Oriented toward a consideration of administration from the standpoint of departmental problems, this textbook deals with administrative techniques and practices pertaining to public administration of recreational services. It covers organization, operation, planning, development, and managerial procedures, and also describes the basic elements of the public field; liability and legal framework of operation; community structure; political practices; social implications; and typical municipal setting of the recreational service agency. The book is organized into six major parts: (1) administrative foundations--dealing with legal establishment and policy making; (2) external influences on administration--dealing with other than municipally based agencies, liability, and public relations; (3) organizational functions--dealing with organizational conditions, line and staff arrangements, computer technology, systems management, and office management; (4) personnel administration--dealing with recruitment, examination, probation, deployment, management-employee relations, employee organizations, management by objectives, and supervision; (5) fiscal administration--dealing with financial management, budgeting, budget formats; and (6) administrative responsibility--dealing with public planning, maintenance management, program administration, and evaluation. The focus is primarily on the internal structure of a public recreational service department and the administrative functions that are based on daily operations of the agency. The text is designed for use in upper-level administration courses and as a reference. (DS)