ND 181 236

AUTHORTITLE

INSTITUTION,

SPONS AGENCY

PUB DATENOTEAVAILABLE FROM

EDRSDESCRIPTORS

0000MENT RESUME

CE 023 726

Matejic, Denise M.: And OthersPlanning and Managing Community Programs: A ProcessApproach.flutgers, The state Univ., New BTunswick, N.J.Cc:Operative 0xtension service. -"Extension Service (DQA), Washington, D.C. Science andEducation Admintstration.79117p.: For related documents see CE 023 726-729.New Jersey Cooperative Extension Service,Publications ristribution Center, Dudley Road, NewBrunswick, NJ 0R903 ($4.s0)

MFD1/PCOs Plus Postage.*Adult Programs: Community Resou Fes: CommunitySetvice Programs: FduCational Ob ectiyes: *NeedsAssessment: *Outreach Programs: Program Design:

ogram Development: *Program Evaluation: *Programing

ABSTRA9TThis handbook is for anyone interested in developing

a community educational,outreach pro= I4.,was prepared as part ofa project concerned with teaching per 1 and family finance. 1t$zontent, however, is general enough in nature to apFly to any tyy/e ofeducation project.. An introduction presents information on thedevelopment of the handbook! and *he next four chapters discuss thedevelopmental process of a community-based educational program. Thisdevelopmental proaess contains five phases: (1) community andclientele analysis (needs assessment) : (2) oblective setting: (3)program design: (4) program Implementation: and (5) program.evaluation. Concrete examples of programs illustrate many of theconcepts pzesente0, such as utilizing community resources and workingwith advisory committees. Samples of various forms and charts arealso included. (BM)

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************1*********************************************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that .can be macle

k from the original document.*********************!o*************************************************

NrZN NANNINGAND MANAGINCOMMUNITYPROGRAMS'A Process Approach

Denise M. MatejicAs;()ci,itt . specI,IIIst in

amily Resource ManagementCooper;ttive F xtension ServiceCook CollegeRutgers lfniyen;ityNew tirunswick Nevv Jersey

\S)çs May W. Huang

A,-;,s1stant ProfessorGraduate School Of E dgeationElirtggrs Unfver;;ItyNew Hrunswick, New Jersey

Neil A. Gaston

LiProfessorDrvisron of OusinesTrenton State CollegeTrenton, New Jersey

E.8. 426 1979

.

u S ORPARTMENT OR HEALTH,ICTOCATION I Elf ARONTIONAL INbIITUTE OF

Eatic

THIS DOCUMENT NA% RA EN REPRO-DUCED ExAcTL v. AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZA T ION pRIGIN.A TING IT POINTS OF viEW OR OPIWONS

,STA TED DO NOT NECESSARILY RE-PRE-SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OFEDUCT ION POSITION OR POLICY

iThe material in this publication is based upon the cOnsumer education project,IELPING FAMIE IFS ADJUST TOE CONOMIC CHANGE", the project was funded

through special needs funds by Science and Educatign Administration-Extension,United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D C 20250, CooperativeAgreement'No 12 05 300 168 in cooperation with the New Jersey CooperativeE xtension Service of Rutgers thuversity, Cook College, Department ot HomeE conomics, New Brunswick New Jersey

New Jersey Home Economics Administratortiedtricii m may Chairperson, Department of Home Economics, New 'Jersey

Cooperative E )(tension Service, Rutgers University, took College

Special Project Liaison with SEA-USDAJosvphint` I awyer, F amily Resource Management Spticialist, SEA-USDA,

Washington, D C

Denisek1 Matepc

Dr May W Huang

Dr Neil A Gaston

Project Team

Prolect Director, Author, F (litor

Project E valuatmr, Co--Author

Co Author, Associate Editor

Richard H Sprirwe Program Assistant in Family ResourceManagement, Outreach Coordinator

Mary B' Rhodes *Suzanne Bon:mu)Susan A PercelloCharlotte Hurwitz *Karen Halbig

,Project AssistantsCaryo Feder tMarian Schwartz tBarbara PicaroniLinda Nunziato

Cindy Roos tNancy Hopko tPaula PerdoniCarol Kymick t

Graduate 1;tudents from the Department of Vocational-Technical Education,Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University

t Students at Douglass College, Department of Home Economics, Rutgers Univer-sity

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 79-66413

3

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

erPage

1

Chapter 1 NEE9S ASSESSrANT AV OBJECTIVE SETTING - 9

Chapter 2 PROJECT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 29

Chapter 3 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION (Action) 51

Chapter 4 EVALUATION 79

References 111

,Acknowledgmerlts

A .!ompt len;iiv publication on community program plan-ning and m. ,gement cannot he developed withoute(yperatIon trom many puotessionals in the field. Outsinceie appreclatton is expressed to the followingpeople tot I-heti unselfish etforts in reviewing the

_contents of this volume and makiiig many Nialuable sug-gostIons:

LIST Or REVIEWERS

Oa V d , relt & I iof OlISOrod P z:oe; rams ,Tin i'vt .; t y Research, Rut &Jers tIn i vers i t y

Dr. K. Edwin Graham, Direct, Eduesit ion Set-vices,

Amer can Counet 1 & t I. i ft Insurance, Washi nkjt on, D.C.Dr . Will I am .lohns t on , oh rout or , Center t or Consume

Se rv ces , Ok 1 ahoma State Unrvorsity, OklahoniaJo:ieph ne ltwyet , t'am i 1 y Resource Management Spec i 1 i stSE/VEx t ens ion , Un it (Id :t t es Depart ment of Aii ii cu tWashington, D.C.

Eli:abeth A. Macauley, retired,'Actinq Department Chair-man, 4-11 Youth Development, Cook College,Rutgers Untversity

. .

