Curso: Advising Local Programs

  • Advising Local Programs

    Purpose

    Cooperative Extension programs are called to understand local needs and participants through stakeholder engagement to develop educational programs.   The purpose of this course and experience is to help an Association meet the needs assessment requirement for programs – whether it be through guiding a formal advisory committee or informal advisory process.  

    The process and supporting information are intended to guide analysis of your current programs and planning for future direction.  The topics within this course are designed to assist CCE Associations in the process of reviewing and evaluating current program context and opportunities.  Program examples are included to give you guidance on how to use resources, but know that this can be applied to any program area.

    The course is designed for Extension staff, but the resources could be used with local volunteers.  While staff may take this course at any time, it may be particularly helpful as an Association seeks to meet the accreditation requirement for advisory committees, or for an Association in a leadership transition, or for those in the early stages of a strategic/program planning process. 

    This Moodle course is a resource for all staff to support the facilitation of Program Advisory Committees. To further connect and engage with colleagues enrolled versions of this course will be offered periodically. The course can also serve a template in developing custom learning experiences for programs, teams, and local associations. To request a guided experience or support building your own course- send an email to org_dev@cornell.edu.


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  • Instrucciones: Haciendo click sobre el nombre de la sección se mostrará / ocultará la sección.

  • A hand writing on a whiteboard with the words; capacity, needs, wants, impact, monitoring, staff - around the word programWelcome! We hope you are excited to build on your experience and learn more about the program advisory process. If you would like to learn more about Program Advisory Committees.

  • Small wooden blocks that spell the word thrive, a hand is placing the final letter, the E. This first session is designed to create awareness and familiarity with the statewide mission, vision and values of your program, providing a framework and context for the reflection and planning steps that will follow.

    • WHAT WE’LL DO: 

      In this session, participants will: 

      • IMAGINE + CONNECT: Develop an elevator pitch.

      • REVIEW + CONSIDER: Review and reflect on the program’s Guiding Principles including research base to expand previous knowledge.

      • DO + CREATE: Complete Worksheet 1-Exploring Program Thriving.

      • DREAM & PLAN: Share with a Colleague

    • IMAGINE + CONNECT

      Your Elevator Speech

      Imagine stepping into the elevator with the director of a potential partner organization - someone that you know could help reach your goal of extending your program(s) to a new audience within your community. What would you say?

      Draft a compelling message to describe the mission and vision of your program(s) and how a partnership would be beneficial to both of your organizations and the community. 

      Need some help knowing where to start?  Take a look at your local plans of work. Often such documents include clear messaging that can help with an exercise like this.


    • REVIEW + CONSIDER


      Watch the introductory video Cornell Cooperative Extension: Helping New Yorkers Thrive and the Statewide Plan of Work related to your program.

      Note to Self: Reflecting on Your Program’s Statewide Mission, Vision & Values

      • What was new for you?
      • What connections were you able to make to your local program and community?
      • What questions do you have?


    • DO + CREATE

      Worksheet 1: Exploring Program Thriving

      Set your time for ½ hour.  During this time work through Worksheet 1 to consider what you know about your programs and what else you want to know.  

    • DREAM + PLAN:

      Who could you share your observations and questions with? Have a conversation with a colleague about your initial brainstorming.

  • Topic 2 is designed to help you and others who are working on the program planning process understand the “what” of Extension work by collecting and reviewing data and having conversations with stakeholders.  The session provides a step-by-step guide to reviewing current practices and participation as well as current successes.    

    • WHAT WE’LL DO:  

      In this session, participants will: 

      • Take a look at the current reach, participation, offerings and outcomes reported and consider how this information can help shape the future. 
      • IMAGINE & CONNECT: warm-up - consider personal experiences – what can a look at data help us to address? 
      • REVIEW + CONSIDER: Review and assess current data and trends, host conversations with stakeholders and consider how this can be helpful for planning for growth opportunities.  
      • DO + CREATE: Complete Worksheet 2: Snapshot of Today
      • DREAM + PLAN:  Consider next steps for planning.  What else might be needed? 

    • IMAGINE + CONNECT: 

      This session will ask you to review and assess information to move forward.  

      As a warm-up exercise, think about one of the following:
      • Reach back into your experiences as a program participant (any program) and think of a time when you had a clear understanding of program expectations or felt excited about signing up for something and following through.  What did that look like?  Feel like? What elements were involved? 
      • Remember a time (it might be work, or a program you volunteer for or participated in but could also be life experience) when you used data, information, and conversations to make decisions. What prompted that? Were you working with others? What contributed to that experience? 
      • Think about "blue ribbon/rock star programs" that you have right now. What are they? What makes them successful? 

