Our Services

We offer nine categories of service to our customers

Economic Analysis • Customer Satisfaction Studies • Program Evaluation • Social Values Mapping
Attendance Tracking • Recreation Site Visitor Profiles • Data Processing • Community Studies • Training Programs

Customer Satisfaction Studies

How do people rate the quality of your site’s facilities, programs, and services?

Using comment cards, surveys, and focus groups, we can measure visitor satisfaction with your site – from restroom facilities to management decisions. This information can be used to attract funding for site improvements or show what has been accomplished over time. Find out how to request a customer satisfaction study.

Visitor Profiles

Who is visiting your site? What are their activities, needs or preferences?

Using mail-back and online survey methods, we conduct in-depth studies to answer managers’ questions about visitors and their experiences. Inquire about a visitor study.

Program Evaluation

What are visitors’ opinions of programs and operations, such as interpretive media, ticketing systems, websites, transportation systems?

Using focus groups, observation, interviews, surveys, and other research methods, we evaluate specific programs and services, in their formative or final stages. Let's discuss your evaluation needs.

Economic Analysis

Economic Impact

How much money do visitors spend at your site and in the surrounding communities, and what do they purchase? How does visitor spending contribute to the local economy? How do your site’s operational expenditures contribute to the local economy?

The PSU uses information collected specifically at your site, along with industry standard IMPLAN-based input-output models to measure economic impact.

Economic Benefit

Economic benefit is a measure of what your site is worth to visitors above and beyond what they have to pay to use it. In economics jargon it’s referred to as “consumer surplus” or “willingness to pay.” Managers use estimates of economic benefit in benefit/cost analysis to determine return on investments. The PSU uses two methods to estimate economic benefit: travel cost modeling and contingent valuation.

Email the Park Studies Unit for more information about our economic analysis services.

Community Studies

Who is not visiting your site and how can you attract a more diverse population? How can you partner with local stakeholders to benefit your local community?

We use both quantitative and qualitative methods to learn about various aspects of a community and how these relate to public land management. Learn more about how to expand your audience and reach new demographics.

Social Values Mapping

Do people value certain places within your site more than others? Do these perceived values match your management objectives?

Park managers often have to consider the consequences of alternative management actions, which may involve estimating and weighing tradeoffs between public access and resource protection. The PSU combines survey data with existing ecological data and software tools to map how people value landscapes for different types of social values. Find out how we can help you map your site's social values.

Attendance Tracking

How many people visit your site, per day, per month, per year?

We develop scientific systems to estimate visitation and establish site-specific counting methods to provide accurate visitation statistics. Find out how we can help you track your visitation statistics.

Data Processing

We process raw data and provide data analysis with SAS, SPSS, and other statistical software. We also code and analyze qualitative data using NVivo and other qualitative data  analysis approaches. Find out more about our data processing services.

Training Programs

We design training programs for use in the field.

1. How to Use Focus Groups for Evaluation. This training program is designed for managers who would like to conduct a focus group at their site to learn about visitor opinions on a specific topic or subject, such as an interpretive service, a particular facility, or a management decision.

2. Survey Interviewer Training. This program demonstrates how to invite visitors to participate in a Park Studies Unit visitor survey.