Collective Impact Models and Community Change

Parks and recreation systems play a vital role in supporting healthy, inclusive, and sustainable communities across Canada. The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association is proud to support the renewal of The Framework for Recreation in Canada. This national policy, provides a vision for how recreation contributes to wellbeing, community vitality, and quality of life for all Canadians. This project, in partnership with CPRA, will explore how a “collective impact” approach can support this next phase of work. Collective impact brings organizations together around a shared goal, using common measurement systems and coordinated strategies to create meaningful, large-scale change. Through a systematic review of academic and practitioner research, this project will identify best practices, challenges, and lessons learned from collective impact initiatives in Canada and internationally. The findings will be used to develop practical tools for the parks and recreation sector, including a collective impact implementation framework, approaches to shared measurement, and recommendations for governance and coordination. Ultimately, this research will help strengthen collaboration across the sector and support more effective responses to complex challenges such as public health, climate change, and equitable access to recreation—contributing to stronger, more connected communities across Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jackie Oncescu

Student:

Partner:

The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

University of New Brunswick

Program: