Core Competencies
Descriptions of the 39 competencies and proficiencies in the ORPCF
The purpose of the Outdoor Recreation Professional Comptency Framework identifies core competencies for people who plan, manage, and provide outdoor recreation as a public service. This framework supports consistency across current and future training, professional development, degree program, and certification providers, and will provide a path to employment in the outdoor recreation public sector workforce.
Grants + Agreements
Entry-level: Recognize the elements of a grant proposal or a partner agreement including outcomes and specific tasks or requirements. Understand types of agreements and when they are applicable. Full Performance: Identi...
Site Design
Enry-level: Demonstrate foundational knowledge of recreation site design principles and their relationship to visitor experience, accessibility, safety, and resource protection. Full Performance: Apply site design princ...
Special Uses + Permits
Entry-level: Demonstrate knowledge of special uses authorities and the types of activities that require permits or other approvals. Assist with processing permit applications, maintaining case files, and monitoring permi...
Desired Conditions/Visioning:
Entry-level: Explain the purpose and elements of visioning and desired conditions statements. Understand the goals and objectives related to recreation in your organization’s guiding documents. Support the developm...
Recreation Access Competencies
● Accessibility Laws and Principles ● Information Access ● Physical Access ● Socioeconomic Access...
Accessibility Laws and Principles:
Entry-level: Understand accessibility laws, guidelines and operational practices relevant to recreation management. Full Performance: Integrate accessibility requirements and organizational policies into recreation plan...
Information Access:
Entry-level: Describe the existing information and education approaches your organization uses. Full performace: Provide accurate and relevant information and education to different user groups. Identify new opportuniti...
Physical Access:
Entry-level: Understand design and management principles to best support safe and welcoming physical access. Full Performance: Apply universal design principles into recreation planning and management. Identify strategi...
Socioeconomic Access:
Entry-level: Identify the socioeconomic profiles of current and potential recreation users. Understand barriers to accessing outdoor recreation related to socioeconomic status. Full Performance: Identify and implement s...
Welcoming and Belonging
Entry-level: Describe cultural and social identities of current and potential recreation users for your organization or unit. Full Performance: Identify and apply strategies to provide and foster safe and welcoming outd...
Project Management Competencies
● Budgeting + Milestones ● Facilitation ● Implementation + Monitoring ● Outreach + Public Input...
Budgeting + Milestones
Entry-level: Understand project budget, milestones, and funding sources. Track project time and costs. Provide timely updates on progress and potential delays. Full Performance: Develop and execute a project management...
Facilitation
Entry-level: Identify facilitation processes and tools to achieve stated objectives of a meeting or process. Support the development of facilitation agendas and plans. Full Performance: Plan, design, and lead engaging a...
Implementation + Monitoring
Entry-level: Explain project goals and compliance requirements. Assist with inspections, monitoring, and project implementation. Full performance: Identify and communicate project implementation requirements including a...
Outreach + Public Input
Entry-level: Describe the unit or project's public outreach strategy and assist with engagement efforts. Conduct regular status checks to ensure goals and timelines are met. Full Performance: Develop outreach and public...
Technical Writing
Entry-level: Describe project purpose and goals and use succinct and effective language to convey them to specialists, partners, and interested parties. Full Performance: Develop and design technical documents, presenta...
Recreation Planning + Visitor Use Management
● Community Context ● Desired Conditions/Visioning ● Indicators + Monitoring ● Management Strateg...
Community Context
Entry-level: Identify and evaluate trend and community data for a specific project or planning area. Full Performance: Collect community data from multiple sources, assess its importance and relevance, and make conclusi...
Land Management Competencies
● Historical Context of Public Land Management ● Interdisciplinary Collaboration ● Land Management Jurisdiction + Policy ● ...
Tribal and Indigenous Relations
Entry-level: Identify treaty rights relevant to the lands your organization manages. Full Performace: Incorporate treaty rights into recreation planning and management. Coordinate with tribal specialists to ensure compl...