James M. Malone, Manager, New Yotk Marine Terminals,1 400klyn, New York

Beatrice M. May, ChairperAori.9epartment of Home Eco-nomics, Cooperative Extension jiervico,cook College, Rutgers Onivertsity

Dr. Asgele Parker, Home EconomicsProgram Leader,University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island

Dr. Sidney I. Simon, Pi(de;ssot, Oeflattment of Economics,Rulgets College, Rutgers University

Dt. Mel X. 'Zelenak', Assistant Professor, University ofMissouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri

A.special .thank you is olfered to Josephine Lawyer,ramily Resoutye Management Spec.ialest and Beatrice May,Department Chaitperson of Home Economtcs, who, in additionto reviewing and making, recomMendations for the mann-

,sctipt, lerved as pa.o.ject rer tree consultants; also toAnne h. eelen, Nutrt,ron r 'ation Leader, who servedas Acting Depaitment Cliterjrpc son, Department of Home .rconomrc,;in the first Vik.,-at ot tho project.rSinoOie appreciation and thanks are due to Mary 'Rhodesand Suzanne Bonamo for their invaluable contribution tothe prolect; to Dr. Angelo Parker for her ideas regaua-ing the process approach teehntque in program develop-ment, 1 pl. p,hc,rt 1

Aqiicultural Economies and Marketing, CQ0k College,

Rutgeis linivermity,for assisting wit0 the initialptoposal; to Di. Peter M. Sandman, Assistant Professor,

Depairmon1 o-t Humanities Anil Communieation,Cook Col-

lege, Itutleis University, for sharing ideas on groupdynamics Ana advisory comlittees.

Achnowled_.lement for theoTertormance ot servic; mustbe given to tlligla Nwastro and .Linda Zimmerman,seeietAries in the Home Economies Department of Cook

College, Rutgers University;,ard to Darlene O'Connell

toi typing ot the manuscript.

Appleelation ts also etended to Hope Pead, Director',And Jndy Chi, Client Represent,ative, Publicati(Insottice ot kutgeis University, tor their professionalAr.sttAnce With the prOduction ot this book. A finalthAnk you to members ot the Department of home Economics

11likLI,1!;! Co I 0,10 ; 1).1 t merit of Psychology, Douglassco I I ige; And t he Depa ut men t Voca t iona I -Techn ica 1

11,1th-A con, Ca-iduat o School of Educat ion, Rutgers

n vet t ty, tot t cont i i but ions.

Oa,

V1

Denise M. Matejie

.1

Introduction

ttmounity-based .educatiOnal programs are the con-cetn ot many Extension and .other professionals.Emphasts is increasingly being placed upon in-depthand mom i i1 planning, ,implemenCitiokand evaluationot such programs, thus increasing their quality and.consequently the ampact on consumers in the community.

Extension and other community protessionals needto he very specitic in their objectives., They mustknow what reourCt's are nertfed at what time, dnd fromwhat Solli-ces these resources are available. Theyshould be aware of the management aspect of programplanning when involved not only in the teaching, butalso In the planning, imi)lementation, and evaluation-

.ot such projects'or programs.

Designing, implementing, and evaluating educa-tional effoits in the community needs innovativethinking, planning, and foxesiAt. Programs are notdeveloped in a v-acuum; they need the involvement ofpvople to make them work. This manual is based,uponthe experience derived from a project involving acadre of people: professionals, studept interns, andadvisory committee members who so generously gave oftheir time to the projeCt. 4

The project, "Helping Families Adjust to EconomicChange," was a fedvally funded projedt conducted bythe Cooperative Extension Service of Cook CollegARutgers University, in Sayreville, New Brunswick, andPerth Amboy, New Jersey, from 1.976-79. The projectinvolved one full-time and three part-time profes-sionals, and part7time graduate and undergraduatestudents. The work that W_W, done included the design,implementation, and administration of an educationaloutreach program in family financial management, andthe development of educational materials on the con-sumer and professional level:I. A report regardingthis project is available upon request at a -small cost.Inquiries should be addressed to Denise M-IrMatejic,Department of Home Economics, P.O. Box 231, Cook Col-lege, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jerpey,08903.

Personal experience cannot be the only coMponentof a manual such as.this. One also applies knowledgegained from other.academic endeavors, as weir as fromprofessionals in the field, either through their books,discUssions with them, or in-service education ptograms

00'

*1

or lectures. Therefore, the thoughts expressed hereinclude all ot the above. The authors' viewpointsshould not be taken as mandato, bur are intended tostimulate further thinking on the part of the reader.

' It is in this context that the reader should tinder-stand t he recommendat LO.1 1S 111,1 dv by t he a ti t hors . I talso needs to be noted that what worked in one conntyin one state might not he entirely apOlicable tonother region without appropriate adaptation.

Similar-to most educational efforts, community-based educational prolrams are open systems. Theboundaries t)t such programs tend to be not weh de-fined. Their effectiveness depends on their capacityin making timely adjustments to the changing needs ofthe communities in which they serve (Banathy, 1973).

The developmental process of a community-basededucational program is influenced by the complexityot the program. Five phases hove been found to beessential in developing a viable program: (1) com- -munity and clientele\ analysis, (2) objective setting,(0 program design, (4) program implementation, and(5) program evaluation.

Although there seems to be a logical sequence inimplementing the aforementioned phases, program initi-ators/developers_often find that the steps are inter-dependent. Decisions and actions taken on one step/phase most likely will have an influence on the others.-For exampae, although "community and clientele analysis"seems to be a logical beginning step, we have found,that objectives often need to be set in order to de-lineate a parameter within which community and clien-tele analysis can be.properly focused. Otherwisehuman as well as material resources may be utilizedunproductively._. Furthermore, decisions with regardto "objective setting" have direct influence on anyone of the other three steps/phases, namely programdesign, implementation, and evaluation.

This interdependency among the five phases demandsa perceptive program initiator/director who is capableof viewing each program ijecisiork from the standpointof the entire project. A creative program director,therefore, needs to be ableAo think and work.withproject staff from various perspectives. Individualstaff members must cooperatively deliberate,'developstrategies, and implement program decisions with re-gard to 010 of the five steps/phases under the leader-ship of the director frot to finish.