    • REVIEW + CONSIDER:

      An Extension Program Advisory Committee (PAC) can be very helpful in reviewing the reach and impact of an extension program (or programs), noting gaps in participation or experiences being offered, and suggesting ways to reach new audiences.   

      This can be particularly helpful when teams include external stakeholders - potential participants of the Extension program who are not currently involved.  External stakeholders can provide "fresh eyes", not to judge the program, but to identify opportunities that may not be seen by a committee that is all closely affiliated with the staff and program.  There are several ways to provide information that can start conversations.  Below are good places to start to review program reach.  

      Note: This might feel frightening - “What will we see?”  “Will others think we are not doing enough?” Or, “that doesn’t look right?” … yet looking at what is documented can be helpful in identifying strengths and opportunities for strengthening your program. 

      Print off resources available from the CCE Program Data Reporting Tool.  To do this:   

      You may wish to interview others - (and have stakeholders do this too) 
      • One way to gather input from colleagues, and external stakeholders is to have your advisory committee go out and ask some reflective (and agreed upon questions).  This is a good way to gather input, document ideas, and provide the time needed for reflective practice.  The interviews will help you to assess the needs that you are interested in.   
      •  Collectively come up with a list of people to interview, collect data (Qualtrics allows for a way to gather and review data), review and discuss results, and communicate a summary with the stakeholders whose input you asked. This input can help round out what you saw in program data and provides another way to understand your program reach and impacts.  Be sure you are reaching out and interviewing some not currently involved in your program.  CCE Using Interviews for Gathering CCE Evaluation Data  https://staff.cce.cornell.edu/node/861 shows this idea more fully. 

      Tutorials on how to find data in PDR and how to use data from PDR are available.

    • DO + CREATE:  

      Worksheet 2: Snapshot of Today Set your timer for 45 minutes. Add data and content to Worksheet 2 – adding notes from the activities above into the worksheet.

      Compare the notes and thoughts the team has about your program reach, interests, and gaps to help prepare for further planning.  Are there trends you are seeing?  Opportunities for the future.  The opportunity to discuss and start to document what you each see will lead to helping your team plan moving forward. 

    • DREAM + PLAN: 

      With your collective ideas discussed and fresh, begin to identify strengths and opportunities based on the data and information that you are seeing.  Some find a SWOT analysis to be a good way to facilitate that.   

      Reflection Questions: 

      • What is your reaction to this statement?  How does it make you feel?  What questions does it raise for you? 
      • How well does this vision relate to your Association and the needs of your County?   
      • What would you identify as 2-3 key challenges or barriers that CCE would need to address to begin moving towards this vision in your County/Association?   

      Closing Exercise of your choice. 

  • Dictionary page with the world opportunity highlightedBuilding on what your team learned in the previous module, Snapshot of Today, consider how your Association is fostering a culture which centers relationships. Relationships that promote belonging, cultivate leadership, drive innovation, and ensure lifelong learning and growth- to cultivate a community of collective care your programs, outreach, and among staff and volunteers. What does reflecting on current data and local population data and trends suggest?  What are your team's and your program strengths in partnering with diverse communities? What’s working well?  What are your opportunities for growth?  What gets in the way? What barriers do you notice?  

    Thinking about what belonging and being in right relationship means to you, how do you want to contribute? How are you connecting across differences? Then how do those intentions ripple through relationships, experiences, programs, our organization? 


    • WHAT WE’LL DO:  

      In this session, participants will: 

          • Notice how what you’re learning about your programs aligns (or doesn’t) with organizational values and goals. 
          • IMAGINE & CONNECT: Reflect on CCE’s commitment to Organizational Sustainability and being in right relationship.
          • REVIEW + CONSIDER:  Describe who is reached through which program delivery modes and in what settings - intervention strategies and examining equity (who has access to what and how) . Describe how your Association program reach compares to the community - working towards parity.  
          • DO + CREATE: Complete Worksheet 3: Opportunity for All
          • DREAM + PLAN:   Describe strategies your program can use to work towards parity.

    • IMAGINE + CONNECT:

      CCE ‘s Commitment to Organizational Sustainability 

      CCE has a strong commitment to organizational sustainability, in the development of its policies, programming, procedures and practices. Organizational Sustainability centers relationships that promote belonging, cultivate leadership, drive innovation, ensure life-long learning and growth- to cultivate a community of collective care. 

