NACAA 2006 Futuring Committee Report

1. NACAA 2006 Futuring Committee Report Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference Cincinnati, Ohio July 25, 2006

2. Futuring Committee Members

3. NACAA Futuring Committee • Charge: • Formed by NACAA President Glenn Rogers in January 2005 to evaluate the organization’s future • Goal and Objectives: • Develop recommendations focusing on contemporary issues, and the core mission and goals of the organization outlined in 9 charges • Include discussion of our organization’s form and function to determine if they best suit the emerging needs of the membership and the profession

4. NACAA Futuring Committee • Process • 16-month process of in-depth discussions and data discovery including: • Committee conference calls and meetings • Review of the NACAA organizational mission and goals • Past Futuring Committee Report • Past AM/PIC Review Committee Report • Board of Directors meeting minutes

5. NACAA Futuring Committee • Process • Five surveys to gather data, input and opinions from NACAA functional groups • members, life members, state association officers, state committee chairs, regional vice chairs/national committee chairs and council chairs • Input and data were compiled and analyzed and a draft report prepared for review by the NACAA officers and Board of Directors • The final report includes 62 recommendations

6. Increasing (Younger) Membershipand Involvement / AMPIC Attendance • Determine the needs of Cooperative Extension employees, and current and potential members • State associations and State Relations Committee should develop and conduct a membership campaign • Develop up-to-date, multi-media informational materials • Focus on expanding and increasing the participation of 1890 and 1994 Institutions Extension workers in NACAA • Demonstrate that NACAA offers affordable and valuable professional improvement and recognition. • Communication with Life Members increased by both the NACAA national office and state associations.

7. Increasing (Younger) Membershipand Involvement / AMPIC Attendance • NACAA must evaluate the current benefits, products and services offered and focus on those that are cost-effective, and relevant and useful to the membership • NACAA must increase the visibility and members’ knowledge of the goods and services offered • New products and services should be developed • Utilize contemporary technologies to share information and resources, and enhance communication among members

8. Increasing (Younger) Membershipand Involvement / AMPIC Attendance • Further enhancement of the professional improvement opportunities offered at the AM/PIC must occur to increase member participation and satisfaction • Expand advertising for the AM/PIC and include specific details on speakers, training sessions, etc. • Continue the “first timer” registration fee waiver but allow use regardless of the number of years employed • A “buddy program” assisting first timers get oriented at the AM/PIC by partnering with an experience member should be developed

9. Increasing (Younger) Membershipand Involvement / AMPIC Attendance • Family emphasis at the AM/PIC should continue as long as the costs do not place NACAA or the host state at a financial disadvantage or add to their financial responsibility or burden • An alternative ‘a al carte’ fee schedule for spouse and the Sons and Daughters programs • NACAA should investigate the liability issues of providing market-value childcare or informing members of local childcare services paid fully by the member • Life Member programming should follow historical program content and opportunities for social interaction and professional improvement

10. Building Relationships with JCEP and other Professional Associations • NACAA must work together with JCEP to advocate for Cooperative Extension • Educational materials and learning opportunities that address common needs and issues should be developed jointly with our sister associations • Pursue new and relevant collaborations with non-Extension associations or professional societies • NACAA should consider co-sponsored workshops or meetings held at the AM/PIC or separate events on a multi-state, regional or national level

11. Different Staffing Patterns and Effects on Clientele • NACAA should develop educational workshops or programs on issues and topics that arise from such staffing pattern changes • Computer-based technology should be used to allow members to dialogue about issues or situations throughout the calendar year, not just at the AM/PIC

12. Helping Members UnderstandIssues Better • NACAA must adopt, develop and offer new and expanded programs, products and services beyond the AM/PIC • A NACAA refereed journal should be considered, however NACAA should continue their historic investment in and representation on the Journal of Extension board and encourage members to publish • NACAA must expand opportunities by developing in-depth synchronous and asynchronous training opportunities beyond the AM/PIC

13. Helping Members UnderstandIssues Better • The national committees should develop and offer instructional materials to members using convenient and cost effective methodologies; state committee chairs must be integrally involved • The membership database could be used by the national committees to develop list serves, blogs or other mechanisms to foster discussion on issues • NACAA sponsors should be allowed to share training materials on their products or services with members via the web or other mechanisms

14. Is the NACAA Mission Changing? • The diversity of our workforce is changing. NACAA must meet the needs of this workforce and do so in a way that is fair, inclusive and welcoming • NACAA should maintain the current name of the organization, and focus efforts on what we do rather than what we are named • NACAA must do a better job to educate the members and state association leadership of the committee structure • The roles, responsibilities and expectations of each council chair and committee leadership position (from state to national) must be defined and shared

15. Is the NACAA Mission Changing? • Greater interaction and involvement of state officers and state committee chairs in the decision making and activities of these committees is necessary • NACAA must determine if our large and complex committee structure is needed • The financial cost of the committee structure should be audited to determine its sustainability, and how to make it more effective and more cost-efficient • Committee missions and objectives must be clearly defined, and current activities and programming effectiveness evaluated

16. Is the NACAA Mission Changing? • NACAA should adopt a policy that prohibits a retiring national chair or vice chair from serving on any other committee (not including upward movement) for a period of two or more years • NACAA mustdevelop mechanisms or institutional changes that reduce real or perceived concerns about block voting or other region-centered actions • A realignment of states into regional groups that provide a more equal distribution of member numbers should be explored

17. Increased Relationships with USDA–CSREESandWhat Role Does NACAA Play as a Leader in the Changing Extension System? • NACAA should be proactive in making the concerns, issues and needs of agricultural and natural resources Extension workers and their programs known • USDA-CSREES administration and Program Leaders, federal and state level decision makers, and University administrators and NASULGC • NACAA should develop materials that deliver budget information and other pertinent messages of need, accomplishment, activity and impact of the ‘agricultural’ Extension workers across the United States

18. Increasing Your Support for Promotion and Tenure Back Home • NACAA Councils should review the existing award announcements and application procedures to enhance understanding and participation • NACAA should track participation numbers for all awards, pre-post conference seminars, etc. in order to analyze data trends of participation and determine the sustainability of each program • The Early Career Development Committee should explore the development of a mentoring program or informational resources on mentoring for use by state associations

19. Increasing Your Support for Promotion and Tenure Back Home • NACAA must continue to enhance the professional improvement and recognition opportunities offered to members • NACAA must conduct in-depth surveys to gather data from members of what topics, issues and needs they have and develop relevant programming • NACAA must look to develop new outreach methods and venues such as meetings and workshops beyond the AM/PIC, and technology and media based outlets for interaction and learning

20. “Often, the greatest challenge facing an organization is recognizing and acting on opportunity …” Peter Ginter

21. Get involved . . . • “The recommendations made in this report are only the start of a dialogue that must occur and continue within NACAA to make sure that we remain a relevant and purposeful organization. It is the responsibility of every member of the organization to make sure that this happens. Only through engagement, discussion and consensus building will NACAA remain a premier professional improvement organization.” NACAA Futuring Committee

22. For more information . . . • A full copy of the Futuring Committee Report, executive summary, and other supporting documents can be found on the NACAA web site at: http://nacaa.com/committees/futuring/

23. NACAA 2006 Futuring Committee Report Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference Cincinnati, Ohio July 25, 2006