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This study identified the competencies that CEOs in public parks and recreation agencies in the United States perceived they needed in order to perform their duties. Two simultaneous Delphi techniques were used with two different cohorts of CEOs. Thirty jurors were selected from each group with 22 per group agreeing to participate. During the four step process, the jurors were asked to: (a) list competencies they perceived as important for the CEO position; (b) rank the importance of the competency in relation to their job; (c) determine if the categories derived from the results in the previous rounds were accurate; and (d) determine the perceived importance of the competency category to the CEO. Based on the results of the Delphi process, the CEO Competency Framework was developed consisting of three levels of specificity including six general competency categories 20 primary competencies and 72 specific competencies.

This study generated a systematic and comprehensive view of park and recreation CEO competencies by examining how CEOs in public parks and recreation subjectively ranked various competencies using Q-sorts and Q-methodology. Results found three different types of CEOs: the practical CEO, the structured CEO, and the traditionalist CEO. The Practical CEO focused on employee involvement in decision making thus making the work environment a more positive and reinforcing place. The Structured CEO placed an emphasis on structure, organization, and skills. The Traditionalist CEO placed emphasis on formal skill sets, task orientation, and external validation of skills. Understanding that the importance of specific competencies is viewed from different perspectives allows a more informed understanding of how CEOs in public parks and recreation perceive the importance of competencies.

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