CSU Extension Public Value Blog

09/01: Public Value Issues for Specialists

All Extension personnel should address the "public value" of Extension efforts -- programs, demonstrations, research, outreach, and promotion. Without some benefit of an Extension effort accruing to people outside the immediate effort, we are in trouble. But first we must know was "public value" means and how to explain that value to ourselves, clientele, funders, supporters, and detractors/critics.

The "Public Value for Specialists" training will help campus-based people with Extension responsibilities gain an understanding of what is meant by public value, how to explain public value, etc. The skills program participants will learn will be beneficial to grant proposals and non-Extension work.

06/04: From 1995

I recently came across a 1995 strategic communication plan. it notes that this plan is the beginning of a strategy to build consistent, continuous, clear communications about Cooperative Extension's value to the people of Colorado -- to communicate a consistent, positive message to enhance funding and public support. Sounds a lot like a public value statement, doesn't it?

"These are some of the challenges:
-- Convincing traditional clientθle and supporters that Extension has not disavowed its long-term commitment to agriculture by focusing on biotechnology,international marketing, farm profitability, sustainability of the resource base for ag production, and environmental and natural resource issues.
-- Convincing stakeholders that community economic development programs enhance the total economy of rural communities that can no longer remain solely dependent upon agriculture.
-- Helping various audiences understand that responding to youth issues (in rural and suburban area and yes, cities) does not infringe on the 4-H program, but indeed provides broader programming and strengthens the opportunities for all youth.
-- Letting internal and external decision makers know that providing relevant education related to family and consumer problems provides opportunities for all citizens to help solve complex, current challenges.
-- Focusing as an organization on creating and continuously maintaining a positive pubic image to strengthen support for our programs."

05/16: Northern Region Public Value Statements

The following is a list of public value statements generated from the Northern Region during the spring meeting
April 7-8, 2008
The Ranch, Larimer County

1. When you support the Pest Alert program, participants will improve their pest management skill which leads to reduced pesticide use/increased profitability which will benefit other community members by creating as safer environment, more stable economy.
2. When you support the 4-H Afterschool Program, participants will be part of a structured, supervised, interactive, educational program which leads to positive use of time, interactive life skill development, and resiliency which will benefit other community members by building a stronger, safer community.
3. When you support the 4-H Livestock Program, participants will learn to apply better livestock production practices which leads to healthier animals. This benefits community members by offering a wholesome food supply and trust in animal production.
4. When you support the Teaching Money Habits for Life Program, participants will develop improved financial management skills, better family communications/decision making which leads to more productive work force and less debt, which will benefit other community members by creating profitable, efficient productive businesses and less dependence on government and non-profits for assistance.
5. When you support the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program, participants will make effective food choices, save money, and have food available for the entire month which leads to healthier families which will benefit other community members by reducing tax dollars needed to support assistance programs.
6. When you support the New Farmer Program, participants will develop business plans and risk management plans which lead to move viable farms and farm communities which will benefit other community members by populating ag land and open space and providing more local food.
7. When you support the Sustaining Ag in Colorado WT, participants will develop farm business strength; soil, air, & water protection; and wise use of irrigation which will benefit the community by providing more viable farms, generational transfer, environmental protection, local foods, strengthened by local economy and ag open space.
8. When you support the Agriculture Big and Small Program, participants will develop limited irrigation (crops and animal production) and plant high value crops which leads to bringing in new farmers and increasing marketing opportunities when farmers join together which will benefit other community members by providing fairness (scholarships reduced cost of programs), food source (selling directly to consumer vertical integration), more participation (less the cost), and preserving irrigation rights for agriculture.
9. When you support the Native Plant Masters Program, participants will stay on trails, control weeds, plant natives, avoid picking natives, and ask for natives at garden centers which, through appropriate siting, leads to planting sustainable landscapes and controlling noxious weeds which will benefit other community members by adding to local economies through preservation of potential pharmacological resources, reduced water use in an arid state, and increased land productivity from grazing and recreational use.
10. When you support the Master Gardner Program, participants will learn the value of community involvement which leads to civil pride and will benefit other community members by increased involvement.
11. When you support the Colorado 4-H Program, participants will gain life skills, which leads to decreased engagement in at-risk behaviors, which will benefit other community members by having more active members of the community.
12. When you support the Sustainable Ag Program, participants will be more risk resilient which will lead to more profitable opportunities which will benefit other community members by increasing the economic viability in their communities.
13. When you support the CSU Economic Development Comparative Advantage Program, participants will rethink business recruiting practices which leads to new businesses and economic activity which will benefit our community members by increasing the tax base and local services.

