January 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 15

tion Manager if further guidance is
needed to complete the visit and/
or summary report. CRT Advisors
are expected to be responsive and
knowledgeable about the accreditation
process, how to interpret the
standards compared to the submitted
evidence of compliance, and to
provide guidance to their assigned
Review Team as needed.
CAPRA Mentor
CAPRA Mentors provide guidance
to an assigned agency as they complete
their self-assessment. They may
provide guidance on how to interpret
the standards, provide recommendations
on the appropriate evidence of
compliance to include, and provide
direction on how to access and use the
available resources CAPRA provides
for agencies to complete their selfassessment.
The mentor role works
directly with the applying agency prior
to submitting their self-assessment
and can serve as a resource during the
onsite or virtual site visit.
CAPRA Commissioner
Commissioners oversee the accreditation
process, policies and procedures.
They establish and regularly
review the CAPRA standards and
implement
updates
NRPA and the Commission with reviewing
volunteer management best
practices, developing trainings and
updating the volunteer handbook.
Training Committee
The Training Committee is responsible
for developing, implementing
and evaluating trainings that support
CAPRA Volunteer positions
and agencies applying for accreditation
or reaccreditation. Over the
past several years, this committee
has worked to develop several virtual
training options to meet the
needs of all involved in the CAPRA
application and review process. Its
role is to produce and implement
trainings in a variety of formats,
identify and evaluate trainings and
trainers, and to research and develop
best practices and standards for
delivering training.
Qualifications
To serve as a CAPRA Volunteer,
interested professionals must meet
the following qualifications:
* Be a current CPRP or CPRE
* Have at least five years of fulltime
professional experience in
the field
as needed.
They also provide the formal decisions
on whether agencies will be
accredited or not.
Committees
In addition to the volunteer positions,
there also are opportunities
to serve on CAPRA Committees.
Volunteer Committee
The Volunteer Committee was developed
to
support
the Commission
with volunteer recruitment and
management. The committee assists
* Be able to communicate effectively
and handle difficult situations
in a calm and supportive manner
* Have completed CAPRA Volunteer
training for your specific role
within the past two years
* To serve as a Lead, Mentor or
Advisor, must demonstrate familiarity
with CAPRA and the
accreditation
process
and/or
have served at least two years on
a CAPRA Review Team
* To serve on a CAPRA Committee,
must have prior volunteer
service,
as well
as knowledge
and experience with volunteer
recruitment and management
and/or training
and adult learning
development
* To serve as a CAPRA
Commissioner,
experience
must
with
have
accreditation;
have previous volunteer, board
or committee experience; and
(usually) hold middle- to upperlevel
management positions in
parks and recreation, local/
regional government, or a related
industry
Time Requirements
CAPRA Review Team Members,
Leads and Mentors have a oneyear
term and can expect to serve
approximately 20 hours per year,
which includes the initial review of
the self-assessment and the final site
visit. CAPRA Review Team Advisors
who also serve a one-year term
may volunteer approximately 10
hours, depending on the needs of
the Review Team they are assigned.
Serving on CAPRA Committees
or as a Commissioner is a greater time
commitment due to recurring meetings,
subcommittee and task force
work, and assignments throughout
the year. Serving on the committees
could involve 12 to 36 hours a year.
Commissioner positions range between
40 to 50 hours per year.
If you are interested in applying
for a CAPRA Volunteer position,
please visit nrpa.org/Volunteer.
Don't wait...sign up to be a
CAPRA Volunteer today!
To hear from leaders in the field
about their experience volunteering
with CAPRA, visit nrpa.org/CAPRA
Volunteering.
Tara Eggleston Stewart, CPRE, AFO, M.S., is the Division
Chief for Aquatics and Athletic Facilities for Maryland-National
Capital Park and Planning Commission's Department of Parks
and Recreation.
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http://www.nrpa.org/Volunteer http://www.nrpa.org/CAPRAVolunteering http://www.nrpa.org/CAPRAVolunteering
January 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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