AN OVERVIEW OF EXTENSION IMPACT STATEMENTS FOR DEPARTMENTS

Transcription

1 AN OVERVIEW OF EXTENSION IMPACT STATEMENTS FOR DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENT OF EXTENSION EVALUATION & STAFF DEVELOPMENT 212-D Mrgan Hall 2621 Mrgan Circle Knxville, TN phne: fax: Intrductin This instructinal packet is intended fr Extensin faculty, specialists, department heads, assistants, State Actin Agenda team leaders, and thers wh prvide leadership fr sme cmpnent f the Tennessee Extensin Plan f Wrk. This packet shuld answer mst f yur questins abut impact statements. I have als included example impact statements. What is it? The Annual Impact Statement is the dcument that describes the impacts t Tennesseans that resulted frm ur Extensin prgrams. Our impact statements are used t cmpile the Tennessee Extensin and Research Annual Accmplishment Reprt, reviewed by the United States Department f Agriculture s Natinal Institute f Fd and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). The reprt satisfies the reprting requirements in the Smith-Lever Act f 1914, as amended, Hatch Act f 1887, Gvernment Perfrmance and Results Act f 1993, and the Agricultural Research, Extensin, and Educatin Refrm Act f Because this reprt justifies Tennessee Extensin funding n the Federal level, USDA-NIFA analysts especially examine hw ur prgrams enhance the ecnmy, envirnment and quality f life. Besides Federal reprting, the impact statement has ther uses such as infrming state and lcal stakehlders and imprving ur prgrams. Hw many d yu write? Please write ne impact statement reprt fr each f yur planned prgrams r tpics. If yu made an effrt this year t gain stakehlder input, please write a separate, brief impact statement t describe the stakehlders and their input.

2 Page 2 f 10 When are impact statements due? Impact statement(s) are due in the System fr University Planning, Evaluatin and Reprting (SUPER) appraisal mdule n r abut February 1 annually. Impacts statements frm cunty and area Extensin staff are due n r abut December 1 annually, and yu may view these by using the SUPER reprts mdule. Hw d I submit impact statements? Extensin impact statements shuld be submitted via SUPER. Prepare yur impact statement in Wrd r WrdPerfect and attach the file in the SUPER appraisal mdule. Step-by-step instructins are psted in extol Wrkfrce Learning. Are examples available? Example impact statements frm Tennessee faculty are included in this packet. These example impact statements are being shared s that yu will: investigate sme excellent measured impacts. frmat yur impact statements crrectly. imprve yur skills in prgram evaluatin. Please use these examples as they are intended. These statements are NOT meant t shw mdel prgram planning, mdel needs assessment, mdel research, mdel educatinal prgrams, r mdel prgram implementatin. What d yu write? An impact statement is a brief summary f the utcme f yur Extensin prgram. Outcmes shuld be: imprvements in knwledge, attitudes, skills, and/r aspiratins (KASA). psitive changes in practices r behavir. imprvements in scial, ecnmic, and/r envirnmental cnditins (SEEC). The impact statement answers three imprtant questins: Wh cares abut this issue? What was the Extensin and/r Research respnse t this issue? S what was the result f this respnse? Impact statements shuld shw imprvements t the quality f life in these ways: ecnmic value r efficiency. envirnmental quality. scial well-being. health and well-being.

3 Page 3 f 10 Hw d yu write a great impact statement? Tips fr great impact statements: Be brief! Include numbers f participants and numbers that shw a change in their quality f life. The lngest part shuld be the impact. Fcus n the utcmes (impact), nt the activities (what has been dne). Check spelling and grammar. Hw can yur writing be imprved? An Extensin prgram in its early stages will typically nt shw impact. The fllwing phrases, fund in past Tennessee impact statements by USDA prgram analysts, shw that impact has nt yet been achieved. D Nt Use These Phrases Use These Wrds and Phrases Instead culd impact ptentially prvides a new pprtunity is currently being cnsidered can help culd result can have an enrmus impact pens the dr t will save will ultimately help will demnstrate can eliminate may be able t may be useful can directly imprve may help develp impacted by... helped by... resulted in... eliminated... imprved... demnstrated... enabled... saved...

4 Page 4 f 10 What is the impact statement frmat? The reprts shuld fllw the frmat belw, using the bld sectin headers n the left: Title: Issue: What has been dne: Impact: Funding Surces: Cntact: The title f yur prgram shuld be shrt and descriptive. If using the state activity reprt data, please use Tennessee in the title. Describe the issue in a few sentences: Wh cares and why? Describe in a few sentences what has been dne: What was the Extensin respnse t the issue? Describe the impact: S what? Identify the funding surces: Smith-Lever Funds, TNCEP Grant, Other Grants, Cntracts, etc. Type yur name, title, address, phne, fax, and . What abut the Federal pririties? Impact statements representing all prgrams and departments are useful. Fr the Annual Accmplishment Reprt, impact statements are especially useful in the USDA-NIFA pririties: Childhd Obesity Climate Change Fd Safety Glbal Fd Security and Hunger Sustainable Energy Hw d I enter my Extensin impact statement reprt in SUPER? Lgin t SUPER with yur netid and passwrd. Click Prfile. Click Appraisal. Click Create Appraisal. Select Faculty r Specialist Appraisal. Ntice yu brwse and attach yur impacts statement here. Yu als brwse and attach yur perfrmance appraisal frms. Campus-based faculty shuld call Jseph Dnaldsn r Jhn Tman if assistance is needed. Faculty based ff-campus shuld call the reginal IT specialist.