05/16: Train the Trainer program on Extension's Public Value

An online train-the-trainer program for "Building Extension's Public Value." will be conducted will be Tuesday, May 20, and Thursday, May 22, 2008, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

The training sessions, from University of Minnesota Extension will be via UMConnect, and will consist of two, two-hour sessions, with all participants attending both sessions.

More details, including registration instructions: http://www.extension.umn.edu/community/publicvalue.html.

05/16: Is it a "good" or a "value"?

We sometimes use the terms “public good” and “public value” interchangeably. A public good is defined as something tangible that benefits the public at large. A public value is something that has worth or significance for the public at large.

Public goods may be naturally available, such as water and air, or provided by the government or another entity. Consumption of the good by one individual does not reduce the amount of the good available for consumption by others; and no one can be effectively excluded from using that good. An example is a street sign. It won’t wear out, even if large numbers of people are looking at it; and it would be extremely difficult, costly and inefficient to limit its use to only one or a few persons and try to prevent others from looking at it, too. A traffic light or clean air is a further example.

The publicness of a good does not automatically imply that all people value it in the same way. Business owners, who do not make their living from the land, may not place the highest value on a Farm Bill that provides cost-share dollars for conservation practices. They may give preference to providing incentives to new businesses. When we look at a public goods agenda for the state or the region, we need to consider that the top priorities of different population groups are being considered equitably.

As you are writing your statements for the public value of Extension programs, consider that different audiences will value your program in different ways.

05/15: Southern Region Responses

Listed below are seven “public value summaries” from the Southern Region. Six of these were developed via the small group discussions at the regional meeting, reviewed and edited following the meeting. Joel Plath developed (based on his sense of the need, but, he says, constrained by his knowledge base…it is so noted).

Feel free to comment on these.

Program: Agriculture and Natural Resources (Crop Production)
Participants: Irrigated Ag Producers

Changes
• Reduce consumptive use of water
• Diversify income stream
• Change cropping patterns
• Diversify by adding livestock
• Crops that use less water
• Harvest crops with most profitable means for that crop
• Production, conservation, management practices

Outcome
• Preserve economic base
• Preserve existing ag resources/equipment
• Reduction of consumptive use of water
• Sustainability of agriculture

Private Benefits
• Increase farm income stability
• Stress relief (financial)
• Better business planning
• Local control

Public Value
• More demand for diverse ag inputs/supplies
• Less government regulation/ more local control
• Maintain tax base
• Improves economy by keeping ag and reducing negative environmental impacts

Program: 4-H Youth Development
Participants: Youth, Parents, Leaders

Changes
• Learn to work with others
• Increased self esteem
• Academic achievement improved
• Develop social skills
• Community involvement
• Personal involvement and commitment to youth
• Improved responsibility and leadership

Outcome
• Develop critical thinking and decision making skills
• Learn and develop citizenship and leadership skills
• Public speaking and record keeping skills
• Social connections
• Gain technical skills & knowledge
• Better career opportunities
• Communication skills
• Stronger personal values

Private Benefits
• More successful in school
• Improved career opportunities
• Stronger family
• Family communication
• Improved quality of life
• Increased opportunity for higher education

Public Value
• Increased school participation
• Reduced expenditures for law enforcement
• Stronger community leaders
• Stronger families & communities
• Increased community leadership
• More knowledge of and open-mindedness about society
• More productive citizens
• Responsible workforce

