DIY Economic Impact
The Practicum
Get Support to Do-It-Yourself
With one-on-one coaching and technical assistance over a nine-month period, community teams execute the process of conducting an economic impact analysis and produce a final report.
DIY Participants
Showcasing Local Impact
Nine Mile County Forest: The Economic and Visitor Impact for Marathon County
Eau Claire: The Economic Significance of the City’s Paved Trails and Public Art
WinMan Trails: A Year-Round Destination Trail System Contributing to the Local Economy
Three Eagle Trail: The Economic Significance of a Community Connector
Peninsula State Park: The Economic Impact of New Mountain Bike Trails
Olbrich Botanical Gardens: A Blooming Economic Force in Madison
Oconto County: Where Water Meets Wilderness — The Economic Value of a Loyal Visitor Base
Heart of Vilas Trail System: Fueling Five Connected Communities
How it Works
Participants who complete the workshop are invited to apply for a nine-month practicum. The practicum offers one-on-one coaching and technical assistance, culminating in a final report that quantifies the significance of their outdoor recreation infrastructure. Application requirements are below.
DIY Practicum Objectives
- Refine and implement a research plan.
- Deploy data collection techniques.
- Calculate estimated economic contributions using the data gathered.
- Learn how to organize and analyze available data to tell a compelling story.
- Receive one-on-one coaching from The Harbinger Consultancy to guide the data collection and analysis process.
- Receive support from the Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation to produce a report based on findings.
Participants should expect the bulk of the work to occur at the beginning and end of the data collection period, with time allotted near the end for analysis and drafting the narrative. The Harbinger Consultancy will be available for one-on-one coaching and troubleshooting, with most of the work conducted by participants.
Practicum Application
A competitive application process will select teams for the practicum based on the following criteria. Preference may be given to applicants who have all the preferred qualifications, including but not limited to:
Required Criteria
- Commitment from at least two team members (three is preferred).
- Represent a Wisconsin community, organization or project.
- A well-developed research plan.
- Desire to understand the economic contributions of an outdoor recreation activity or asset.
- Ability to conduct research independently and provide the necessary content for the report.
- Plans to involve colleagues or stakeholders in the process of developing the final report.
- Strategy to utilize the economic impact report to advance or support outdoor recreation.
- A method for counting users. Learn more about counting methods in Chapter 4 of the DIY Guide.
- Preferred: Access to trail counters or a plan to purchase or borrow counters.
- Acceptable: A subscription or access to a location data provider like Placer.ai, Zartico, Arrivalist, etc. or a robust volunteer base who will perform manual counts.
The Guide
This step-by-step framework includes examples and resources that detail the process of collecting data, calculating impact and telling the story. This free resource is available to download and review at your own pace.
The Workshops
Walk through the types of data needed to estimate economic impacts, the basics of surveying users and how to use the DIY Guide to conduct an economic impact analysis independently.
