Assessing Needs and Assessing Needs and Writing Program ObjectivesWriting Program Objectives

EXTENSION PROCESS••Educational MissionEducational Mission

••Situation AnalysisSituation Analysis

••Target AudienceTarget Audience

••Needs AssessmentNeeds Assessment

••Program Objectives Program Objectives

••Educational Program DesignEducational Program Design

--ContentContent

--Learning StrategiesLearning Strategies

••ImplementationImplementation

Learner AssessmentLearner Assessment

Educational Program Educational Program

••EvaluationEvaluation

••ReflectionReflection

Key QuestionsKey Questions

•• What is an Extension What is an Extension program?program?

•• What is What is ““Needs Needs AssessmentAssessment””??

•• Why do Why do ““Needs Needs AssessmentAssessment””??

What is an Extension Program?

• A planned educational response to an identified need.

What is Needs Assessment?What is Needs Assessment?• a focused process that analyzes

those specific audiences who have been targeted by the organization for educational programming emphasis.

• seeks to identify current circumstances or conditions faced by the targeted audiences.

Why Needs Assessment?Why Needs Assessment?

•• Unlimited Needs, Unlimited Needs, Limited ResourcesLimited Resources

•• Program PlanningProgram Planning•• Curriculum Curriculum

DevelopmentDevelopment•• Educational DesignEducational Design•• Needs Change Over Needs Change Over

TimeTime

How How ““Need AssessmentNeed Assessment””Help Your ProgrammingHelp Your Programming

•• Set prioritiesSet priorities•• Clarity and focusClarity and focus•• Curriculum Curriculum

DevelopmentDevelopment•• Build public supportBuild public support•• Reinvented and/or Reinvented and/or

energized the program energized the program •• Funding SourcesFunding Sources•• Whether an extension Whether an extension

program should be program should be developed (or developed (or improved) improved)

Who is your Audience? Who is your Audience? •• Field Crop ProducersField Crop Producers

–– ConventionalConventional–– OrganicOrganic

•• Livestock ProducersLivestock Producers•• Vegetable GrowersVegetable Growers•• Landscape CompaniesLandscape Companies•• Turf GrowersTurf Growers•• Crop ConsultantsCrop Consultants•• LegislaturesLegislatures•• Home GardenersHome Gardeners•• Greenhouse GrowersGreenhouse Growers

Who are the potential audiencesWho are the potential audiences

•• Primary AudiencePrimary Audience-- Field Crop GrowerField Crop Grower

•• Secondary AudienceSecondary Audience-- Crop ConsultantsCrop Consultants

•• Tertiary AudienceTertiary Audience-- Ag. Business/Other Ag. Business/Other Government Ag. Agencies?Government Ag. Agencies?

Formal Need Assessment Design?• Survey methods

– Mailed Survey– Interview Survey– Many methods and kinds of

surveys• Social indicators

– Importance of a new invasive pest

– Excess pesticide in streams– Soil testing results not used

correctly– Many new farmers in an area– More consumers wanting

organic grains• Group processes

– Focus Groups– Nominal Group Technique– Quality Assurance Committees– Localized Steering Committees

Less Formal Methods• Consult Local Advisory

Groups-• Personal contact with

the audience-– Seems to be the

prevailing method of determining needs.

– These can be much more effective at getting at real issues but takes a lot more time

For TAg More Than Just Needs

For aFor a NYSNYS TAg programTAg program

•• Do I have participant buy Do I have participant buy in?in?

•• Grower identified needs Grower identified needs --IPM / ICMIPM / ICM

•• Participant commitment:Participant commitment:--Season long Season long participationparticipation--minimum of 4 minimum of 4 participants /team?participants /team?

Questions to AskQuestions to Ask•• What are the objectives of this project?What are the objectives of this project?•• How much time will this project take?How much time will this project take?•• What resources do I have for this project?What resources do I have for this project?

