1. Engaging the Leadership Advisory Board in Identifying Critical Issues

2. Ways We Can Identify Local Issues

3. LAB Charged With Visioning
Identifying relevant issues is critical to our success.
The LAB has this responsibility as a core of their mission.
Every 4 to 5 years, the Texas Community Futures Forum engages a group of community leaders with the LAB

5. TCFF Issue Forum Involves a more broad group of local leaders
Several small groups meeting to identify critical issues
Facilitated by LAB members
Focused on issues that can be addressed locally, but not limited to these issues only
Issues are identified and ranked by small group members

6. Who makes up the groups?
Community leaders identified by members of the LAB and Extension faculty, to include:
Farmers, Ranchers, Agribusiness
Education system
Youth Board/Other Youth
Health care system
Business leaders
Government leaders
Civic organizations, etc…

7. Process Participants introduced to the process by LAB Member.
Intro with Extension Mission
Explanation of process
Explanation of follow up procedures
What will happen to their suggestions
Placed into pre-assigned small groups

8. Small Group Breakup and Directions
Questions:
In the next 3-4 years, what are the most critical issues in this county?
Which of these issues can likely be addressed locally?
Break into small groups by subject area.
Send them off for small group discussion
Give a supply bag to each group

9. Small Group Discussion 45-60 minutes
Each group facilitated by a LAB member, PAC member, or other community leader
Brainstorm and post all issues on the wall
Discuss and combine similar issues
Participants will use 10 colored dots to vote on the importance of the issues, may vote on ten issues, or place all votes on one.
The facilitator will order issues by number of votes and re-write the top 5-7 on flip chart paper

10. Small Group Discussion Continued
Once all issues have been prioritized from most critical to least critical, a second vote is conducted to determine which can most likely be addressed locally.
Facilitator will re-write the list on clean paper, including the top 5-7 issues with both votes reflected on the list.

11. Large Group Discussion 30 minutes
Small groups report summary of top 5-7 issues to the general group
2 minute summary from each group representative
The issues are not to be revised or re-ranked, just reported for everyone’s information.

12. We have Issues…..Now What?
Enter issues in the online system.
Issues will be categorized by:
subject matter, and
Extension or non-Extension issue
Examine issues for planning group structure and assistance
Present the identified issues to the appropriate planning group to begin plans to address them.

13. Year Process
Spring Meeting of LAB – Have Issue ID on the agenda. Involve Youth if possible.
Update the LAB on status of all issues
Identify any new issues
Update the online database by May 15 each year

14. Other Sources of Issues and Program Direction

15. Base Programs Ag/NR 4-H FCS CRED
This is where we have subject matter expertise

16. County Committees Grass roots efforts
Local connection to county issues

17. Emerging Issues May surface without warning
May be something we have not addressed before
List a few…
Natural disasters, response to flood, wild fires, hurricane, etc.
Economic situation, price of gas/diesel

18. Specialists
Specialists can help identify or provide resources to use in issue identification
Can also be helpful in providing guidance in implementing program

19. Elected Officials
Know and understand the community and its needs

20. Commodity/Industry Groups
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Texas Beef Council
Texas Cotton Producers
Farm Bureau
Chamber of Commerce
Economic Development Council
Diabetes Community Coalition

21. State and Federal Mandates
BLT
Pesticide Applicators
Food Protection Management

22. Which issues do you address?
There are going to be many different issues you can target locally
Look for the overlap, similar/same issue(s) identified by multiple sources

23. Summary Relevant Issues = Relevant Programs = Local Support
We do this process every 4 or 5 years, let’s make it count!
The non-Extension issues may be just as valuable to us as the Extension issues…they are a great sources of new relationships and partnerships.

24. Questions