Extension Program Development

1. Extension Program Development September 2003

2. Situation • Currently in final year of 4-year POW • Many changes in four years • Need information to guide county, multi-county, regional, and state programming • Federal requirements for stakeholder input • Commitment to strengthen County Extension Councils • Must set program priorities, can’t do it all

3. Program development is a deliberate process through which Extension engages representatives of the public in designing, implementing and evaluating plans of action for addressing needs and issues they have helped to identify.

4. Implications • Citizens must be involved throughout the entire process • It is about “people” not “paperwork” • Writing a plan of work is only a small piece • The POW simply summarizes our intentions • MS calls the POW a “program delivery agreement”

5. Expectations and Timeline • County Extension agents facilitate the process • Provide overview to Executive Committee • At least two CEC meetings this fall • New C-MAPs identified by end of the year • Plans written in spring, reviewed by CEC • Implement new plans July 1, 2004 • Citizens involved in all phases

6. The program development process is made up of six distinct but interrelated phases linked together in a circular pattern.

9. Development of Linkageswith the Public • Critical to remaining relevant • Build and maintain relationships with representatives with the community • County Extension Council is a critical component of these efforts • Other non-formal mechanisms are important as well

11. Situation Analysis • Designed to reveal “what is” • Purpose is to identify issues, problems, needs, and opportunities which might be addressed by Extension programs • Begins with data collection • CEC must be involved in data collection • Three main sources of information

12. Three Sources of Information for Situation Analysis • Existing (or Secondary) Data • Resident Perspectives • Current Research and Knowledge

13. Kentucky State Data Center http://ksdc.louisville.edu Kentucky: By the Numbers http://www.ca.uky.edu/snarl/ Extension HEEL Project Data http://www.ca.uky.edu/heel/ Kentucky Kids Count http://www.kyyouth.org/kcd_book.htm Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service http://www.nass.usda.gov/ky/ Existing Data

14. Gathering Resident Perspectives • Community Forums • Focus Group Interviews • Key Informant Interviews • Surveys

15. Current Research and Knowledge • Research, legislation, policies which have implications for programming • Role of specialists to provide • Knowledge transfer also a role for Extension • Compliments “grass-roots” programming

17. Role of the CECin Situation Analysis • Meet in early fall to plan data collection strategies • Use all three sources (existing data, at least one method for gathering resident perspectives, and current research and knowledge) • Assist with data collection • Ensure program council involvement • Meet again in late fall or early winter to interpret data, identify programming opportunities, set priorities

19. Priority Setting • We can’t do it all • Must set program priorities or thrusts • Examine opportunities in light of criteria • Facilitated dialogue and decision-making • Results in five to eight program thrusts called C-MAPs • FY05-08 planning cycle

21. Program Design • Develop a programmatic response to identified need or issue • Work group for each C-MAP • Specifies initial, intermediate, and long-term outcomes • Learning experiences produce outcomes • Indicators to be measured

23. Program Implementation • Work groups may also help implement • Acquire resources • Recruit and train volunteers • Conduct learning experiences • Monitor progress

25. Evaluation and Accountability • Make judgments regarding quality, value or worth of the program • Evaluation plan in the POW • Process evaluation • Outcome evaluation • Communicate results to stakeholders • Use results in future planning

26. Program Development Progress Chart • Use it as a timeline. • Use it as a discussion guide. • Use it as a tool for charting your county’s progress.