While partnerships contribute a great deal to the success of the park district or the park and recreation department, they are not without negative aspects. Loss of control is the major issue, but several other aspects also reduce the effectiveness of partnerships. This study revealed several troublesome issues that must be considered. Let's consider just a couple. First, there is an unsettling issue involving communication, evaluation and the loss of control.
Evaluations can determine if the goals of the partnership have been met.
When desired results have not been realized modifications can be made to remedy the situation. Systematic evaluations can also help with most of the commonly cited negative aspect of partnerships the loss of control. In most cases, leisure service agencies do not have control of their partnerships taken away as much as they quietly surrender it to their partners. Many partnerships involve agencies or groups that are based heavily on that single partnership with the park district or the park and recreation department. Sports leagues are a prime example.