What Can It Mean for Your Agency? How data can help you tell your agency's story By Russ Carson, Ph.D. D ata is a four-letter word that's getting lots of attention lately. Its role is increasingly critical to the operations and obligations of park and recreation agencies. Data is a powerful tool for the management, planning and decisionmaking processes related to parks, recreational facilities and programming. Insights can inform strategies, policies and improvements aimed at furthering quality experiences and impacts on the overall health and vitality of park and recreation agencies and the communities they serve. The accelerated interest in data has led professionals to seek assistance - or at least educational guidance - on " anything data " as it relates to parks and recreation. Let's start with the basics. 54 Parks & Recreation | O CTOBER 2 0 2 3 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G