• 'Searchlight' Community and Market Analysis for each of the Recreation Wellington areas, that idenifies key community features, highlights consequences for recreation and presents opportunities and markets for exploration. The analysis uses secondary research from a wide range of data. The results are used by area, programmes and facility personnel to identify recreation markets, select opportunities and develop service and programme solutions.

“Searchlight research combines existing research and information with local and staff knowledge in the form of a meta-analysis. It identifies key features of each geographical community to ensure a close alignment of programmes and services with the needs of those communities,” said NZRA Chief Executive Andrew Leslie.

“Searchlight’s results have been immediate with new programmes and services developed as well as staff horizons broadened,” said Leslie. “WCC and Lumin have developed an effective way of pulling together information to identify not only the people in the communities, but also their barriers and needs. In this way, the judges felt that it was efficient, effective and relevant with staff putting it to good use,” he added.

• Workshops with staff using this base information have resulted in the generation of recommendations for programmes, marketing, facilities, staff and stakeholders and relationships. The 'Searchlight' methodology is scalable (from the community surrounding a facility up to city-wide analysis), and the fees scale to match. If you're interested in finding out more, contact Robyn.

• Foundation work to inform the WCC Strategic Recreation Framework. This involved mapping existing national, regional and local strategies, plans and policies and reviewing current practice. It sets the direction for recreation in Wellington with guiding principles for future planning.

• Provision of a community/school needs assessment and development of daytime planning solutions for the 12-court Wellington Indoor Community Sport Centre.

• CheckM8 is facilitated by young people for young people.
• A resilience-based project that supports health and wellbeing it provides access to information, support and tools that encourage young people to look after themselves and their mates, through website and texting. Check out CheckM8

• We worked with the CNZ staff to assess the needs of small independent dance and theatre companies and create some recommended approaches for supporting their development.

• Development and implementation of the strategy: Developing Community Recreation. Download this document (pdf 244KB).

• Development of the Dance Industry Strategy. Download this strategy (pdf 532KB)

• Development of No Exceptions Strategy, involving a comprehensive review of policies, legislation and strategies involving interviewing and consulting with key stakeholders, with recommended strategies for a co-ordinated approach to disability support. Download this document.

• In response to proposed roading realignment, Wellington City needed a good idea of current badminton demand, future trends and forecast demand and some site options for accommodating a new badminton facility.

• with an aging facility and increasing and changing demands, Paekakariki Surfclub needed a feasibility study conducted to identify their current and future needs and options for complimentary use by the local community and other groups.

• Governance Mentoring is a six-month trial programme to address the current low participation rate of women as sport governors. This programme links twenty women aspiring to be appointed or elected to a national sport governance role, with an experienced sport, business or not-for-profit governor.
• Follow this link to access the programme resources.
• Research on mentoring of women across business, academia, and sport discipline and development of a discussion paper that summarised key components of systems and processes for mentoring of women.
• International articles on this programme have been published in International Working Group on Women and Sport and The Leisure Review.

• Worked with the Entertainment Venues Sector to identify the employment profile of current staff
• Analysed information to determine training needs
• Compared local and international options for training
• Recommended an approach to accessing industry training

• Development of an Balanced Scorecard Evaluation Framework for Activation
• Comprehensive project evaluation of Activation using Balanced Scorecard approach
• Analysis, discussion and reporting for the Upper Hutt Youth Surveys in 2006 and 2007.
• Research, analysis and recommendations for the Sports Facility Needs Assessment.
• Activation - primary and desk research resulting in the Upper Hutt Active Recreation Plan that underpins the work of the Activation projects.

• Research on the network of school pools, assessment of unmet aquatic education needs and preferences for schools in partnering with the WCC and others in making a pool available in the future. The report - Aquatic Facilities Partnerships with Schools report - resulted in considerable WCC commitment to investing in school partnerships.

• WCC was keen to improve its Swim School services including the curriculum, timetabling, instructor quality and bookings process. Poolside and phone interviews were conducted to identify issues and generate opportunities and solutions.

• Research that underpins physical activity plans for Wairarapa, Upper Hutt, Horowhenua, Kapiti, Wellington Urban Region, Selwyn District and Waimakariri. Development of Evaluation Frameworks for some strategies. Download these documents.

• Telephone interviews with CEOs of Olympic and Commonwealth Sports to identify leadership trends in New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Sports looking at gender balance. Download a summary brochure (pdf 1.27MB).

• Evaluation of the Future Strengths Strategy and the impact of increased funds on recurrently funded arts organisations.

• Training needs analysis involving a broad selection of sectors. Several projects have resulted in the creation of qualifications, certification pathways, and training and assessment resources.

• A series of workshops for people in the broad recreation and sport sector to develop their understanding of the principles and processes of recreation programming including community needs analysis, programme design and development, programme marketing and programme evaluation.

• Training and assessment of a wide range of community recreation and aquatics unit standards for people working toward qualifications with Skills Active.
• Provision of an 18-month Facility Management Training Programme towards a national diploma for Community Recreation Facilitation Management - Level 5.
  Download this document.

• Facilitation of sector forums for orchestra, craft/object art, dance and theatre.

• Facilitation of sector planning workshop to address lack of performing arts producers and producer support.

• Facilitation of two forums exploring the intersection and interactions where artists and scientists meet.

• Development of the Get Set Go recreation programming planning resource for community groups.
  Download this document (pdf 898KB).