      CCE’s core mission, vision, and values encompasses a holistic approach to human connection and growth, fostering an environment where individuals can thrive and contribute meaningfully while feeling seen, heard, and valued. 

      What does this mean for you and your work with CCE? Let's explore this a bit together. 

      Self-Reflection

      Quote from Dr. Bryan Brayboy about being in right relationship, responsible to each other and people who were here before us

      “If we are in relationship with one another, then we are responsible to each other...To be in good relation means I acknowledge that there were peoples here before who were actually brilliant and brought things that I’m borrowing.”

      Take some time to reflect on your own on the following questions.

      • What does it mean to be in right relationship (mindset, characteristics, practices)?  
      • What is your experience with being in right relationship in terms of your work?  
      • What supports are needed to be in right relationship? 
      • What’s one impactful strategy for developing authentic relationships that came up for you? 

    • REVIEW + CONSIDER:

      Cooperative Extension has a fundamental commitment to have parity in program reach.  

      Parity 

      (information from the CCE Program Advisory Committee Handbook) 

      Parity is the state of being equal or equivalent to the demographics of a target population. It is looking at the demographic makeup of a particular population and then making sure that Extension programs and advisory committees reflect these demographics. For example, if a particular target population in a county or community is made up of 50% white, 30% African-American, and 20% Asian, then the parity the educator should be trying to reach in attendance at Extension programs should mirror these percentages. 

      Reaching parity isn’t always an easy process, but it is federally mandated for Extension program staff to show that they have done everything possible to reach parity. Extension advisory committees are subject to federal audits and reviews, and although county program staff aren’t always able to reach parity, they must provide proof that they have made every attempt to be in federal compliance. This may include advisory committee minutes in which methods of reaching target audiences have been discussed, as well as examples of the social media, fliers, newsletters, websites, individual visits, etc. that occurred because of these discussions. This information should be collected and stored for at least five years. Failure to provide this information during a federal audit or review could have serious consequences. They are generally conducted every ten years, but sometimes they occur more frequently and without a great deal of notice. 

      Living Our Values

      Even more than that, as we’ve already explored, CCE has a commitment to organizational sustainability and belonging. Living these values means noticing who has access to and who benefits from CCE opportunities and also who doesn’t yet. It means looking at who leads programs, who makes decisions, and how decisions are made. It means working towards being in right relationship with the whole community. 

      The foundations of right relationship are personal and professional identity development. There are a variety of opportunities and resources in CCE and beyond to support each of us on this journey. Building on that foundation, this module experience will focus on relationships and collaboration – the interpersonal, group and organizational implications of fostering a culture of belonging and collective care. 

    • Additional Resources 

    • DO + CREATE

      Program Analysis

      Realizing CCE’s organization sustainability vision requires individual and organizational reflection and growth.   Refer back to the data your team compiled in the previous module, Snapshot of Today, consider how your Association is contributing to closing the opportunity gap with communities. What does reflecting on current program reach and local population trends suggest?  

      Worksheet 3: Opportunity for all asks you to review your demographic reach, the county population and what parity could look like.

      Set your timer for 45 minutes. Add data and content to Worksheet 3 – data and calculating parity.

      Where Are We Now?

      Parity 

      Parity for Extension refers to achieving equal representation in Extension programs and advisory committees, ensuring they reflect the demographics of the target population. For example, if a community is 50% white, 30% African-American, and 20% Asian, Extension programs should aim for similar attendance proportions. Although reaching parity can be challenging, it is federally mandated. We should be able to show that we are striving for parity so that all demographics can benefit from Extension programs (and that Extension programs are planned considering needs and communities).

      •    See Program Advisory Handbook on the staff program planning page https://staff.cce.cornell.edu/units/orgdev/tools/planning for more details.

      Objective: Compare your organization's participant demographics with public demographics to evaluate parity and identify any gaps. Use this data to create strategies for improving inclusion and representation.

      Expanding Access

      Who doesn't have access to opportunities yet? What data do you have about why not? What are barriers that reduce access to those opportunities? Who does have relationships with those community members? What can you do to overcome barriers and increase access?

      How does your community learn about opportunities in you’re the opportunities you association provides? How are opportunities shared with everyone in the community? How are you reaching audiences who haven’t had access to the program?

      Strengthening Relationships

      How does your Association work collaboratively in community to expand opportunities for all?

      What are your program strengths in partnering with diverse communities? Which community members do you have trusting relationships with? How can you cultivate trusting relationships? Where is trust missing? What data do you have about why that is? What is the history of how Extension has connected with diverse communities? How can you build trust with communities who have experience challenging or painful relationships with Extension in the past?