Program: Food Safety and Nutrition Education
Participants: Food Handlers/Preparers, Community Members

Changes
• Knowledge of food safety practices
• Knowledge of dangers of improper handling
• Behavioral changes (safe practices)
• Change eating habits
• Improved awareness of options, better choices
• Spend food money wisely
• Increased fruit and vegetable consumption
• Cultural food adaptations
• Weight control and reduced health issues

Outcome
• Decreased incidence of food borne illnesses
• Food served more safely
• Improved individual and family health
• Support local economy/farmers
• Health benefits, increased quality of life
• Decrease chronic illnesses
• Decreased obesity, improved weight loss
• Improved cardiovascular health

Private Benefits
• Less incidence of food poisoning
• Restaurants stay in business
• Greater employee retention
• Reduced insurance costs
• Food safety certification for employees
• Food budget goes further
• Reduced personal medical costs
• Quality of life – live longer, feel better
• Improved self-esteem

Public Value
• Reduced food-borne illness
• Improved security in commercially prepared and handled foods
• Decreased burden on health care system
• Supports small businesses & business tax base
• Quality of life
• Increased employee productivity
• Children learn good habits and are more productive in school

Program: Rural Technical Assistance Program
Participants: Community Members

Changes
• Enhanced community amenities

Outcome
• Support GOCO grant for park

Private Benefits
• Create community pride
• Place for recreation
• Opportunities for exercise
• Beautifies community
• Enhanced property values

Program: Agriculture and Natural Resources
Participants: Small Acreage Owners

Changes
• Recognizing and managing non-native weeds
• Multiple control methods of weeds
• Reduced pesticide use
• Gain knowledge of Natural Resources stewardship
• Increased water testing
• Improved septic system management

Outcome
• Better soils
• Better aesthetics
• Improved use of land
• Reduced erosion
• Improved vegetation management
• Improved water quality
• Fewer invasive plant species
• Decrease water usage/consumption
• Reduced weed problems
• Increased pasture productivity

Private Benefits
• Increased income
• Reduced pesticide and fertilizer use
• Lower costs to control weeds
• Improved quality of life
• Higher property value
• Reduced water contamination and less risk of health issues

Public Value
• Improved Increased land use
• Improved aesthetics/community value
• Less environmental contamination
• Increased property values
• Reduced water treatment costs
• Reduced cost to repair erosion damage to waterways
• Maintain tax base

Public Value
• Create community pride
• Place for recreation
• Opportunities for exercise
• Beautifies community
• Increased visibility of Extension
• Maintain/improve property tax base

Program: Horticulture
Participants: Community Members

Changes
• Plant More drought resistant species planted
• Use less water
• Apply Fewer fertilizers and pesticides/herbicides applied
• Maintain aesthetics of community
• Recognize and control noxious weeds
• Increased awareness of native grasses
• Increased range environment and forage for cattle
• Improved cattle markets

Outcome
• Reduced water use
• Reduced water contamination from runoff
• Reduced weed problems
• More productive land
• Benefits wildlife
• Decrease soil erosion
• Opportunity to increase incomes
• Additional opportunity for related businesses
• Reduced application of fertilizers and pesticides

Private Benefits
• Lower water bill
• Less time spent on maintenance
• Greater employee retention for business owners
• Less money spent on chemical controls
• Less environmental contamination
• Improved land values
• Savings due to reduced fertilizer and chemical use

Public Value
• Reduced water usage and less water contamination
• More usable open space
• More wildlife
• Increased opportunity for business
• Less environmental degradation
• Stimulate local economy
• Increased land values
• Improved tax base

Program: Agriculture and Natural Resources (Livestock Production)
Participants: Livestock Owners/Managers
NOTE: Developed by Joel C. Plath based on limited knowledge.