–– Money, guidelines, scouting techniques, technical Money, guidelines, scouting techniques, technical backup etcbackup etc

•• Can I get preCan I get pre--made curriculum?made curriculum?•• Will I have to develop my own curriculum? Will I have to develop my own curriculum? •• How will the meetings be structured?How will the meetings be structured?•• Are there other professional educators that Are there other professional educators that

might want to be involved?might want to be involved?

Setting ObjectivesSetting Objectives•• Long Range GoalLong Range Goal: To Educate Field Crop : To Educate Field Crop

Producers In Eastern NYS in IPM PracticesProducers In Eastern NYS in IPM Practices•• Process ObjectivesProcess Objectives: :

–– Develop a new a set of new teaching modules on Develop a new a set of new teaching modules on IPM for soybean TAg by April 2007. IPM for soybean TAg by April 2007.

–– Establish a TAg Soybean TAg team by April 2007 Establish a TAg Soybean TAg team by April 2007 in the Northeast region of the county. in the Northeast region of the county.

•• Outcome ObjectivesOutcome Objectives: : –– 8 alfalfa growers will increase their knowledge of 8 alfalfa growers will increase their knowledge of

IPM by correctly answering 80% or more of the IPM by correctly answering 80% or more of the postpost--test correctly. test correctly.

–– Measured by a postMeasured by a post--survey 8 wheat producers in survey 8 wheat producers in a TAg program will adopt 80% of the IPM a TAg program will adopt 80% of the IPM practices presented practices presented

What makes a good Outcome What makes a good Outcome ObjectiveObjective

•• TargetTarget for changefor change

•• ResultsResults to be achievedto be achieved

•• CriteriaCriteria for measuring resultsfor measuring results

What are the Intended What are the Intended Educational Outcomes?Educational Outcomes?

Identify Core Ingredients:Identify Core Ingredients:

1. 1. Specific audienceSpecific audience: Field Crop Producers: Field Crop Producers

2. 2. Intended OutcomesIntended Outcomes: Adoption of IPM Practices : Adoption of IPM Practices

3. 3. Criteria or indicators for measuring resultsCriteria or indicators for measuring results: Measure : Measure on completion of the TAg program with a survey. on completion of the TAg program with a survey.

______________________________________________________________________________________________ReRe--write 1write 1--3 in sentence form3 in sentence form = =

8 Field crop producers will adopt 80% of the IPM 8 Field crop producers will adopt 80% of the IPM practices presented by completing an exit survey. practices presented by completing an exit survey.

Examples of Objectives•• We will use exit survey results to demonstrate We will use exit survey results to demonstrate

that 6 Oneida County field crop producers will that 6 Oneida County field crop producers will adopt 80% of the field corn and alfalfa IPM adopt 80% of the field corn and alfalfa IPM practices taught during a TAg program.practices taught during a TAg program.

•• 4 organic corn producers in Essex County4 organic corn producers in Essex County’’s s TAg program will adopt 85 percent of organic TAg program will adopt 85 percent of organic pest management practices demonstrated pest management practices demonstrated after completing an exit survey.after completing an exit survey.

•• 6 soybean growers in the Madison County TAg 6 soybean growers in the Madison County TAg program will retain 80 percent of the factual program will retain 80 percent of the factual information presented by completing a postinformation presented by completing a post--testtest

Who can Help?Who can Help?

•• Identify CollaboratorsIdentify Collaborators–– Other Extension EducatorsOther Extension Educators–– University Faculty and SpecialistUniversity Faculty and Specialist–– Other Government AgenciesOther Government Agencies

•• Soil and WaterSoil and Water•• NRCSNRCS•• Farm ServicesFarm Services

–– Other Agricultural GroupsOther Agricultural Groups•• NOFA, Farm Bureau, Consulting firmsNOFA, Farm Bureau, Consulting firms

Questions?Questions?

Targeting Audiences WorksheetTargeting Audiences Worksheet

•• Groups of 3Groups of 3•• Pick a recorderPick a recorder•• Pick a presenterPick a presenter•• Pick One Topic Pick One Topic

(Subject) Area(Subject) Area•• As a group As a group

complete the complete the worksheetworksheet

•• 5 Minutes 5 Minutes •• Present your workPresent your work