Program Plans

University of Massachusetts Extension
Statewide Plan of Work (2009 – 2013)

About This Plan
The work of UMass Extension is structured by a five year plan outlining major issues of concern to Extension and its four programs, major programmatic themes, and the individual projects that will be undertaken to accomplish the goals of the plan. This plan is submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Extension’s major funder, to provide it with information and to satisfy its planning requirements. 

Our Mission
The mission of UMass Extension is to improve the health, well-being and security of youth, families and communities; conserve and enhance natural resources; and strengthen agriculture and food systems. We fulfill our mission by utilizing the research and teaching capacity of the University of Massachusetts Amherst to generate and communicate knowledge while creating approaches, methods, and tools for solving problems. UMass Extension links the Massachusetts land grant university with a larger community of people in collaborative partnerships to address issues of fundamental importance to the people of Massachusetts, New England, and the nation.

UMass Extension Critical Issues
Programs offered by UMass Extension are organized according to seven critical issues. These issues serve as a framework to measure the impact of what we do and communicate the value of our work in ways that are meaningful to a wide variety of internal and external clients and partners. The critical issues for our five year plan were determined by an extensive process that was designed to assess the priorities and perspectives of a broad range of citizens and public stakeholders in ways that are relevant to both USDA priorities and the teaching and research capacity of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Additional details and information on this process are provided in the “Stakeholder Input” section of this plan overview.

The content of the issues we have identified overlap considerably and many Extension projects will address more than one issue. More information on these issues and the projects that will address them in FY 08 can be accessed by clicking on the list below. The seven Critical Issues identified for our five-year plan of work are:

• Natural Resource-based Economic Development 
• Food Production 
• Water Resource Protection 
• Land Use Management 
• Ecosystem Management, Protection and Restoration 
• Nutrition and Health 
• Youth Development and Engagement 

Program Goals
Staff teams with expertise in our seven Critical Issue areas identified the program priorities that are included in our five year plan of work. For each issue, teams also identified a set of goals. These goals are stated in terms of behavioral outcomes or changes for the audiences that our projects will target. All outcomes are related to a set of 4 general long-term goals that have been specified at the organizational level.

1. Stronger Agriculture and Food Systems - Develop and expand systems for environmentally sound and economically viable food production, distribution, access and utilization.
2. Improved Human Health and Well-Being - Diverse youth, families, and communities will achieve greater physical and social well-being.
3. Enhanced Health and Productivity of Natural Resources and Ecosystems - The quality of land, water, plant, animal, and biodiversity resources will be protected and enhanced, and healthy self-sustaining ecosystems maintained.
4. Stronger Local Economies - Natural and human resources will be managed or cultivated in ways that support strong local economies.

Our Unique Role
UMass Extension has the unique capability of bringing the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s depth and breadth of knowledge and its academic resources to bear in identifying and solving problems. Our research and teaching programs link different departments and facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations between the University and external organizations, individuals, and businesses. In so doing, UMass Extension makes a vital contribution to the public and to the educational experiences and research opportunities of the university.

Utilizing the resources of UMass Amherst and the United States Department of Agriculture’s national network of Extension programs, UMass Extension advances its organizational goals by:

• Engaging university faculty and outside partners in the identification of critical issues and priorities for research and education;
• Conducting integrated research and education programs as sustained efforts to address critical issues, resulting in tangible outcomes;
• Facilitating interdepartmental and interdisciplinary research and education programs that address critical issues;
• Contributing to the undergraduate and graduate student experience by providing opportunities for community service learning and applied research;
• Serving as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of research-based knowledge, ideas, information and techniques;
• Pioneering innovative educational approaches and technologies;
• Strengthening the ability of university departments and units to meet their outreach goals by forging partnerships and providing support.

Extension employs these methods to achieve specific impacts that have been defined within our Critical Issues for specific target audiences. Most Extension programs however are also designed to expand the public knowledge base and general awareness of our issues and elevate the level of public discourse. Extension programs educate a wide variety of citizens, including individuals who make (or have the power to influence) decisions with public consequences. Extension programs seek to promote an understanding of the consequences of various alternatives and to encourage well-informed policy decisions that better serve the public interest. While this is a valuable course to pursue, we recognize that these types of impacts are difficult to accurately measure and thus claim credit for.

Stakeholder Input
In preparing our five-year plan of work for 2007-2011, UMass Extension initiated an ambitious process to obtain input from a variety of stakeholders and citizens who are interested in and value the work that Extension does. This stakeholder Engagement process initially has helped us plan and implement programs that are responsive to state and local needs. The leaders of our seven critical issues teams revisited this information in preparing our updated 2008-2012 Plan of Work.

Stakeholder Engagement involves a variety of activities that are reflected in this current Plan of Work. These include:

• Web-based stakeholder survey
• Public Forums
• Assessment of UMass Faculty Interests
• Focus Group with State Advisory Board

Web-based Stakeholder Survey - In March 2006, UMass Extension administered a web-based survey to a broad range of citizens and stakeholders in preparation for the development of a 5-year Plan of Work. The goal of the survey was to obtain information that will help Extension plan and implement programs that are responsive to state and local needs.

Extension professional staff, state and federal agency representatives, and members of our state advisory board were asked to provide email contact information for individuals they work with or know of, who possess comprehensive knowledge and a broad perspective in these areas. Seven hundred sixty-eight (768) individuals were contacted via email. Due to breadth of their expertise, some respondents were asked to complete more than one survey, yielding a total of 918 survey requests. It is impossible to know with certainty the exact number of individuals who received these requests. A total of 378 surveys were returned, yielding a (conservative estimated) response rate of 41.2%. These individuals were subsequently sent email messages that directed them to a page on our website where the results from the survey were posted.

Public Forums - UMass Extension sponsored two Public Forums in April 2006 to obtain input for our 5-year Plan of Work. At each forum we solicited comments from citizens we work with, or who are interested in and value our work, to help us plan and implement programs that are responsive to state and local needs. At each event we briefly reviewed our Plan of Work development process and presented results from our online stakeholder survey. Individuals were given up to 5 minutes to deliver comments and also asked to submit copies of their comments in writing. Only six individuals attended these forums and submitted comments, which were directed to our planning teams.

Assessment of UMass Faculty Interests - A consulting team was hired by UMass Extension to conduct the initial part of this assessment. The consultants first reviewed 11 Emphasis Areas specified by the US Department of Agriculture and then conducted a web-scan of university departments and faculty websites. Consultants identified a list of faculty whose interests fit within the USDA areas. Approximately 50 faculty members were identified, but due to resource constraints, only 26 interviews were interviews conducted. Priority for interviews was given to faculty with whom we had limited prior experience working directly with. The main purpose of the interview was to understand the applied research interests of each faculty member.

Faculty who we were not able to interview were sent, via email, a request to complete a brief survey which asked them several questions about their work that engages individuals, communities and groups outside the university. Sixty-seven faculty were contacted and responses were received from twenty-five.

A report was issued to summarize information obtained through interviews and surveys of faculty interests. This document has served primarily as an internal resource to UMass Extension planning teams as they developed broad 5-year plans that address critical issues in Massachusetts. In addition to summarizing faculty interests, the document also attempts to summarize ideas faculty have put forth for specific opportunities or approaches that could be enhanced through collaborative efforts with Extension.

Focus Group - UMass Extension conducted a professionally facilitated focus group with our governor- appointed state advisory board (Board of Public Overseers) to deepen our understanding of our stakeholder priorities and the appropriate roles and methods for UMass Extension.