John Veverka & Associates
General Interpretive Plan Outline
I.
Introduction and Scope of the Plan.
A. What was the scope of work the plan was
to cover?
II.
Main Interpretive theme and
Sub-themes (from focus workshops and site resource analysis).
A. Main Interpretive theme and rational.
B. Main Sub-themes and rational.
C. Interpretive story-line flow bubble
diagram.
III.
Total interpretive program/services
objectives (Learn, Feel, Do).
(This is for the total interpretive program/services effort
– site and/or visitor center combined. This
usually comes from a focus workshop, and edited based on the interpretive site resources
review.)
A. Learning Objectives
B. Behavioral Objectives
C. Emotional Objectives
IV.
Visitor Analysis.
(This is usually based on existing
visitor data as doing new visitor surveys is both time consuming and expensive). Sections of this part of the plan can include:
A. Visitation numbers and trends over the
past 3-5 years (graph this data).
B. Basic market profile – who are the
visitors, where are they traveling from, how long are they staying, gender and age
variables, etc.
C. Visitor experience desires or focus
(why are they visiting this site?).
D. Seasonal visitation trends or issues.
E. School group and curriculum based
interpretive planning needs and issues.
F. Visitor Management Issues (relate to
behavioral objectives).
V.
Individual Site Interpretive
Inventory and Story Development Forms.
A. Site resource location/inventory map. This map would show the locations of each
interpretive site, feature, facility, etc. that an interpretive planning form set would be
completed for (existing or proposed).
B. Interpretive Site Index list. This is a list of all of the interpretive sites
inventoried and included in the interpretive planning form sets that follow.
C. Interpretive Planning form sets for each interpretive site inventoried including
orientation sites, facilities, trails, demonstration areas, historic sites, natural
resource areas, etc.(existing or proposed).
For each planning form set include:
a. Site
Inventory Form.
1. Site Index Number (keyed to map).
2. Site Name
3. Site Location (reference site index
map, etc.)
4. Site Description (include photos or
related materials).
5. Interpretive Significance (why are we
interpreting this site?).
b. Story Development Form Set:
1. Main Interpretive Theme/Topic for each
individual site.
2. Site Objectives. These are physical
development objectives such
as
building a stair way, add a viewing deck, etc.
3. Interpretive
program/services objectives. These are the specific
objectives
(learn, feel or do) that interpretive programs, services
or media are to accomplish at this
specific site.
4. Recommended
Interpretive Media for this location. This is a list of
the
interpretive media that could best be used to accomplish the
stated
objectives (i.e. self-guiding trail, interpretive panel, outdoor
demonstration,
guided walk, exhibit in a visitor center, etc.).
5. Any
budget issues or estimates. This helps make
each individual
interpretive
planning form set a “mini” work plan for each
individual site
or feature that is part of the interpretive plan.
We also include inventorying existing
interpretive media and services, with a critique of its quality and role in illustrating
the interpretive theme of the new/updated plan.
The planning form sets can be greatly
expanded. For example if a form set is for a
self-guiding trail, the form set can include the complete plan, including trail head sign
and details for each interpretive stop. We can
include computer generated graphics of how a trail head sign might look in place, etc.
The form sets can also include: mass
customization issues, experience based analysis, market based issues (user groups), and
sustainability issues as appropriate, for each individual site.
NOTE: Each site selected for interpretation is selected
due to its role in helping to ILLUSTRATE THE MAIN INTERPRETIVE THEME, and contribute to
accomplishing the total site interpretive objectives.
VI.
Five year implementation and
operations strategy/matrix.
This includes: Site Index Number
– each Interpretive Media or Site Development needs – Fiscal Year for
implementation – estimated cost for each site/item listed.
This allows us to plan priorities and
costs for actually implementing the total interpretive plan 5 years down the road.
VII.
Evaluation recommendations. How will you know if the interpretive media you are
going to purchase actually works (accomplishes its objectives), such as pre-testing
interpretive panels in draft form, etc. We
strongly recommend pre-testing any new interpretive media before final production.
VIII.
Appendices as needed.
Note: this is the
interpretive planning model framework that I use in my training courses, for actually
doing interpretive planning and illustrated in the text book Interpretive Master Planning. This content outline can be modified as needed for
specific scopes of work, but I feel is a minimum
that any interpretive planning document should contain.
A different set of planning
forms are used for visitor center/museum exhibit planning.
