New Orleans Recreation Development Commission Earns Second National Accreditation in Parks and Recreation
NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today announced that the New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission has rejoined the ranks of elite park and recreation agencies across the country by earning its reaccreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This distinguished accomplishment was previously awarded to the agency in September 2017.
“This honor is the result of continuous hard work, dedication and consistency displayed by the entire NORD team. NORD’s vision is to be a sustainable and innovative organization that transforms lives. Receiving reaccreditation as one of only two park systems in Louisiana to receive this designation demonstrates that our systems and structures for operation and sustainability are working,” said NORD CEO Larry Barabino, Jr. “It is a badge of honor for the City of New Orleans and NORD to receive this designation for the second time. I look forward to continuing the work necessary to move NORD and the City of New Orleans forward."
Reaccreditation was officially awarded to the agency on Sept. 21 during the 2022 NRPA Conference and Exposition “Best of the Best” Awards Ceremony in Phoenix. There are currently approximately 10,000 park and recreation agencies in the country. NORD is one of only 178 to hold national accreditation and one of only two agencies in Louisiana to hold national accreditation.
CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of land, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services. As part of the reaccreditation process, agencies must demonstrate compliance with 154 recognized standards and document all policies and procedures.
To achieve accreditation, an agency must comply with 36 Fundamental Standards, and 106 of the 118 Non-Fundamental Standards upon initial accreditation and 112 of the 118 Non-Fundamental Standards upon reaccreditation. NORD successfully scored 100 percent on the overall assessment, which was a first for the agency.
The process for reaccreditation involves a formal application, self-assessments, a site visit by a team of trained visitors that results in a written report and a hearing with the commission to grant accreditation. Once reaccredited, the agency must uphold the standards by submitting an annual report and is reviewed again in five years; thus, NORD will come up for reaccreditation again in the year 2027.
For more information about CAPRA accreditation, visit www.nrpa.org/CAPRA.
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