices will help both seasoned and new administrators—as well as students and emerging professionals—flourish in various settings, including university, military, government, commercial, and nonprofit organizations. You'll learn the best contemporary administrative strategies and practices from veteran professionals from the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE). The AORE authors provide extensive coverage of all aspects of administrative duties and responsibilities from a diverse organizational setting. Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices guides you in developing and sustaining programs in outdoor recreation settings across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. You will reap the benefits of the experience shared by the AORE authors, who also provide questions and critical thinking exercises that will enhance the materials and deepen your understanding. This reference explores all the issues pertinent to being a successful outdoor program administrator. The book has four sections: Outdoor Program Foundations, Program Design and Implementation, Staffing Considerations, and Facilities and Programs. Topics you'll delve into include • designing and developing programs; • risk management and legal considerations; • budgeting and financial operations; • marketing and land access (permits); • environmental stewardship; • staff recruitment, supervision, training, and assessment; and • management of indoor climbing walls and challenge courses. Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices presents material that will help you improve your administrative skills and enhance the programs you oversee. As such, it's an essential book for your professional library.

Table of Contents:
Part I. Outdoor Program Foundations Chapter 1. The Outdoor Program Administrator Mat Erpelding and Geoff Harrison Outdoor Program Administration Defined Outdoor Program Administrator Defined Skill Sets for Outdoor Program Administrators Administrative Competence Minimum Competencies for Outdoor Program Administrators Acquiring Skills Professional Maintenance Administrative Challenges Summary Chapter 2. History of Outdoor Recreation in the United States: An Outdoor Administrator's Perspective Steven P. Guthrie, Bryan J. Cavins, and Jerome Gabriel National Events Set the Stage for Emergence of Outdoor Recreation: 1825–1890 The Beginnings of a Profession: 1890–1920s Outdoor Recreation Evolves and Grows: 1920s–1960s Adventure Programming Emerges: 1960s–1990 Adventure Programming Today (1990–present) Summary Chapter 3. Dimensions of Outdoor Recreation Programs Todd Bauch and Steve Hutton Three Service Sectors of Outdoor Recreation Programs Common Programmatic Types Common Facilities or Resources of Outdoor Programs Outdoor Program Administrative Structures and Models Summary Chapter 4. The Future of Outdoor Program Administration Laurlyn K. Harmon and Susan L. Johnson Evolving Participant Characteristics Staffing Professionalization of the Field: Standards, Certifications, Accreditation Youth and the Outdoors Technology and the Outdoors Sustainability Collaborations and Partnerships Outcome Assessment Summary Part II. Program Design and Implementation Chapter 5. Designing and Developing Outdoor Recreation and Education Programs Todd Miner and Heidi Erpelding-Welch Vision Mission Statement Strategic Plan Sustainability Dealing With Change: Evolve to Survive and Thrive Summary Chapter 6. Administrative Risk Management Mat Erpelding and Geoff Harrison Terms and Definitions of Risk Management Creating a Comprehensive Risk-Management Plan Summary Chapter 7. Legal Considerations in Outdoor Recreation Brent Wilson and Tracey Knutson Negligence Legal Definition (Elements) of Negligence Negligence and Negligence Related Theories of Liability Defenses Against Negligence Role of Insurance in Legal Liability Matters Summary Chapter 8. Budgeting and Financial Operations of Outdoor Programs Tim J. Moore and Geoff Harrison Budget Components Budget-Development Strategies Forecasting Expenses and Revenue Summary Chapter 9. Marketing Outdoor Programs John McIntosh and Geoff Harrison Marketing Basics Identifying the Market Marketing Mix Developing a Marketing Plan Branding Marketing Methods Summary Chapter 10. Access and Permitting for Use of Public Lands Rachel M. Peters Outdoor Programs on Public Lands Permitting Defined Management Agencies and Regulations Permitting Tips Summary Chapter 11. Environmental Stewardship Whitney Ward and Will Hobbs History of Environmental Stewardship in the United States Major Impacts of Recreation Today Applied Environmental Stewardship Integration of Environmental Stewardship and Recreation Summary Chapter 12. Developing Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines for Outdoor Programs Mat Erpelding, Curt Howell, and Brien Sheedy Characteristics of Quality Policy, Procedure, and Guideline Documents Considerations Specific