Changes
• Enhanced range monitoring
• Better use of available land
• Adjusting stocking rates as conditions change
• Evaluate breeding/calving patterns
• Better assessment of market signals
• Evaluate alternative marketing options

Outcome
• Better use of soil moisture
• Improved productivity of range lands and grasses
• Improved productivity of breeding herd

Private Benefits
• Increased net income
• Increased land value

Public Value
• Enhanced tax base

05/15: Beyond Your Target Audience

One of the challenges in discussing Extension’s public value is thinking far away from the boundaries of our traditional audiences. You might remember from the workshops that one of the parameters of a public value statement is how a particular educational program is of benefit to someone who will not participate in it, and in fact, has never heard of either the program or Extension.

A range management workshop, for example, is developed for a target audience of ranchers and land-use decision makers. Of what benefit is that workshop to the young family who live in town on the other side of the county (or state)?

Food stamps-eligible participants attending a series of one-hour, hands-on food preparation seminars are learning how to make better use of commodity foods and stretch their food stamp purchases. How does that lead to any positive outcome for the small business owner, selling stationary, books and magazines?

Clustering or mind-mapping is a technique used for focusing on how you can best communicate an idea. You start with one idea (and can put it in a circle) and then write down all of the off-shoot ideas (in their own circles) that come from the primary idea. It helps to tease out what you want to say regarding a topic; it also helps you determine which things are not applicable at this time. Try it for one of your programs (and only one program or aspect of a program at a time). You might be surprised at how far-reaching your program is in your community and beyond.

05/15: The Public Value of Extension

Think about who your obvious and not-so-obvious stakeholders might be. They can include your county commissioners, regional, campus or departmental administrators and even your family. What is their stake in your educational program? What questions do they and might they ask about the overall benefit of what you do? Does the cost (time and financial) input match community needs and issues?

When considering public value:
-Is there an information gap?
-Does your program address that gap?
-Is their another agency, group or company that already addresses the gap in some way?
-What would happen in your community if your Extension program went away?

05/15: How Extension Programs Fill an Information Gap

As we continue to examine the public value of Extension educational programs, one important consideration is how those educational opportunities fill an information gap. Who is providing information in your community? Who does the public turn to as a trusted source of up-to-date information? If your program went away, who will fill that hole?

With its long history, information from Extension--based on university research--that is provided to clients through Extension programs has become part of the knowledge base of other governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and those in the private sector. University research continues, however, and getting these new findings to members of these groups as well as agricultural producers, business and home owners, community groups and families is the continual role of Extension. At times it may even be necessary to go back to Education 101--getting information to a new audience challenges us to overcome what the Heath brothers (in their book “Made to Stick”) call “The Curse of Knowledge.” We often know so much about a topic that it might be easy to forget that the people you are talking to don’t have the slightest understanding of the subject area.

An entry in Wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_value), giving the framework for the term public value, noting “…there are two sources of public value: 1. Value that results from improving the government itself as an asset to society and 2. Value that results from the delivery of specific benefits directly to persons or groups."

How does your educational program fill an information gap in your local community?

05/15: Western Region Public Value Responses

The following is a compilation of the responses at the
April 15-16th Western Regional Meeting
Glenwood Springs
compiled by Leigh Fortson

Identifying Public Value

Food Safety programs benefit the community by:
• Decreasing the incidence of food borne illness
• Helping businesses to stay in business
• Boosting local confidence in the food supply
• Decreasing emergency healthcare costs
• Educating the workforce and public

4-H Youth development programs benefit participants by providing them with life skills and teaching them how to become more engaged citizens thereby helping the community by:
• Decreasing criminal activity among youth
• Fewer people in juvenile detention
• Decreasing health problems since drug use is down

Radon education benefits participants by reducing risks of radon in homes and worksites, thereby benefiting the community by:
• Decreasing incidence of lung cancer within the population
• Decreasing health care costs
• Increasing property values

Water conservation program helps participants because they save money by using less water and become more aware of natural resources, thereby benefiting the community by:
• Decreasing salt and selenium in the rivers and water table
• Keeping wildlife habitat safer and healthier
• Maintaining good water volumes for future generations, drought and increased water demand
• Keeping water use out of government regulation


Teaching senior residents of Moffat County to eat healthfully on $5 or less a day, benefits the rest of the community by:
• Decreased health care claims on the total system resulting from their improved health
• Economic vitality by keeping senior residents healthy and able to remain in their own home longer, thus paying property taxes, paying to keep their home maintained, purchasing supplies for their home, etc.
• Keeping the social fabric of the community healthy by sustaining an active multi-generational population (vs. people moving away to a larger city as they age where they can more easily access health care because they feel their health is beginning to decline.)


