AGED 6200 Extension Program Development

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AGED 6200Extension Program Development

• Week Nine
• Dr. James A. Rutledge

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Week Nine ReadingVolunteer Development in
Extension

• All of the following are in the Journal of
  Extension (Title or author with Volume and
  Number in order)
• Frustrated Volunteer, 29, 2
• Dismissing a Volunteer, 30,4
• Hobbs, 39,4
• Rowland, 28,3
• Leidheiser, 31,1
• Snider, 23,3
• King Safrit, 36,3
• Wolford, Cox, Culp, 39,2

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Week Nine Questions

• What types of volunteers are there in Extension?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  utilizing volunteers in Extension?
• What are the major issues or concerns of
  Extension professionals?
• What are some of the issues or concerns of those
  who volunteer for Extension?

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Types of Volunteers

• 4-H Youth Development
• Master Gardeners
• Master Food Preservers
• Master Woodland Managers
• Master Recyclers
• Master Money Managers
• HCE Group Leaders
• Ag Cooperators (field trials, demonstration
  plots)
• Community Resource Volunteers (CRD Programs)

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Volunteer Roles in Extension

• Direct Service
• Middle Management
• Key Resource Leaders
• Policy and Advisory Boards
• Non-Profit Corporations (Trustees)

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Advantages of Utilizing Volunteers

• Expanding the efforts of Extension professionals
• Human resources to manage large programs
• With expertise and skills professionals may lack
• To deliver programs designed by the professionals
• Increases buy in and support for Extension
  programs and budgets
• Can increase diversity of program delivery staff
  (majority of Extension staff are white)
• Volunteers can actually assist in the development
  and management of an effective volunteer program

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Disadvantages of Utilizing Volunteers

• Requires time to manage
• Recruiting, Orientation, Training, Recognition,
  etc
• Have to share the ownership with the volunteers
• Volunteers may direct the program to their own
  interests
• Volunteers may lack the specific skills, even
  though they are highly motivated to help
• May have to fire a volunteer at some time
• Some are high maintenance and low productivity

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Issues for Extension Professionals

• Time commitments
• Program ownership
• Liability for volunteer actions
• Expertise for managing volunteer programs
• Lack of recognition by administration,
  supervisors, and peers for time it takes to
  develop an effective volunteer program
• Its easier to do it yourself if its your
  reputation on the line.

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Issues for Volunteers

• They want meaningful jobs
• They want to be respected
• Need to be kept in the loop
• Need for appropriate recognition
• Fear of termination
• Out of pocket expense of volunteering

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Volunteering in America

• Over 50 of adults do some type of volunteer work
  in their community
• Volunteers gave an average of 4.2 hours per week
• Gallup Survey in 1992 showed that 94.2 Million
  volunteers gave 20.5 billion hours for a total
  value of 176 billion dollars

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Why People Volunteer

• 1992 National Gallup Organization Survey showed
  the following
• 69 had volunteered before
• 67 wanted to make a change in society
• 66 had belonged to a youth group
• 67 saw someone they admired helping another
• 61 saw someone in their family helping others
• 60 were helped by others in the past
• Education Through Cooperative Extension by
  Seevers, et al, p. 189

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Why People Volunteer-Part II

• Achievement
• Learn New Things, Contribute to Community,
  Recognition, Lead to Employment\
• Affiliation
• Work for Good Organization, Meet Others, Family
  and Friends Involved, Meet People Like Themselves
• Power
• Being a Leader, Doing Own Thing, Responsibility,
  Influence, and Status
• Effective Motivators for Master Volunteer
  Program Development by Wolford, Cox and Culp,
  Journal of Extension, Vol. 39, Number 2

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Volunteer Program Management

• ISOTURE
• Identification
• Selection
• Orientation
• Training
• Utilization
• Recognition
• Evaluation

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Position Descriptions

• Volunteer position descriptions are critical to
  the success of the volunteer management program.
• Designed to support the partnership between the
  Extension Service and the volunteer.
• Precise enough to provide direction and
  performance evaluation

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Position Description

• Title
• Purpose
• Volunteer Responsibilities
• Qualifications
• Advisor
• Advisors Responsibilities
• Training/Resources Provided
• Time Requirements

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Practice Exercise

• Developing a position description
• Choose a volunteer role
• Fill in the blanks
• Work with a partner
• Prepare to share your draft with class

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Next Weeks Panel

• Next Weeks Panel will include
• Nathan Anderson, Payne County Extension Director
• Dr. Norman Durham, Payne County Extension Budget
  Committee
• Terry Hyman, former County Commissioner and
  current State Representative
• Steve Smith, SW and NW District Director

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Questions for the Panel

• What questions do you have for the panel.
• General questions about the relationship between
  Extension and various public funding sources
• Specific questions about what Extension needs to
  do to maintain or increase funding to provide
  the kinds of information they need and to
  increase public and political support.

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Issue Presentations

• Be prepared with your own critical questions
  about the content and recommendations made in the
  presentations.
• If you dont have questions for each other, I
  will have enough questions.

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Staff Development for Volunteer Management.a
sample

• Ill share an overview of a staff training that I
  have done many times for volunteer management.
• Also included on the web site is a sample of a
  master gardener training program for volunteers.