Developing and Articulating the Public Value of Extension Work

Nancy FranzIowa State University

Extension and Outreach

Who the Heck is Nancy?• 31+ years with Extension in five states

– Agent, volunteer, department head, district liaison, state specialist, project administrator, graduate student, administrator

• Youth and adult education in all program areas

• Research in TL and M&R engagement

Why Focus on Public Value? The Push for Public Value

– NSF broader impacts– Measuring Excellence databases– Program planning and reporting– Evidence-based movement– Return on investment movement– The political context-government relations– Need more than feeling good about our

work

Our Take Home Message

Evidence-based+

ROI on funding=

Public value movement

What is Public Value?

The value of a program to those who do not directly benefit from the program.

Laura KalambokidisUniversity of Minnesota Extension

What is Private Value?

Personal value derived directly from an Extension educational opportunity.

Nancy FranzISUEO

Public Value Stories• Teen court

− Private – youth stay out of court− Public – reduced court and human

services costs• Citizen’s leadership academy

− Private – gain public speaking skills− Public – sustain civil society through

leadership development

Public Value Stories• IPM

– Private – save $ by reducing use of pesticides– Public – improve water quality

• Nutrition education– Private – increase intake of fruits and

vegetables– Public – decrease health care costs

A Taxpayer’s Story

Bruce FranzCrane welder with P&H

Disliked taxes & bureaucracyOpposed to public funding

of youth programs4-H transforms views

Common Public Values• Decrease health care costs• Decrease public costs related to risky behavior• Decrease public costs related to financial problems• Decrease public response costs to emergencies and

disasters• Increase academic success for a highly qualified and

productive workforce• Decrease public costs related to dependency on

local, state, and federal services• Increase health and ability of public safety workers

Common Public Values

• Decrease lives lost• Increase quality jobs• Decrease the cost of consumer goods• Improve environmental quality• Increase global competitiveness• Increase civic engagement of citizens

Four Steps to Achieving Public Value

• Map the program• Determine what impact to measure• Collect and analyze data• Tell the public value story – tied to

research and evidence

Common Public Value Concerns• Damage control for nontrainable decision

makers• Fear of generalization• Fixation on randomized control trails• Lack of contributional data• Fear of change

The Nontrainables• ID who influences them• ID their interests• Match the public value message

accordingly• Train clients to deliver messages(i.e.

voters)• Pick your battles

Fear of Generalization• Contribution towards vs. causation of

condition change• Voting district key cases are valuable• Provide a balance of qualitative and

quantitative evidence• Clearly share any limitations of the data

Fixation on RCTs• Focus is on program evaluation from a

public perspective not research• Methodological diversity provides strong

data (case studies, observation, focus groups/interviews, secondary data, surveys)

• Documenting emotion around change is important human science

Lack of Contributional Data

• Google scholar• Reference librarians/reference websites• Conduct your own (UWEX, Penn State,

Texas A&M)• Use secondary data (JOE, Tufts, key

partners)• Become literate with your literature

Fear of Change• Put your head down & take what comes

OR• Vote with your feet

OR• Do what is right and sustain Extension

Public Movement Lessons

• Be proactive• Start with early adopters-forget resistors• Build urgency using real stories• Seek professional development• Select public value champions• Develop a wide variety of public value

examples

More Lessons• Engage clientele• Engage researchers• Create a strong statistical and

qualitative data base• Bridge public value groups using middle

managers and boundary spanners• Be selective on programs to show PV

More Lessons

• Develop PV templates• Use PV to integrate campus and field

perspectives• Involve economists, program

evaluators, communications staff, and stakeholders

• Reward those embracing the movement

4-H Public Value 4-H project work helps youth explore interests from animal science to aerospace, resulting in increased interest in science at a rate three times that of non-4-H peers. Interest in science is a predictor for young people to choose science-related careers. This interest in science, along with 4-H members’ 70% greater likelihood to go to college than youth participating in other out-of-school programs, is helping grow future scientists necessary for our state, national, and global economy. (Lerner and Learner, Wave 6)

4-H Public Value

4-H had 3,666 4-H officers who were seniors in the last year. They showed gains in leadership skills while occupying these leadership roles. At an average salary of $45,400 annually for a public leader this provides over $16 billion in leadership services to communities in the last year. (Texas agrilife extension)

Ag Public ValueAs a result of pesticide certification training, 15,995 private applicators and 9,315 commercial applicators store, handle, transport, and apply pesticides safely, which benefits the citizens of the state and the environment. The training directly results in jobs retained or created with 9,315 commercial applicators able to obtain jobs or continue working in their current pesticide application position. At an average salary of $45,000/year, this is worth new and retained employment worth $420 million. (ISUEO)

Ag Public ValueThe disposal of pesticide containers poses a significant challenge to agricultural producers and other pesticide users. Improperly rinsed containers are a public health and financial threat. Many containers end up in local waste systems. As a result of Extension’s pesticide container recycling program, 853,730 properly rinsed plastic pesticide containers properly were collected from farms, licensed pesticide dealers and pest control companies, golf courses, and homeowners. (VCE)

Communities Public ValueExtension’s community leadership program reduces a community’s disaster recovery period for businesses, schools, and residents. This action saves lives and countless dollars in emergency recovery operations and avoids job loss. (UMES)

Communities Public ValueOver 100,000 people from 70% of counties in the state participated in energy savings programs. 70% of the participants indicated implementing one or more recommended practices that will realize a projected savings of $5 million each year of the program. This benefits communities by decreasing reliance on public assistance, keeps more money in communities, and creates local jobs to meet energy retrofitting needs.(CCE)

FCS Public ValueParenting programs reduced public costs with 75% of families of children at risk of entering foster care did not enter foster care within one year of completing a parenting education program and of those completing the Juvenile Justice Parenting Program, 85% of their youth did not acquire a criminal charge within one year of the program. (VCE)

FCS Public ValueNutrition education programs helped 109,000 Virginian’s stretch their food dollar in the past year that reduces reliance on pubic assistance. (VCE)

Public Value Story Template• Success Story Title:(Issue being addressed - include public value

reference in title)• Relevance:(Why is it important to address this issue with education?

Include research, statistics, and trends to support importance of issue. What are the desired changes?)

• Response: (Outputs - Identify activities, # of clients reached, publications, services, workshops, etc. used to address the issue.)

• Results: (Outcomes: Identify specific behavior and condition changes, how outcomes were measured, and relevance to public value)

Remember

Measure what you value and others will value what you measure

John BareThe Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Your public value adventure awaits!

Q&A