California Action Plan (CAP)
Advancing Parks & Recreation
Working together, professionals from across the State of California have envisioned the future of parks and recreation. Along with our partners from MIG, we’ve created a plan to proactively address the trends and challenges we foresee. These directions are summarized here in the California Action Plan: Guiding the Park & Recreation Profession (CAP).
The CAP builds on the 1998 VIP Project: Creating Community in the 21st Century (VIP Plan). The VIP Plan’s vision and many strategies have proven to be timeless and are still relevant today. However, our profession has grown and changed over the last 20 years. New recreation trends and changing demographics influence the services we provide; different organizations, partners, and professionals are involved; new technologies impact the way we do business: and new tools are needed to guide us.
The VIP Plan is still in effect and is our guiding strategic plan.
The CAP is a living document with actionable resources to support our work.
The CAP is launched simultaneously with new tools to support professionals in the field. It is intended to evolve as CAP Action Teams continue to develop, test and launch new tools—and connect professionals to existing resources—to achieve our goals for the future.
Purpose of the Document
This document provides an overview of the CAP planning process. It updates the VIP Plan’s values, vision, mission, and goals. It identifies what professionals believe are the most significant trends to address in the next 10 years, along with the competencies needed to address them. It introduces a five-year Action Plan along with links to three new tools initiated through this planning effort.
Moving forward, CAP actions are intended to be reviewed by CPRS Board members on an annual basis to provide direction for resource development, trainings, and initiatives.
Strategies and Actions
The California Action Plan identifies five key strategies for enhancing parks and recreation opportunities. We must advocate, communicate, evaluate, innovate, and collaborate in the next five years to enhance communities across the State.