      How do your participants describe their experience of belonging in your programs? Who and how often do participants return to program opportunities? What data do you have to support this? 

    • DREAM + PLAN:

       Strategies for working towards parity and equity - what could this look like in practice in your specific context? 

      Deliverable

      Create a document summarizing the steps your Association will take to work towards cultivating a culture of belonging and expanding access with your community. Who can help your Association be successful in these steps and provide accountability?

  • Session four is designed to build on the work of the first three sessions and apply that work to the process of creating a strategic vision for your CCE  program. The process and supporting tools will allow you to create a vision statement that describes the ideal future for CCE in your County (5-7 years from now) and identify priority focus areas for moving the process ahead.  

    •  What We'll Do

      In this session, participants will: 

      • IMAGINE + CONNECT: Create a personal vision for your program work in your association 
      • REVIEW + CONSIDER: Consider what Extension is and how it is implemented
      • DO + CREATE: Worksheet 4: A Vison of Tomorrow
      • DREAM + PLAN: Review your vision statement and engage in a group dialogue to begin identifying a compelling future-oriented vision for your program. 


    • IMAGINE + CONNECT:

      Creating a Personal Vision in your Association

      Imagine it is the year 2028 and you are well on your way to success with a growing and thriving local program.  Consider one or more of the following strategies for exploring what the program looks like in this idealized future.  This activity can be shared in advance of an in-person meeting, or time can be allocated during the meeting for each person to undertake the activity. 

      As a warm-up exercise, think about the following:

      • Imagine you are a local reporter, and you are visiting an active and thriving program in your county in the year 2030 and writing a feature article.  What are program participants saying about the program?  How do the stakeholders describe what is happening and what they are experiencing?  Who is involved in the program and where is it taking place?  Are there any new and key partnerships allowing this to happen? What are participants saying about the program?  Volunteers?  Community leaders and County elected officials?  How about staff?  Who are they and how do they describe the work they are doing? 

      Based on the outline and questions above, write:

      • a paragraph or two that describes the program the reporter was attending and addresses the questions outlined above.
      • your personal vision for your county program.  This could be in the form of writing, drawing, or vision-boarding – whatever works for you.  The idea is to capture the vision and the path from where you are now to this desired future.  What are the key steps along the way?  How will you know you are making progress? 

    • REVIEW + CONSIDER:

      The visioning exercise helps you and your team imagine what success looks like for the organization, considering perspectives from program participants, volunteers, staff, and community partners. Reflect on how your vision aligns with the views of others:

      • Are there common themes across these perspectives?
      • What shared values emerge?
      • Are there any differences between current programs and the goals in your vision?

      This process of identifying shared values and assessing alignment can guide the next steps in shaping the vision for your program and then, the vision for your advisory committee.

      Example of Shared Vision
      To inspire discussion, consider this vision from National 4-H leadership: “4-H will embrace and reflect the rich diversity of youth, families and communities that comprise our nation. We will grow our organization in ways that leverage diversity to improve the economic, environmental, and social conditions in which people live. Cooperative Extension and 4-H will help to close the gap in wellbeing and economic mobility as we undertake our bold goal to engage 10 million youth reflecting the diversity of the nation’s communities by 2027.”

      For additional insights, listen to  the podcast from CCE Director Andy Turner, where he shares his vision and hopes for Cornell Cooperative Extension, or  review the national Extension vision expressed by USDA NIFA.

      Our Why: Understanding Purpose
      Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle” model helps leaders inspire by focusing on Why, How, and What. Beginning with the “why” creates a purpose-driven foundation. You can explore this concept further by watching Sinek’s "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" video.

      Key Elements: Vision, Mission, Goals, and Values

      • Vision: Your Association's vision statement should be concise, specific, and set a clear, inspiring path for the future, looking ahead 7-10 years. Think of the vision as where you want to go.
      • Mission: The mission statement defines the organization’s purpose, or why it exists.
      • Goals: Goals outline strategies to fulfill the mission and achieve the vision. In CCE, goals are typically defined within a specific timeframe, such as the Plan of Work, and provide direction at multiple levels.
      • Values: Values reflect how you work and the principles guiding your organization’s culture and goals.

    • DO + CREATE:

      Worksheet 4: A Vision of Tomorrow The next activity is to craft a vision statement for your advisory committee.

      A vision statement is a clear and inspiring declaration of where you see your organization, project, or team in the future. It provides direction and motivates stakeholders by outlining a long-term goal.  Vision and Mission are often confused.  The main difference between a vision and a mission is that a vision statement describes an organization's future goals, while a mission statement describes its current purpose and day-to-day operations.

