4.8 - Consultants and Contract Employees | Park District of Oak Park CAPRA Accreditation

Standard: The agency shall have policies and procedures regarding the use of consultants and contract employees.

Suggested Evidence of Compliance: Provide the agency’s policies and procedures regarding the use of consultants and contract employees.

Informational reference in the Management of Park and Recreation Agencies, (2010), 3rd Ed., Chapter 17 – Human Resource Management, pp. 458-459.

Agency Evidence of Compliance:

The Park District frequently procures consultant services for professional services such as comprehensive planning, master planning, architect services, engineering services, marketing studies, and landscape architecture services on an as-needed basis to assist, augment or enhance the capabilities of staff. Park District Board Policy on the Use of Expert Consultants¹ states that the board "shall seek the advice of expert consultants when the Board determines it is appropriate and shall use the advice of those consultants as an aid for Board decision-making."

Recent examples include the firm Altamanu¹, who was recently contracted to provide landscape architecture services for the Carroll Park construction project in 2014. The Park District also hired the Lakota Group³ to lead the comprehensive master planning process in 2014 and Planning Resource Inc.⁴ to conduct park master plan updates for Fox and Longfellow Parks in 2014.

Additionally, the Park District often works with independent contractors to provide specialized services as program instructors. The Park District has developed an Independent Contractor Guide⁵ who are interested in offering recreation services at the Park District. These contractors are required to comply with all Park District rules and regulations and other provisions in the Standard Independent Contractor Instructor Agreement.⁶

Documentation:

Agency Self Assessment: MET