Progrim development an be divided into severalphases. Diagram A will enable you to visualize asystematic approach to program development and.provides

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2

DIAGRAM A

THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITY-BASEDEDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PHASES

o

COMMUNITY. SERVED

P ROG RAM E VAL UAT ION

Make Data-BasedImprovement And Be

Accountable

COMMUNITY& CLIENTELEANALYSIS

Assess Needs& Problems

ROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.Take Action

Carry Out Program

OBJECTIVE SETTINGAnalyze Resources andDevelop Preliminary, .

.Plan of Action

PROGRAM DESIGNDevelop InstructionalPlan of Action

4.)

Boundaries of environment

a vivid illustration of the complex interrelationshipsbetween the five phases. A short ciiscuss ion followsto provide a point of clarification on p h phase.

The tiye strategic phases in program development*include (40 chart on preceding page):

AnalIzipj the cd'Mmunity and clientele, which meansassessing the needs of peT)ple and analyzing theirDreblenW. Re sure you have %identified problemswhich can be dealt with within the resources ofyout organization.

You will need data about:,

-people in the community,-society in general (national tronds, 1..ssues,

organization so that you can establishFe-oat-am 1 i nu t s

4

Analyzing available resources and sett ing xealis-tic vals aqd objectives. This involves'lookingat present progr.imS. conducted in the community(by your organization as welL as other agencies)so that no duplication will'result.

It involves analyzing your available resourcesot time, enerviy, and money, and bringing themin line with what you want to achieve.

'

You need to specity what the desired outcome isot what you are planning to do, and then setobjectives which will 'help you reach this desiredoutcome.

The next step is to put the objectives in alogical sequence to reach your goal. .RemaintIexible, and check yourselt to see if the

.00als arc really obtainable (e.g., is itreasonable to assume that the action yeti sug-aest people take will really b( iaken) andmeaningful to tile majority of people you intendte serve,

Ovet .a 1 1 ronoopt bal-sod. on anti. adapt ed 1rOn F igurerho Fxt.ofIsion TeAch1110 or Program Devel-opment Cycle,Chaptet II, "Evaluation- in Extension Education," byJ. Nell Raudabaueh In the U.S..D.A. publication,Evaluation In.Extension, Division of ExtensionReseatch anJ Trainina, rederal Extension Service.Adaitional input !rem several Cooperative ExtensionIn-sorvico proglans 'cotrducted in New Jersey. (Seealso reterence paee.)

4

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4,

3. Desrvinll arprotiram and develoviti,lan instructional"vlan of action. The sUbject matter of your

teach i ng needs to be deaineated_and defined.Lessons neeU to be outlined, resources selected',and an instructional plan ot a'ction developed.

Ask yourself whateneeds to be discussed, what.

information participants must have and in whatsequence, and how yticipalits wilt be involvedand made to feel onsible fOr their own learn-

401111ing. Look into th various methods of teaching,e.g., mass media, meetin through-mail, work-shops, one-to-one basis, direct techinq, throughother resources, etc.

.-,

Ask yourself what m..4eria1s will be needled toaccomplish your goals and who will prepare them.Study teaching aids-available and see which oneswould be appropu.eate and affordable.

This manual uses the topic of financial management,as its program focus. 'Refer to Personal and

IPFamily Finances--A RCsoUtce Guide For Teachingfor detailed coverage of this topic. Other topicsof community education could be used in your pro-gram development work"

4. Implementinthe pro.kiram. Now .you need to set'yourinstructional methods in an order,of priority ac-'coeding to resources available, "titme limitations,and/or other (7onstraints. SOme of the taskss in-cluded in this phase are organizinp yourself,getting 1%pace, developing a time sYhedul'e andworking calendar, and implementing your teachingin community buildings, Via radio, in classrooms,'homes, etc. In short, carry out your pla'n of ac-tion.

5. Evaluating the prIram. Your prog ams are success-fnl Zion you can sliow that your of 'action hasallowed your goals to be achieved.,-iThis can beqone through proper evaluation. ,Controls needfo be set up at intervals to monitor-the rogressof your program. Pt is important to p n yourevaluation within each of the program Phases, andto make it an integral part of your program, Thismay require additional humah and financial re-sources, 1 t it is_well worth the effort.

Areas to be evaluated can include:1

Inpnt: Needs assessment done, how youCame about designing the rogram,who was involved in planning etc.

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e

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Process and Output: Your implementation,methods used, how well none, howappropriate for your clientele,etc.

Product: What was developed during theproject (educational materials,home-study course, handbook, etc.),materials used.

Impact: Behavioral changes agcomplished:what have participants learned,beCome aware of, or done to im-

, prove their own situation because1 of your teaChing.

(. Sometimes only an-iffipact evaluation might be war-ranted, as in the case bf ongoing programs whereindividuals ;Undergo striet performance evaluationon a yearly or bifyearly ba.sis and programs areplanned and objectiVes chosen ahead of time or; ayearly basis. This planning is part of the

,

structure qf the organization,and involves grass-.

roots participation by learners'.

At other. 'times an overall project-evaluation willbe needed (e.g., when conducting a'special project).This type of accountability will carry benefitsfor the entire prbjectand fOr future programs ofother educators who can base their activities onyourreported results.

A type of evaluation increasingly in demand, butdifficult to accomplish, is an analysis of prograhlson a cost-benefit basis. This means that variousteaching methods would be analyzed as to time andmoney expended against the results desired. De-cisions as to which methods offer the greatest Costbenefit would contribute to future program plannfng.

Based on the evaluation (however- informal), youshould see if changes in strategy need to be madesuch as setting new goals, modifying them or makingnb changes. This re-examination should be-done foras long as the program or project is,in force, andincludes the teacher, administrator, evaluator, partic-ipant(s), member(s) of advisory comMittee, etc.

