Test of 2019 Picnic spot Survey

[graham]

To avoid this you have to put different weight on the categories.

The minute you start combining categories to get an overall score, even if you use weightings, you end up with with an average preference which may tell you a little about the average contributor but not much about the character of the particular picnic spot.

For me a picnic is a sandwich or leftover braai from the night before. No skottel, no big fry up, no table cloth, no kitchen sink and definitely no spa!

So I want
relative peace and quiet
a view and the opportunity to watch game and birds
a scarcity of OSVs
no thieving monkeys
adequate toilet facilities

[Lisbeth]

[Klipspringer]

To avoid this you have to put different weight on the categories.

The minute you start combining categories to get an overall score, even if you use weightings, you end up with with an average preference which may tell you a little about the average contributor but not much about the character of the particular picnic spot.

For me a picnic is a sandwich or leftover braai from the night before. No skottel, no big fry up, no table cloth, no kitchen sink and definitely no spa!

So I want
relative peace and quiet
a view and the opportunity to watch game and birds
a scarcity of OSVs
no thieving monkeys
adequate toilet facilities

Exactly my categories!
A plus is if there is something to learn; good interpretation boards, tree tags etc

[graham]

Having now read the whole thread .....

How about proceeding like this:
- identify three or four main criteria (and a couple of sub criteria?)
- vote (score 1- 10 or leave blank if no knowledge) for each picnic site for each of the criteria
- average the scores per criteria with a minimum of three responses to qualify
- select finalists which have a pass mark in all the main criteria (and a pass mark in all the sub-criteria). Pass mark to be set so as to give a suitable number of finalists (No, I am not a teacher!). If sub criteria are used, they would have a lower pass mark.
- followed by a simple vote for the finalists to select the winner

I guess to be fair, a picnic site should be any place where there are facilities for you to take and eat your own food. This includes albasini ruins, masorini and the day visitor areas. The only day visitor area I have ever been to is Shingwedzi (very nice too) and I wonder whether there would be enough responses for these to make the cut if they were included?

[Richprins]

I don't think one can leave out one just because it does not qualify in one criteria, though, graham?

Can you do the mathematics for us?

[graham]

I don't think one can leave out one just because it does not qualify in one criteria, though, graham?

Why not, if you select the criteria with some thought? You have to have some way of sifting out those that are not going to make the final list.

Using the camps as an example, if the main criteria were game viewing, scenic appeal and value for money, with sub-criteria condition of accommodation and condition of camp, and the "pass" was 8 for main criteria and 7 for sub-criteria, then

- from the original 17 Tsendze would be eliminated as it did not get the required number of responses
- Balule, Lower Sabie, Maroela, Mopani, Olifants, Punda Maria, Sirheni, Tamboti would be finalists (too many so the pass would need to be nudged higher)
- Berg-en-Dal fails game viewing, scenic appeal and condition of accommodation
- Biyamiti fails game viewing
- Crocodile Bridge fails scenic appeal and value for money
- Letaba fails game viewing
- Pretoriuskop fails game viewing and scenic appeal
- Satara fails scenic appeal and value for money
- Shingwedzi fails game viewing
- Skukuza fails scenic appeal, value for money and general condition of the camp

Perhaps the criteria could be improved and not everyone may agree that game viewing, scenic appeal and value for money are the most important.

Anyway, how did value value for money score so highly when everyone is complaining about how expensive Kruger has become relative to staying outside the park?

[Klipspringer]

Why not, if you select the criteria with some thought? You have to have some way of sifting out those that are not going to make the final list.

We should start selecting criteria now.

Here are my top 3:

- game and bird viewing
- quiet and not crowded
- view or nice landscape

[Richprins]

Ok, I meant it would be unfair to exclude a picnic site just because it did not have a shop, for example!

[Lisbeth]

How clever you are to make easy things complicated. I thought it was a SA and Italian thing, but obviously it also exists in Germany

Not that I mind much, but I just think that it is not worth the trouble for a picnic site

[Richprins]

An extensive independent survey can be useful for Kruger management, Lis!