      Vision statements are typically:

      • Clear: Easily understood by everyone.
      • Inspiring: Motivates others to work towards it.
      • Future-Oriented: Focused on what you aim to achieve.
      • Concise: Ideally, one or two sentences.

      In the case of a vision statement for your advisory committee, the idea is to cleanly and concisely create a statement that outlines the vision of your committee.  Ideally stakeholders – (Board, Executive Director, Staff, Advisory Committee) have all participated in the process and regular review of the vision statement. 

    • DREAM + PLAN:

      Review your responses to worksheet 4 and talk through your ideas with colleagues and Advisory Committee members.  Listen for their clarifying questions and suggestions. Adapt a vision statement for your Advisory Committee as needed.

    • WHAT WE'LL DO: 

      In this session, participants will: 

      • IMAGINE & CONNECT: what does your analysis and visioning process suggest for next steps? 
      • REVIEW + CONSIDER: Explore CCE statewide plan of work resources.  
      • DO + CREATE:  Worksheet 5: Charting your Course
      • DREAM + PLAN:  Plan how to share your advisory team’s advice with CCE leadership. Celebrate.


    • IMAGINE + CONNECT: 

      Remind yourself of your initial elevator pitch and your vision for your program. Imagine it coming to life. What does it look like? Sound like? How do you and everyone around you feel?

      We’re going to walk together through the data we’ve collected so far. Remind yourself of everything you learned throughout this reflection and data analysis process. What does what you discovered suggest for next steps in realizing your vision?

    • REVIEW + CONSIDER:

      What will your plans for working with your stakeholders and advisory committee look like?  There is not a template for this one, as it depends on your situation, stakeholders, and needs.  

      In our course we have been talking about useful formats, members, goals, and outcomes for Advisory Committees and how the "advice" from stakeholders to staff and leadership is what we are seeking.  It might be helpful to see what this might look like.  In 2022 a group of participants from a Cayuga County Leadership Cayuga cohort took on a review and advisory capacity.  The stakeholders worked with staff and devised a plan for reviewing websites and documents, they interviewed participants and similar outside organizations to become better acquainted with the CCE Cayuga 4-H Youth Development Program.  In the process, they became enamored with the program and developed advice for expanding reach.  Their output was a document presented to leadership as suggestions.  The cohort put substantial work into the process and the document, and the county program learned a great deal.  They have been able to address some of the suggestions a little at a time, and perhaps most importantly learned about their program from the perspective of local stakeholders/upcoming community leaders.  The cohort, in this process, became big fans of Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development.  Take a look at their report (provided with permission of CCE Cayuga County): Example resource from an Advisory Committee for staff and program leadership

      It could be that your work together impacts your local program plan or brings up questions that relate to the state plan.  Take a look at  what your current plan says and perhaps consider what the Statewide Plans of Work resources say.

      Ideas and suggestions from your advisory committee could help you shape what your plans look like moving forward to expand your program reach and change the way that you warmly welcome the community.  Tools for creating/recreating your plans can be found here: Local Plan of Work resources.

    • DO + CREATE: 

      Worksheet 5: Charting Your Course

      Throughout this journey, you have developed as a team and gathered many kinds of information and evidence about your program. Now is time to synthesize what you learned and suggest possible next steps. We invite you to:

      • Reflect on what you've learned and document a few strategic points to share with others and move forward with your advisory group.
      • Set your timer for 45 minutes to add your ideas from the previous work and worksheets.  The intent is to consider everything that you have worked on before now to draft recommendations and an accountability plan.

    • DREAM + PLAN:

      Plan for how to share your advisory team’s advice with CCE leadership. Who needs this information in order to act on your team's advice? How will you share your recommendations?

      And remember to celebrate! Take time to celebrate your individual and team contributions in creating opportunities for youth, families, volunteers, staff, and our communities to thrive!  

      What forms of reporting back from an Advisory Committee might work best in your county?  Link to shared Box document - documenting our collective ideas for how an advisory committee will share "advice".

  • Thank you for participating in the Advising Local Programs course.  Please take a few moments to share about your experience. Your feedback helps improve future course offerings and others' experience.

  • ·       Worksheet 1: Exploring Program Thriving (MS Word)
    ·       Worksheet 2: Snapshot of Today  (MS Word)
    ·       Worksheet 3: Opportunity for All  (MS Word)
    ·       Worksheet 4: A Vision of Tomorrow  (MS Word)
    ·       Worksheet 5: Charting Your Course  (MS Word)