This introductionvhas been prepared to aid pro-fessional educators in the task of planning, implement-ing, and evaluating cOmmunity outreach programs. Mostof the inforMation.contained heKein was developed and

12 6

7

gloaneti from just such a program--"Helping Families,Ad)ust to Economic Change," funded.by the UnitedSltates Npartment,of Agriculture through the Co-

'op&rativie Extension Service, Department of Home 'Economics. Cook College, Rutgers. University. In rshort, the principles and suggestions presentedIn.this.manual have been tried and tested. Theyw.)rkod a()I tho rtojt:ct teAril. Wo 4opo they will work1,)1 y() I .

4P\

.

mrON

f

Chapier 1:

NEEDS ASSESSMENTAND OBJECTIVE SETTING

p.

-41

. GENERAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT

v.*

There is a generat lack of awareness anti knowledgeof consumer ooncepts in today's marketplace. The manysurveys Aone recently by research and abevey firms doc-ument this abundantly..

TV' 'technology in the marketplace Ls complex andis becoming even more-so. American consumers have morechoices available to them than ever before. On theaverage, they are exposed to approximately 1600,a,d-vertisementS a day, pulling them in various directionsof thought and action. °

Government regulations are becoming 'increasinglymanifold as well as oomplicated. There iS abundantconsumer legislation available protecting the in-terested, knowledgeable, and motivated persom. Yetmany people, who could benefit frOm knowinglaboutspecific consumer rights,and responsibiliOrts in orderto live a more meaningful 1,ife, are not Sware of whatis available and what laws exist to protect them.

Sociological factors influence the management ofresources of individualsand families. ;Cony differentfamily life-styles are acceptable in today's societyand practiced openly today. These include, in additionto the traditional nuclear family, the single careerperson--widow--divorced person; the couple withoutchildren; the couple with grown children; the "re-structured" family (meaning the family where one orboth spouses have previously been divorced, have'remarried and now have small or grown children fromeither one or two different sets of parents); thesingle adult who chooses to adopt a child; and thesingle mother (or father), either single by choice orafter sleath. SociologistS say that never in historyhave so many people lived through so many variouslife-styles at one time or another,in their lives.

there is alsa a sociological upheaval of increaseddivorces and greater permissiveness, as well as flex-ibyjity in life-styles; a rise.in the individualismof people in general; and a greater independence ofwomen and children in particular, which is a decidedchange from the patriarchal society where the husband/father made most of the decisions.

11

/All ot the above points to an increased need for

pegp le ot, a 1 1 ages ; i ncomes, t(iackgrounds, ethn Lei tyor t ami I y st ructure to get tlfe most- Out of theirdollats and to make the effective management of theirOcsourees a lifetime a(fair:

CoMMDN 1 TY NEEDS ASSSSMENT

oon,,,imer ethica-t 01 ; need t oLhe more fie i ii tot p,rohle i ti t he cmdtununit y. They should'

0 1 and 'onduct a common i ty needs...asset sment tohe units! t and,- t he _pe(ip I& Iji t he comfilitii t y. Theii ,,,e, 0 I , sa t tst co til)e rn -should be pinpoint ed w h

t 1i I s I 11,`!: ot IenerA I, object ives of the school-ot otPier organization svonsoring 1ho

0.ct.;;1; an1 t he Pub 1 l.'s We Servo'

I'l(lt(' t nd Head of Adults.,.Col lege Edneat ion dt North Carol ina-

.,t I versit v , rece,nt ly sa t hat as People' sneed tapidly and economic eircuMstancesch eve, eslicat ots will need t o ,tet inreasitiq1y in-v.., 1 ve, 1 lii now programs . , energy conservat ion) ,And wi ; I t he re fore need t.o sharpen the i r sk i 1 Is to

tv tat get audi ences and 'di rect programs tot Ii in Hist t't 1 us t to t he geneoa 1 publ ic. One

to' acc,,mplish this is through exist ing socialn t he .%0Flitnutti t y

tti

4\ce,stdi!),1 t 0 Dt- Boone, when working in the com itht,,uall its leader: and 'with the exist lug - B

p,oa ,-,t In-.-ture And droupii, v..0 nooki to think in ,t 0,1,.,v-; ,,; t l'III \ -once!, t s : .

;;Ok% 1,1 I sti ati I cat i'On'and ?;oi- ial differefit

r,k,'r Lwod tot- lt,)(Atmolat informal leaders;.At.' the powj.r fikatres4who real1i'make

tht'

sl,)o!-; ,,to Pr. Boone in-servIce: EcoJiDmi Department s of the

Cooperative Fxtension !:,etvice hav,(1 serveda: 011!!'lt t,i the needs asses1.;.Yent portion of this

thohts -,ere analei, carried throuoh,ITs-i adapted tor consumer educators tm ten!..ion11±.-aeis-h :aOdI .11":- 1,v I).* !t1,1 t o I C ,

Culturg.'

linter-facing (a new concept-that arose.round4, 1972) , meaning the interaction between Oarioussets of people of differeht baCkgrounds.

*Mau) ip.k..1 Out__ t he Community 4.-

This means developing an area (county) ituationstat,pment which incLudes a- demograOlic stud 61-pecif1eliVing,in the areas you are concerned with a well asdeveloping a list of major employers and age ies.For some of the inforMation, you might need t 1 as-sistance of a demographer,.the library, the planning :board, etc. Other information can be obtained fromcounty and resource guides; brainstorming with someof your identified community leader,s and consumersmight also bring goOd results.

Ropul.ation Data: (personal characte4istics youare looking-Tar-iii-your clientele):

income (low, high, middle)educationemploylOnt (Private, public)age distribivtior . of population,number of people in the area you will serveraceethnic backgroundnumber of householdshousing; quality of housingfamily sctructure

Data on Institutiohs in Your COmmunity: Make ea'list of formal 4rpups, institutions, etc., in you'rcommunity which employ a certain number of people orare of a certain Size, or which simply serve.peoplein Vour community, For exam le:

industries (size, type, people employed, otherCharacteristics)

agencies, schools, colleged

newspapers, radio stations, television stations

associations, clubs

financial institutions'(banks,.savings lld loans,credit unions)

tnsurancR companies, credit counselling gervices.