to Developing Policies and Procedures Developing Administrative Policies and Procedures Developing Field Policies and Procedures Summary Part III. Staffing Considerations Chapter 13. Staff Recruitment and Supervision Jeff Turner and Leigh Jackson-Magennis Human Resource Planning Staff Selection Staff Supervision Summary Chapter 14. Staff Training Bruce Saxman and Tom Stuessy Needs Assessment Hiring and Staff Training Initial Standardized Training Mentoring Staff-Training Assessment Mechanisms for Training Assessment and Evaluation of Staff Staff-Training Designs: Integrated Training Model Activity-Specific Training Staff Appraisal Summary Chapter 15. Staff Assessment Mark Wagstaff and Jenny Kafsky The Basics and Purpose of Staff Assessment An Effective Environment for Assessment Assessment Criteria Assessment Tools An Effective Assessment System Summary Part IV. Facilities and Programs Chapter 16. Rental Operations Rob Jones Planning Purchasing Rental Center Operations Summary Chapter 17. Indoor Climbing Walls John Bicknell and Guy deBrun History of Artificial Climbing Walls Climbing Wall Facilities and Construction Climbing Wall Activities Climbing Wall Management Summary Chapter 18. Challenge Course Management Christina Carter Thompson and Adam Bondeson Challenge Terms History Challenge Course Program Design and Outcomes Primary Influences on Challenge Programming Challenge Course Facilities Designing and Choosing a Course Bidding Process Building Process The Challenge Course Administrator Organizational Support and Resources Summary Chapter 19. Land-Based Programming Curt Howell Incident Prevention and Incident Response Cost Analyses Determining Learning Outcomes Risk Management Backpacking Climbing Caving Programs Mountaineering Ski Programs Cycling Summary Chapter 20. Water-Based Programming Andy Reimers and Chris Stec Incident Prevention and Incident Response: Needs Assessment Water-Based Programming: Flat Water Water-Based Programming: Moving Water and Whitewater Venues Water-Based Programming: Open Water Summary Chapter 21. Special Events Programming Brent Anslinger and Amy Anslinger Special Event Options Risk Management for Special Events and Competitions Assessing and Planning Your Event Staffing Managing the Event Developing Timelines for Successful Events Putting the Planning Into Motion Summary

About the Author :
The Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) provides opportunities for professionals and students in the field of outdoor recreation and education. AORE's mission is to exchange information; promote the preservation and conservation of the natural environment; and address issues common to college, university, community, military, and other not-for-profit outdoor recreation and education programs. Geoff Harrison, MS, has been working in the field of health and recreation for over 20 years and has been fostering student and staff development at Boise State University since 1998. Geoff serves as the associate director of education and recreation at Boise State University, where he oversees multiple programs and service areas, department partnerships, and initiatives. He also serves as an adjunct faculty for the department of kinesiology. Prior to his work at Boise State, Geoff worked in the fields of publishing, event promotion, and domestic and international adventure travel. Geoff has served the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education as a committee chair, board member, conference host, and interim national director. In 2010, Geoff was the recipient of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education's Jim Rennie Leadership Award. Mat Erpelding, MA, has been working in the field of physical education and outdoor leadership for over 15 years. Currently, he teaches at the College of Western Idaho in the physical education department and at Boise State University in the leadership studies minor. Additionally, Mat guides mountain climbers and teaches courses for the American Alpine Institute and teaches wilderness medicine courses for the Wilderness Medicine Training Center. Before making the transition to outdoor education, Mat worked as a developmental therapist and in the mental health industry. Mat is a past president of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education and served on committees and the board of directors and as a conference host. In 2006, Mat was the recipient of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education's Jim Rennie Leadership Award, and in 2010 he received the Instructor of the Year Award from the Wilderness Education Association. Mat and Geoff co-own Experiential Adventures LLC. They provide training and consulting services to organizations that foster leadership development, help organizations manage change, develop positive organizational cultures that promote success, and build professionalism in outdoor programs through trainings and certifications.