County Extension Advisory Committees

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DED Web Site

• http//ded.ifas.ufl.edu/

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County Extension Advisory Committees
Guidelines for Roles and Functions By Marilyn
Norman, Mitch Flinchum, Rodney Clouser and Pete
Vergot May 2005
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Overview

• Why
• Roles
• Structures / Operations
• Affirmative Action

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University of Florida IFAS Extension

• STRONGLY BELIEVES
• Citizen input and involvement is essential
• An Advisory Committee system is effective and
  efficient

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Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why?
Why?

• What does the research indicate about citizen
  involvement
• Accuracy in identification of needs
• Program priorities and methods
• Rapid acceptance of change
• Communication

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Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why?
Why?

• Increased local support
• Expanded ability to extend professionals efforts
• Democratic process reinforced

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Primary Role

• Program Design Implementation
• Identify customer concerns
• Provide guidance
• Program decision making
• Utilize multiple sources of information

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Basic Minimums

• One Overall Advisory Committee (OEAC)
• An advisory committee to facilitate programming
  by each agent

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Advisory Committee Structure

• Three Interrelated Categories
• Overall
• Program
• Program Subcommittees

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Overall Advisory Committee (OEAC)

• Assess general situation
• Long-range direction
• Advises emphasis / balance
• ID / Obtain resources
• Legitimizes
• Public Relations
• Coordinates
• Advocates

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Program Committee

• Analyze
• Identify
• Clarify
• Explore
• Legitimize
• Participate
• Review
• Accountable

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Program Subcommittee

• Same as Program Advisory
• - BUT -
• more narrowly focused

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Committee Size

• Upper limits of 20
• Good Faculty Judgment
• Complexity and scope of committees role
• Demographic variables for representation

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Appointments

• Primarily by faculty
• Committee input valuable
• County Commissioner input

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Overall Extension Advisory Committee

• Confirmed by the CED
• Appropriate confirmed by the dean

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Tenure of Members

• Rotation
• New ideas
• Knowledge
• New leadership
• Stimulates the dynamics of the group

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Officers

• Program committee may need continuity of a
  permanent chair
• Other officers if necessary (secretary,
  secretary/treasurer)

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Frequency of Meetings

• Program Advisory Committees meet as needed to
  fulfill responsibilities at least two times
• OEAC Must meet at least twice each calendar year

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Coordination

• REC Co-existing in county
• Correspondence and minutes
• Liaison with other groups

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Affirmative Action

• Representative of target audience
• Annual review demographic data, comparing
• County demographics
• Program participant data
• Discuss Affirmative Action Policy Procedures in
  committee
• Record the discussion and results in minutes

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Expansion and Review Committee

• 4-H
• Required by Federal Affirmative Action Guidelines
• Representation minorities and geographic
• Must be 1/3 youth membership
• Linkage with overall 4-H Advisory
• Responsibility to monitor and review

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Analyze 4-H membership by geographic area
Determine Geographic Boundary of Clubs
Plan an expansion program
Conduct a survey with minority youth adults
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Reasons for Joining. an Extension Advisory
Committee
1. Like to work with people
2. Could use my talents and skills while
serving on the committee
3. Liked the Extension Agent
4. Wanted to keep aware of what was going on
in Extension
5. Felt the committee accomplished things and
wanted to be a part
6. Wanted to work on solutions to problems and
the committee provided an opportunity to work
on some important ones
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Reasons for Quitting Extension Advisory Committee
1. Did not feel needed by committee
2. Did not feel the committee was
accomplishing anything
3. Inadequate opportunities to reflect what
goes on in Extension
4. Did not feel that the committee provided a
means for improving situations in the county
5. Inadequate opportunities to be involved in
making decisions about Extension programs
6. Could not use my talents/skills while
serving on the committee
7. Did not like the Extension Agent
8. Did not like to work with people
9. Didnt really care about seeing the
Extension programs through
10. Extension Advisory Committee did not
provide an opportunity to work on
important problems
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Results of McKinney Study

1. Of those surveyed, volunteers who attended 4 to 7
   meetings were twice as likely to be extremely
   motivated as those who attended fewer than 3
   meetings.
2. Volunteers were 3 times more likely to be
   motivated to serve on advisory committees and
   councils when they were encouraged to participate
   in group discussions, and overwhelmingly poorly
   motivated when the CED dominated the discussion.

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Results of McKinney Study
3. Orientation of new volunteers was a factor
for assuring motivation. Those volunteers
receiving no orientation were 4 times more likely
to be poorly motivated than their counterparts
who received extensive orientation.
4. Levels of motivation and empowerment
increased dramatically when volunteers felt their
ideas were valued and they felt they were
providing a valuable service. On the contrary,
when volunteers felt they were being used as
legitimizers and/or rubber stamps, their
level of motivation repeatedly declined.
.
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Summary

• Why
• Roles
• Structures / Operations
• Affirmative Action

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• QUESTIONS???