13

11,

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k

retail establiqhments

a

religious institut.,ions, organifationsi

labor upions

civic olganizatiohs (PTA, Lions Clubs, YW('A,tenantstpcganizations)

consumer groups-

As you develop your list, write down any% uniqllo. . ..% ,charactorist. i cs -about the populat ion or inst i tut ions

.ati they surtace.

Analyze the informal power structure in the com-munity with the help of some person(s), interested inbenetitting the community; search tor and idOntilYintormal leaders in the comMunity. Make plans on howto interest theni in your project by finding (tut whoknows them and how you might approach them.

Asgessin.1 the Needs.of Specific Tartlet Audiences

Once you.have done your demographic study,. fn.which you' identified your.community and its people;its keligibus, civi,c, and polAtical leaders; itsindu.strY; agencies;-associationa; and other formal

.

instifutions; the next step is to take all the data"yoU have liccumulated and determine your target au-dienc0s) by setting priorities and identifying whom,you need and want to serve thepost.

The following checklist will help you accompl.ishthis:

Identify the major goals of the orgenizationin.which you wolk (e.g., university, school,,agency).

. Goal #1

. Goal. #2

. Goal #3

Identify and list major target groups yourorganization has a coMmitment to serve, thennumber them according to their priority (ifapplicable); e.g., youth, the elderly, minor-ities, women, the handicapped; etb.-

18 14

I

List the top thrtie target audiences you justidontitied on the chart below. Now look hackto your demetyraphic study dnd takt thrve groupswhIch you- teel need speciaLattention aS a re-SUlt ot this study and list them on the chartbelow as Indicated.

CHART FoR LI::T1NG TARGET AUDIENct:s

1.4T 1 1 1 0 1 1 t t .11,it't all-ot youl

Top target \itidience astaken from outcome ot4._tomo9 raph i c study

compate these two lists. Are there any groupswhi.Th ate th0 !lAMO th both columns? lt so, it

an easy matter. It not, some setting ofpriotutios wIll have to be done again andomo comptomi.:e reached. Most likely, though,you will tind that there is overlapping and t at

ta,tget audiences whiqh need your aid are the\ our oloahtz.atIon (Oroiect, school) want to

Needless to say,' this process will only be oflieLp to4you it you have some flexibility inohoosinu you! tauget tiToup. But even if youdon't, ,,hances ale that such soul searchingwill inctease your .sensitivity to the needs,,d yout community.

Wlite down 1 in tinal thiee.ehoices ot tar_ileta*

*0.0., the aued; homemakers; pre'schoolors; profession-als; low-income tamillos; young adults; families;wotkino wives; aainiully employed homemakers; mothers;sinule paie:its; middle-year families; husbands and ,

tetited people:- widows; people workimg in cor-, tain industry, business, OF school system; othetspecial int,,,rest uroups (clubs); Women re-cnterihothe lahot matket; otc.

If; -11,9

to

ato

. Note some characteristics of the three groupsyoy want to reach. .(e:g., age, family struc-ture, ethnic background, education, recrea-tion orientation, changing houstng needs ex-pected, care of elderly, reassessment ofcareersdeducatidn of.children, physicalchange, aMjustmenti and change in life-style,mental adjustment, rereducation.for'employment,continuing education needs, nutrition andhealkh, etc.) Use the table on the'followingpage to list these characteristics for leourthree groups. A sample audience is given inthe first column.

Additional important questions which might help youfocus your program planniap towards specific targetau(liences include:

Where can these audiences be reached--wheredo they congregate? (home, church, school,)ob, supermarket, recreational facilities.)

How can these audiences be reached? (throughthe mass media, newsletters, correspondencecourses, 'school, etc.)

Are they likely to attend classes?

. If your audiences do not attend classes, whichfunctions do they attend that would make themaccessible to your program offerings?

. How can your program offertng be presentedto generate the excitempnt necessary to getthem to attend?

CoNSUMER SPECIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Needs as Seen 12y Educator.

You have now delineated your target group and itscliataetevIsttcS. Now analyze and set priorities re-gardIng Its/specific subject matter needs as you seethem. For example:

20 16

Identa fy byName :

Character-istkvs,interests,needs in.common

CONSUMER SPECIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT CHART-

Sample audience

--I

Your targetaudience 1

Youi targetaudience 2

Your targetaudience 3

4

Mi4dle-yearsFamily 3511-55

.

.

..,

Living andadjustingto change

. Special nutritionneeds

Financing. chil-dren's eiplucation

Changing housiihgneeds

Preparation forretirement .

Children.away fromhome, etc.

,

.

,

.

.

1

.

.

.

.

21.

40,

A young 'couple without children will-needinformation on proper budgeting techniquesand credit information to start life to-gether on a positive note, both personally-and financially.

A widow with some funds left by her husband-Will need information on proper savingsstrategies to give her the greatest possibleprotection in the years to come.

A middle-aged couple with children may haveoverextended themselves due to easy access-ibility to credit and the use of credit byseveral family Members. They will need a0 family spending plan and a workable systemof money manageMent for the entire family.They may also, laceadeguate savings to sup7,port education previously planned for their

1

children and may be !pending a high amount,of income for transportation if there" ismore han one (or two) cars in the family.

A family with limited kinancial resoursrsmifjht not have the management ability dhdr sources to live the way it wants to live.rh'g family's goals and aspirations might beunrealistic as far as needs and-wants areconcerned in relation to resources available.The family ma}, also need basic skillv to shopin the marketplace and knowledge regarAinghow to maximize all its resources: financialhuman, and community.

An individual or familY with very low incomemight need help with survival skills regardingreading, operating in the community (includingmarketing), community resources available, andagencies providing services.

