Extension Professionals Engaging Volunteers in Program Development Laurie Chandler, Associate Program Leader Gayle Price, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Specialist Trudy Rice, Community Vitality Extension Specialist Stacey Warner, Extension Operations Leader 1

Discussion 1.What types of citizen advisory groups do you utilize for your extension work? 2.How does this impact your programming? 3.What is your biggest challenge in working with advisory groups? 2

Situation PDCs required by Kansas statute Board Excellence Assessment State Extension Advisory Council Variability in PDC effectiveness 3

PDC Task Force Established in January 2013 Created a logic model Surveyed agents Involved Extension administration Developed resources and website Held area workshops Planned for next steps 4

Task Force Membership 5

Long Term Outcomes Stronger programming Expanded audiences Increased advocacy Sustainable support Outputs Outcomes 6

Agent Survey Survey conducted summer 2013 Random sample 48 agents from across the state Telephone interviews conducted by agents 7

Agent Survey 8 How would you rate yourself in terms of achieving an effective partnership with the PDC?

Agent Survey 9 Please provide your ideas or thoughts about how the partnership could be improved?

Agent Survey 10 What are the three most important resources that you and the PDC need to achieve an effective partnership? (Most popular responses)

Survey Outcomes 11

Resource Development Reviewed resources Developed new resources Created resource website 12

PDC Resources Website 13

Categories General Resources Recruiting PDC Volunteers Orienting PDC Members Holding Effective Meetings Increasing Facilitation Skills Assessing Community Needs Planning with a Purpose Communicating Impact 14

Accountability SWID – So What if I Don’t Task Force recommended a system-wide policy to administrators. “Agents will develop a PDC engagement plan to be reviewed as part of the annual performance review process.” 15

Training and Support Stakeholder Meetings KSRE Annual Conference Area Workshops 16

Area Workshops Conducted in five locations Introduced resources Guided agents in strengthening their ability to work with PDCs Incorporated hands-on activities Agent Engaging PDCs, April

Area Workshops 18

Alternative Meeting Formats Face-to-face meeting Individual consultations Conference call Web conference Electronic poll 19

Impact “I’m very excited about the ideas for working with my PDC and having them be more effective in planning.” - Extension Agent 20

“I was skeptical before coming, but now pleased with the training.” - Extension Agent 21

Challenges “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” ― Peter F. Drucker, Essential Drucker: Management, the Individual and Society TIME 22

Ongoing Support 30, 60, 90 day reminders On-going training Area advisors 23

Did We Make a Difference? 6 month follow-up survey Analytics of website Three-year follow-up of PDC Assessment 24

“Programming is the only real reason for Extension.” Daryl Buchholz, Assoc. Director, K-State Research & Extension “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that has.” Margaret Mead, US Anthropologist 25

Questions? Laurie Chandler, Gayle Price, Trudy Rice, Stacey Warner, 26