By supporting the Youth Safety Day program, participants learn and practice safety skills related to real risks that exist within their community, which benefits other community members by:
• Potentially decreasing the number of annual accidental youth deaths
• Potentially decreasing the number of adult injuries and/or deaths when participants share what they have learned with other family members
• Decreasing injuries and debilitating events that could reduce the participants’ ability to be productive working members of the community upon adulthood
• Decreasing health care costs related to emergency care, rehabilitative services, etc. from youth accidents.


When I teach the Colorado Master Gardener Program to advocate and implement correct plant health care, then the rest of the community/society benefits by:
• conservation of natural resources
• public health and safety
• neighborhood and beautification and by increasing property values;

Through our volunteer commitment, educating school children on the benefits of plants there is public value through:
• cooperation among students
• increasing the excitement and awareness of growing one's own food.

When we support the Agri-Tourism program, participants will learn to manage their agricultural business, diversify their operations, and hopefully increase their income which leads to public value by:
• promoting the regional economy and its values and sustaining the agricultural landscape.

When you support communities in creating their Community Wildfire Protection Plans, participants will learn to work with their neighbors to create defensible space zones around their homes, which benefits the community by:
• leading to more cooperative community relationships
• enhanced defensibility of life and property in the face of a wildland fire
• protecting communities and forests in the wildland urban interface.


When you support Range Management programs, participants will learn range resource monitoring techniques, which benefits the public by:
• leading to a sustainable supply of rangeland livestock forage
• enhancing the ranchers bottom line economically
• maintaining a healthy and aesthetically appealing rangeland resource that can accommodate multiple use.


When you support North Park on the Move (health and wellness programs), participants will learn strategies to enhance their diet and exercise regularly, which benefits the community by:
• improving the physical and mental health of local people
• reducing personal and public health costs
• maintaining a more productive and active citizenry.


When you support food safety classes for retail food service workers, participants will learn about safe food handling practices which benefits the community by:
• decreasing food borne illness outbreaks in retail food establishments
• making dining out safer for everyone.


When I teach total Lawn Mower safety and reach out to educate 200 assorted elementary children, then the rest of the local communities benefit by:
• a reduction of injuries sustained by youth
• an overall greater awareness of safety factors for parents and families
• a reduction in County Health care costs.


Food Stamp Nutrition Education promotes nutrition related behavior change for Food Stamp recipients and other low resource people by means of class series and single events. The goal is to effect wiser nutrition decisions and smarter shopping choices.

When wiser nutrition decisions are made health outcomes are improved. The community benefits
• immediately from less absenteeism (with local employers) and medical emergencies (at local emergency rooms and medical providers) and
• long range by delayed onset of nutrition related events like diabetes, coronary artery disease and certain types of cancer (patient load and agencies involved with supportive care for those who have no back-up system).

When wiser nutrition decisions are made children do better in school. The community benefits from
• students improving grades (better CSAP scores and ratings),
• fewer behavior problems (less distraction in the classroom and better use of instruction time for all) and
• fewer student absences (increasing school Federal funding).

When wiser nutrition decisions are made there are better pregnancy outcomes. The community benefits from
• fewer premature births and related costs from those who cannot pay the costs and
• stronger healthier babies

When smarter shopping choices are made by people who can evaluate claims and labeling, food money goes for less junk food and more nutritious food. The community benefits
• with wiser nutrition decisions (see all of above)

When smarter shopping choices are made, food money can be saved to use either for more food or other expenses. The community benefits
• with less outright hunger and its disruptive social forces like absenteeism and pilfering
• with less routine depletion of food backup systems meant for true emergencies
• by increased payment of routine bills like utilities and rent.