People have different interests and levels ofknowledge. You need to pinpoint those interests andtailor your program to their needs.

Needs 4s Seen by Target Group .

Frequently, consumer educators do not know thespecific make-up of their audience or the people whoregistered for a program, especially if it was nottargeted toward a specific group. In this case, findout about the interests and personal backgrounds of thepeople in the audience in,order tsz determine theirspecial needs as consumers.

18

9 2

- The questionnaire on pages 20-2 I js another ex-tupple bt asse41 ng consumer needs and interests; it

be ea:;tly adapttNd to different subject matters.It will -give you a Valuable indication of the interestsand needs of the group with which you are planning towork. Such a questtonnaire4ilight also be sent out topeople on mailing lists that ypu have available, forilistance, "bank customers, utility bill re ipients,

The quest tonna I re should_ include a turn ad-d t t1{/it' CO t Urn tig t s'hould be ma aware ofthe tuiWttous of your program and should invitedto part IC

4

NAME:

ADDRESS:

PHONE:

I. Ma

II. Marital Status:

MarriedDivorced, separated'

III. Age:

QUESTIONNAIRE*

/lb

Female

Your AgeAge of spouseAges ot dependent children

IV. Employment:

SingleWidowed

homemaker working part timeworking full time unemployed

V. a) Your income range:

tir$3 5,999 per year$6 - 8,999 per year$9 -14,999 per year

over 15,000 per year

b) YoUr total family income'range:

under $10,000 per yearbetween $10-14,999 per yearbetween $15-19,q99 per yearover $20,000 per year

VT. Position:

secretary-clerkprofessionalblue collar worker(factory, etcp.)

white collar worker(sales, etc.)

other 1

9 42ify at

VII. Education:

.High School Yes NoCollege Yes. No

2 Yeals4 Years

other

If married, who takes care of most finanCialmatters? you spouse/ jointly'

2. Do yOu teel you have a well-balanced overallfinancial plan or program, tailored to yourindividual needk?' Yes No

. 13. :How often do you and your family openly discuss

your financial program in a constructive way?.Sometimes Always Never

4. Do you include your children in the plannirigsessions? Sometimes Always Never '

Check any items that apply to you and share with,us your personal Concerns in each of the folloWingmanagement areas. If you have no concerns in aparticular area, please state this.

not enough income'--don't feel I manalje well enough

Budieting --lack of communication within familyno definite short-term goalsno definite long-term goals

My concerns

CreditcoUld not get credit in my nameatli overextendeddon't understand contracts

My concerns

A.)

21

I.

don't understand different..types .don't have-enough protection

._......

Insurance clon't feel the.plan is taitoxedto my needs ,

don't know where,to get reliable/iafprmation T

Savings

My concOrns,

have no famil*'Savimqs. ,

baye no personal savings4!--don't "

can't sav enoughhave no savings plan for

ch i ldren ' s educat ion

My concerns.

Do you and your family have more savings now thanthree years ago? Yeb No

Total family savings: Under'$5,000Over $5,000 .

Total personal savings: Under $5,000Over $5,000

Investments

have no famity inveStmentsdon't understand enough about

this area to have madepersonal investments

My concerns

should I rent or buy,need informatiOn on financing a home

Housing __need guidelines on choosing a placete live

My concerns

22

nip

WillsI have no willwill is not up to date

My concerns

6. What do you feel is, or has been, your biggestproblem in working out an effective personalfinancial plan? PleaseApe as specific as youcan in describing any problem you,have.

*this questionnaire has -been developed and uspd byDenise,Mateiic in -kurveying educational programneeds on a regional basis in New Jersey within theregular prlokiram activities of Extension.

23 -

Needs Summarized

Based on the various project ,Ineedh assessmentsidentified so far, you are ready to develop a com-munity program. An example, taken from the project."Helping Families Adjust to* Economic Change," isgiven below:

Needs were determined And the following l'agree-

(

memt drawn up between the Cooperative ExtensionService, RutgersThe State University of NewJersey; and the Exten ion,Service, USDA:

PURPOSE: TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO HELP FAMILIESADJUST TO ECONOMIC ORANGE AND IMPROVETHEIR LEVEL OF LIVIING

Whereas, there is a need to help families understandthe effects of economic change upon their personaleconomic stability and security,

Whereas, there is a need to help familieS determineeconomic goals consistent iith their values andavailable resources,

Whereas, there is a need for families to learn anduse skills to control and manage money,

Whereas, there is a need for families to determine.debt limits and manage debt within those limits,

Whereas, there is a need for families to adjustspen4ng and credit use as economic and/orperspnal Change Occurs,

Whereas, thvre is a need for families and,individuaisto increase knowledge and skills to extend, ex-pand, and increase resources to increase theirstandard of living,

Whereas, there is need for families to provide properinsurance protection at cost adequate to theircircumstances, 1.

Whereas, there is a need for families and Individuals toincrease knowled9e and skills necessary to extend,expand, and increase resources to improve theirleve1 (A living,

Both-the Cooperator and the Service wish to help todetermine the most desirable program to help families'adjust to economic change and increase their level ofliving. .0

24

N.

SETTING AND WRITING OF OBJECTIVES

You have analyzed your community and assessed fheneeds of your clientele. Next comes setting objectives*and stating the desired outcome:.

Program Objectives must be set and these objectivesmmst be put into a sequence that is logical and meaning-ful. By analyzing your list of objectives, you will .remain cost.conscious throughout the process of design-Ning and imp4ementing your program.- You will also beprojecting what will happen,in the project and whatyou expect will be accomplished. Make sure that yourobjectives can be measured, which means that 'indi'catorsneed to be developed to me'ssure some of the y'llowing:*

target audience identified (who is.to bereached).

.how many-people are expected to be reached(a very difficult projection to make in anadult education program, but an estimatewould be worthwhile as it helps later whenone controls and evaluates the p'roject inits various phases).

what will be accomplished.

what will the learner have learned.

