Five Essential Elements for Great Extension Programs + 1
One of the presenters I found engaging at the 2012 National
Association of County Agricultural Agents national conference was Matt Palmer,
Extension Educator with Utah State University in Sanpete County. This is a
brief summary of his five essential elements plus one suggestion I will add to
Matt's five.
1.
"Discovery" is a process of engaging
clientele in a discussion of critical issues or needs. Successful educational
programs start with recognition of a community’s critical needs . But he
reminded us of the importance of a good extension educator to be aware of those
emerging issues that clientele do not yet recognize and the need to build an
awareness of issues coming over the horizon.
2.
"Program development" involves many questions
to consider. What are the funding opportunities? What are the community
resources (available educational opportunities, opportunities for tours,
potential partners)? Who is your target customer and how will you be successful
in engaging this customer (when, where, available time,...)? What educational
resources already exist?
3.
"Promotion and Marketing", an afterthought
for some Extension programs, is essential for success. Knowing your audience
and the media they are viewing is essential. Having solid relationships with
individuals leading your community's media resources (newspaper, TV, Radio) is
critical. Don't forget to engage business (e.g. electric company’s newsletter,
ag suppliers customer contacts) in the promotion. And don't forget to generate
excitement with drawings, prizes, and sponsorships.
4.
"Program Implementation" do's and don’ts.
Deliver to your customer's community, don't have them come to you. Distribute
your agenda well in advance. Start and end on time being respectful of your
customer's time. Ask your experts to limit their presentations to 15 minute,
never giving the full load. Allow interactive team such as a panel discussion
to allow customers to get answers to their important questions. Always include
a local expert representative of your audience to help them recognize that the
proposed behavior change can be accomplished.
5.
"Evaluation". Both short (knowledge gain and
good intentions) and long term (behavior change) measures should be made.
Carefully and honestly answer, "Did I make a difference?". Learn from
your evaluation what changes were not made and use this information to guide
future plans and follow up with participants.
I will add one topic to Matt's excellent set of ideas. Is the program "Sustainable"? Clientele's
behavior seldom changes with a one-time educational experience. A good program
involves a continuum of experiences involving awareness building, education,
sustained access to expertise and resources, and re-engagement with our clientele during application of the knowledge. A second critical element - is local expertise accessible to our clientele
after the experts returned to campus? Was the local Extension
Educator's expertise highlighted in the educational program? Clientele will need
access to a resource person, preferrably a local expert, with additional questions. Successful extension program highlight the expertise of the local
Extension Educator throughout the educational experience.