5 Page 5 f 10 Hw d I aggregate Extensin data frm agents? This data has already been aggregated fr yu in State Activity Reprts, and a State Activity Reprt is available fr each tpic. Yu may access the reprts at the fllwing URL: Yu may als view impact statements frm cunty and area agents by using the SUPER reprts mdule. Click Reprts. Select yur search criteria. Click Search. What abut Extensin and Research stakehlder input? Our State Annual Accmplishment Reprt includes a required sectin fr describing hw stakehlder input was sught and used during the past year. If yu made any effrt during the past year t btain input frm stakehlders t imprve Extensin initiatives, this infrmatin is needed t cmplete ur State Annual Accmplishment Reprt. A listening sessin, survey, r fcus grup with stakehlders fr the purpse f prgram planning are examples which shuld be reprted. Be brief! Describe this input in three t five sentences in a separate Impact Statement. What was the design f the stakehlder input? Was it an rganized grup? One-time fcus grup? Survey? Other? Hw many peple were invlved? Hw did yu identify the stakehlders? Were they farmers, hmewners, industry leaders, prfessinals r thers? Did any stakehlders represent under-served audiences? Hw were the results f the stakehlder input used in planning, implementing, r evaluating Extensin prgrams? Example f Tennessee Extensin Stakehlder Input TITLE: Stakehlder Input fr Extensin Prgrams WHAT HAS BEEN DONE: The Department f Example cnducted a survey with eight Tennessee Public Schl Fd Service Managers t determine their needs fr fd safety educatin. One-half f the managers are in high-pverty cunties and 25% f the participants represented a minrity grup. The surveys shwed that fd managers benefit greatly frm Extensin fd safety prgrams and that they need high-quality psters t display in their facility t instruct newly-hired fd service wrkers. The survey als shwed that the managers were mst cncerned abut the sdium cntent f prcessed fds. The Department f Example is nw planning t create the psters during the next year, and the first pster will emphasize safe fd strage. The Department will fcus additinal research n ways t reduce the sdium cntent f prcessed fds.

6 Page 6 f 10 Wh d I cntact fr assistance? If yu have questins abut prgram planning and evaluatin, cntact me ( r jldnaldsn@utk.edu). If yu have questins abut using SUPER, cntact Jhn Tman ( r jtman@utk.edu). If yu have prblems with yur netid and passwrd, cntact Shirley Irwin with Technlgy Services ( ). If yu are nt based n-campus, call the apprpriate reginal IT specialist. I appreciate and admire everything yu d t imprve the quality f life fr Tennesseans. I lk frward t shwcasing yur effrts in ur Annual State Accmplishment Reprt t USDA-NIFA. Please d nt hesitate t cntact me if yu have questins r cncerns. Jseph L. Dnaldsn Extensin Specialist Extensin Evaluatin and Staff Develpment

7 Federal Pririty Areas Page 7 f 10 USDA-NIFA has identified five pririty areas t help fcus NIFA and ther USDA science funds n slving specific prblems demnstrating results. The fllwing descriptins are re-printed frm NIFA. 1 Childhd Obesity NIFA supprts research t identify effective measures that guide individuals and families t make infrmed, science-based decisins that will reduce child besity and imprve health. 2 Climate Change NIFA supprts prjects that generate knwledge t develp an agriculture system that cntains high prductivity in the face f climate changes and reduce greenhuse gas emissins. This will help prducers t plan and make decisins in adapting t changing envirnments, sustaining ecnmic vitality, and taking advantage f emerging ecnmic pprtunities ffered by climate change mitigatin technlgies. 3 Fd Safety NIFA supprts research that results t reduce the incidence f fd-brne illnesses and prvides a safer fd supply by: eliminating causes f micrbial cntaminatin and antimicrbial resistance; educating cnsumer and fd safety prfessinals; and develping fd prcessing technlgies t imprve fd safety. 4 Glbal Fd Security and Hunger NIFA supprts research, educatin and extensin that will bst U.S. agricultural prductin and imprve glbal capacity t meet the grwing fd demand. NIFA als fsters innvatin in fighting hunger by addressing fd security fr vulnerable ppulatins. 5 Sustainable Energy NIFA cntributes t the President s gal f energy independence by supprting science t develp bimass used fr bifuels, design ptimum frest prducts and crps fr bi-energy prductin, and prduce value-added bi-based industrial prducts.