-what changes are expected in the learner.

. what beneficial action Might be taken by thelearner because of your prograT.

If one concept should be stressed again an4egain,it would be the folrbwing: DO NOT WRITE EDUCAVRONALOBJECTIVES in terMs of youL activities, but in termsof what you want learners to learn, understand, or do.

It does not really matter how much activitY and"business" there is around a tas4c, it matters what is-produced. The consumer educator's goal is to producean informed, knowledgeable, and interested consumer.'

*More on thiS topic will be found in the chapteron "Evaluation."

Research shows that learning takes place in foursteps:

1) becoming aware of And interested in the,subject matter,

.1

2) becoming knOwledgeable about it,1.

3). internalizind the information, and

4) taking action (this is the last of thesteps in Aearning).

As an example, you might state your objectiv6s in thefollowing manner:*

AWARENESS: The learners will become aware ofthe functions of credit bureaus

,and will be able to recognizethose functions when given tothem in a list. (Learning atrecognition level.)

KNOWLEDGE: The learners will become knowledge-able'about difEerent types of lifeinsurance and wi11 be able.to listthe different types available.-(Learning at recall level.)

KNOWLEDGE AND INTERNALIZING: The learners willre-examine their persOnal financialplan. (The learning begins to be-come meaningful to the learner.)

ACTION: The learners will become motivatedto take financial inventory once ayear or whenever appropriate totheir personal situation. (Thelearning hds become so meaningfulthat a behavioral pattern has beenformed,)

The e;ample given below will show you how objec-tives were set in the project "Helping Families Adjustto Economic Change" and might give you some ideas for .writing your own. 4.0

.*For.more information on the topic of writing objec-tives, consult Robert F. Mager, Preparing Instruc-tional Objectives, Fearon Publishers, 6 Davis Drive,Belmont, California, 94002.

30 26

(

Y.,

4

,

a

Objectives .of "Helping Families,Adjust to Economic Change'

C,

Individuals and families will:*

--understand that' personal economic competenceLs one of the major components in achie0ingthe wiality'of life to which each individualaspires;

--understand the eftects of economic ctianges, lipon their personal economic stability andsecurity, and learp,how to adjust accordingly;

--determine economic goals consistentc with theirvalues and available rdsources and take acti.onsto achieve those goals;

- -learn and use skills to develop.a PersOnalmoney management plan recognizing thatperiodic .revision is necessary ke tochanges in t,he life cycle;

4

- -understand the concept of consumer ereditoits advantages, disadvantages, and wise use;

- -determine debt limits tailored to their ownsituation;

--identify the different types of credit andmethods of repayment;

N.\

--understand contractual obligations and theconsequences t9 the consumer if not fulfilled;

_.,understand the kunctions of credit bureaus,the imOortance of a good credit rating, andthe consumer's rights and, responsibilitiesas far as credit reporting and credit filesare concerned; 0

- -understand the various types of insurancepolicies available;

AP*It should be understood that not all objectivescited applied to all consumews .reached throughthe project, nor was that an intended outcome;these objectives served as an overall frameworkfor the diverse consumers reached.

c-

273/

111

"ream how an insurance protection programcan be adapted to their personal needs andat cost commensurate with their income;

-understand the role saVings and investmentsplay'in a family's overall financial well-heing,-and the benefits of saving regularly.

It

3228

4,

1,

D'iapfer 2:

PROJECT PLANNING"AND DEVELOPMENT

p.

p.

33

WHAT IS PROJECT PLANNING*AND DEVELOPMENT?

Project planning and development'must-answer thequestions of who, what, when, where, how, and why.The "who, and "why" questions should have beehadequately answered through your needs assessment.This chapter will,concentrate om finding answers tothe questions of (ill the' order in which they appearin the chapter)f WHAT, HOW, WHERE, WHEN. But first,a few words about the projeCt approach ip general.

DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROJECT°

Project

A project is a designed program, functioning some-what independently within the overall educationaladministrative guidelines of an existing structure;or as,Melvin Silverman, author of Proiect Management(The Professional DeveloEment Program), John Wiley andSons, says, "A project is an drganization designed toaccomplish a specific achieVement. It is created fromw1th0 a functioning parent organization and dissolvedupon completion of that achievement."

The concept of project is being used in this .chapter in the broadest sense oil' the word: froma separate entity to an 'integrated but still sepa-rate major task lasting for A limited period of time.

EE zAalulamIt

Project management is the planning, directing,and superviSing of a specific project. ,To quoteSilverman, "projedt management is the di`rectiopand supervision of a project. It is typified bythe use of specialize'd control techniques."

Characteristics of a Project

A project is limited in time of operation;starting and.ending tiMes are usually decided be-for6hand. It is limfted in scope. The objectivesand purpose are very clearAy delineated; the budgetis usually closely definedt'the responsibilitiesare spelled out. The evaluation ls usually built

4

c

in and is also very precise in its scope.

The team which works on a project will disperseafter it is completed. Even while immersed in theplanning and implementation of a most successfulproject, the project director, principal investigator,project.leader, or other titled isdividutl, has tothrnk,in terms of gradually phasing out the project.

It is established to achieve a specific purpose,and there is a certain flexiteility involved in themanagement of a project which the regular ongoingprogram does not have.

The project.director or manager is in charge ofthe entire project in termS of its management, ad-ministration, and-supervision ot his or her team ofprofessionals, employees, extern and intern students,volunteers; etc. Administratively, the functionalmanager of the organization is in charge of personnelactions. Sometimes these roles are'played by oneperson, depending on the organizational structure.

IMPORTANCE OF PROJECTMANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION

With financial resources becoming increasinglyscarce in education and the persistence of problems,

9th

the creation of a special project coordi ted by one. person (perhaps using outside funding) n be very

effective. It can zero in on one special task; itcan come up with solutions in a relatively shortperiod of time without the expenditure of tremendousamounts of money which would be necessary if a newprotam were instituted within the parInt organization.