8 Example Impact Statements (2010) TITLE: Tennessee s Cmmercial Ornamental Hrticulture Prgram Page 8 f 10 ISSUE: Challenges facing the cmmercial hrticulture industry include marketing, integrated pest management, sustainable cultural practices, envirnmental and human health risks, invasive species, regulatins, and prfitability. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE: Extensin agents and area Extensin specialists cnducted cmmercial nursery and landscape educatinal prgrams reaching ver 104,500 direct cntacts during Best prductin and landscape management practices were taught at apprximately 175 grup meetings and ver 400 n-site visits. Over 50 newspaper articles supprted the direct cntacts. IMPACT: The ttal ecnmic impact f Extensin's cmmercial rnamental and landscape hrticulture prgramming was estimated at $240,000 in increased savings, increased incme, and ne-time capital purchases (Dnaldsn 2009). 903 prfessinals increased their knwledge f green industry services and marketing practices. 516 prfessinals added additinal services and/r marketing practices. 549 prfessinals increased their knwledge f cmpnents f business plans. 200 prfessinals develped r made adjustment t their business plans prfessinals increased their knwledge f plant culture (e.g. fertilizatin, sil mixing and/r sampling, prpagatin, irrigatin, transplanting and installatin) prfessinals increased their knwledge f plant pests and pest cntrl measures prfessinals increased their knwledge f prper plant selectin. 716 prfessinals practiced prper plant selectin and installatin practices. 706 prfessinals implemented recmmended cultural practices: fertilizatin, sil sampling, prpagatin, irrigatin, etc. 774 prfessinals implemented recmmended management practices fr pest cntrl. FUNDING: Smith-Lever CONTACT: Dr. Amy Fulcher, UT Department f Plant Sciences, 252 Ellingtn Plant Sciences Building, 2431 Jhnsn Dr., Knxville, TN 37996; phne: ; fax: ; afulcher@utk.edu

9 TITLE: Adpting Precisin Agricultural Technlgies in Tennessee Page 9 f 10 ISSUE: Precisin agriculture technlgies ffer Tennessee prducers varius data management pprtunities t analyze current prductin systems. Due the rising cst f fertilizers, chemicals, seed, fuel and labr, Tennessee prducers are adpting precisin agriculture technlgies t increase prductin, reduce input csts, and manage farmland mre efficiently. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE: An integrated, multi-disciplinary research, educatin, and utreach prgram has been established t develp and disseminate infrmatin abut precisin agriculture management strategies that are prfitable and practical fr Tennessee prducers. Field days, cunty and multi-cunty meetings, n-farm demnstratins, news articles, publicatins, persnal cntacts and infrmatin gained frm applied research prjects were used t prmte the adptin f precisin agriculture technlgies. IMPACT: UT Extensin s educatinal effrt t prmte the adptin f precisin agriculture technlgies resulted in 575,479 acres planted and managed using precisin agriculture technlgies such as variable rate applicatins f fertilizer and lime, plant grwth regulatrs, defliants, and/r pesticides. FUNDING: Smith-Lever, Cttn Inc. CONTACT: Michael J. Buschermhle, Prfessr, University f Tennessee, Bisystems Engineering and Sil Science, 301 Agricultural Engineering Building, Knxville, TN ; phne: (865) ; fax: (865) ; mbuscher@utk.edu

10 TITLE: Tennessee GROW-10 Page 10 f 10 ISSUE: GROW-10 targets a 10-cunty area in suthwestern middle Tennessee with high unemplyment and pverty rates, lw median husehld incmes which have suffered ecnmic effects frm severe weather and lss f jbs due t manufacturing plant clsures and relcatin. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE: The GROW-10 prgram utilized a variety f methds t fulfill the prgram s gal f delivering educatinal resurces and assistance t farmers and agrientrepreneurs in These appraches included develpment and delivery f 19 educatinal prgrams, in additin t a three-day educatinal bus tur. Thirteen new educatinal resurces and materials were develped and utilized in training, including five educatinal presentatins, three peer-reviewed publicatins and five instructinal fact sheets. One-n-ne technical assistance was prvided thrugh individual 45 cnsultatins and farm visits. IMPACT: The GROW-10 prgram has served 1128 farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, cmmunity leaders and Extensin agents thrugh technical assistance and educatinal utreach initiatives. Cmments frm GROW-10 participants illustrate the prgram impacts fr 2010: I ve a much mre realistic picture f what I can d and this saved me frm ding smething I need t research first. (Small Farmer) This was an awesme adventure and s helpful in making this successful [running and pening an peratin] (Entrepreneur) The best educatinal trip I have ever taken! (Entrepreneur) Thank yu very much. Marketing fr us is the biggest challenge. This wrkshp really helps! (Entrepreneur) FUNDING: Smith-Lever; USDA Rural Develpment; Tennessee Department f Agriculture; and Tennessee Farm Bureau Federatin CONTACT: Amy Ladd, Extensin Assistant, Center fr Prfitable Agriculture, P.O. Bx 1819, Spring Hill, TN 37174, Phne: , Fax: , ladd4@tennessee.edu