)

With the popularity of seeking outside fun

4

ngfrom federal,estate or private sources, the pr nciplesof project management should come in handy, as anylundiny agency will want an exact proposal submittedto it. This proposal usually includes a situationstatement, needs assessment, a ket of objecekves, aplan of action, timetable,cand a budget. The projectwill'sta.rt and end at specified times. One personneeds to be in charge of fit and has to submit a de-tailed report at the end of the project. This person.has broad responsibilities and duties and multiplecoordinating functions to fulfill-

.

32

ke"

CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENTVENSUS FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT

In the traditional functional management, eachmanager rs in charge of his or her special funct,40n,i.e., sales, purchosing, personnel, field superVrsion.In project management, the project manager ieva co-ordinator. He orshe works across functional lines,i.e., he or she wbuld have a function in sales, pur-chasing, personnel, promotion, and field supervision,to tqke an example from the business world.

In the federal project "Helping,Families Adjustto Economrc Change" supported through special needsfunds by'the USDA, the project director had thefunction of a purchasing agent or buyer, assistedin the hiring of the community, coordinator, directedthe overall project, was responsible for the budget,designed the project, and ovetsaw its implementation.The director also tiired the project evaluator; over- ,saw the development of educational materials forconsumers and professional's; and made su're that thefingl reports, evaluations, and all other elements ofthe contract were fulfilled. Being in charge of the /budget, she had to see that the budget was monitoredregularly and that the project team had enough re-sources to function properly. 'Then she had to co-ordinate internal and external relations--internalincluding the project staff and colleagues coits4stingof professionals, students, and secretaries; externalincluding agencies, schools, civic clubs, and other

dipeople in the community. In addition,'a very impor-tant part of the coordinating function included com-munication with superiors such as the departmentchaiipersowAand the dean as well as the County Co-operatiOxtension Service professionals.

Many times within educational institutions thereare not enough resources to hire a new functionalmanager or direetor,'so a specialist is designatedto conduct a special'project.

In receret years, we have been hearing more about- the manAement of Specific projects in the field ofeducation. ExamplesNare an energy conservation pro-ject foe the elderly, projects of,the handicapped, aconsumlr education project for low-income families,nutrition projects for the elderly, etc. Federal andstate government funding for special projects has beenincreasing; on the other hand, the traditional re-Sources available to educational institutions,arebecoming more scarce. Experts predict that .the numberof temporarily funded projects will increase. Theseprojects will have .a specific scope and will start, be

-delivered, and evaluated on their completion.

33

As accountability of funds is emphasized, pressurewill continue tO be exerted on maximizing resources toachieve goals.

One reason for the project methog is to try outsomething new, innovative, and darin4; if it worksand proves to be worthwhile, it will be included inthe ongoing process and made a permanent additionto the organization.

The project approach is'also used if the taskconfronted is very complex and needs.a lot of co-ordination. As an exaMple, we could cite the Ex-tension Service's Northeast Extension Publicationsproject, where one function of the projebt manageris to oversee the development, production, and dis-semination of Extension consumer education publica-tions from all the states in thd Northeast.

The project method offers tremendous opportunitiesto, experiment at relatively little cost. Educationallyspedking, it is a great chance for an "intellectualentrepreneur" to be able to move into uncharted waters.

Experience gained through the federal project onwhich this manual is based shows that one of the veryimportant tatiks is that of communicating among projectmembers on an ongoing basis. Difficulties can andmost likely will occur regarding maximization ofpersognel efforts, because the goalsOnsights, andbacksiound of permanent staff, part-time professionals,pard-professionals or initerns, office workers andregular staff and.adminYstrators outside the projectmight be divergent.

Special effort needs to be Made to clarify again"and again the goals,of the organization and the pro-ject: the strategies to be,followed and benefits tobe ilerived by consumers as well as the project teamfrom the project. Similar communication should ideally

. be going on with administrators and professionals inregular programs to make them understand your goalsand objectives.

One final thought: to operate moat efficientlyyou need to have freedom to experiment, change strat-egies if necessary, and to make mistakes. Secure thecomplete trust and cooperation of your supervisor andstrive for mutual understanding.,

3 '7

3 4

J'

PROJECT DIRECTOR: RESPONSIBILITIES,

,AND CAARACTERISTICS

Plans what needs to be done and when; designsproject, writes'propoSals, submits for funding.

Administers and/or supervises the use of thefunds.

Hires, or assists functional manager in Wing,perspnnel (paid as well as volunteers)'; co-ordinates their activities; supervises them.

Dirvcts project (oversees all phases of project);if applicable, worksvon project alone with noteam involved.

Sees that resources are available for projectactivitiles and supplies what is needed.

Coordinates eva luation or directs eva1tation asapplicable; monitors the project's proçjress.

Plans and implements phSse-out of the project;fhas interest of entire team at heart.

Needs to be creative and innovative, havemanagement background, be able to coordinateapd delegate tasks, have human relations andmotivational skills.

WHAT DETERMINES THE SUCCESS OF A PROJECT

'Experience gained from the USDA-funded projectindicate that the following factors determine thesuccess of a project:

A thorough and efficient planning process,

Enough .flexibility to bg abls to change strategy,if nejcessary.

Starting the project on tiMe.

Completing the project within the stipiplatedtime and within the stipulated budget.

Monitoring the budget regularly to see ifadjustments need to be made.

Fulfilling the ohjectfves as state0 in thecontract.

35

,

Keeping, coMmunication lined !internally andexternally) Oen to ensure cooperation andmaximization of, vesburees thr7Ughout tlle pro-ject.

Conducting the evaluation on-an ongoing basisthroughout the project.

Phasing out the project and diibanding theproject team properly hnd with sensitiOty.

DESIGN THE PROGRAM TO MEgT THENEEDS OF YOUR TARGET AUDIENCES: WHAT

Plan ro rams a..ro riate for our tar et audience,not or t e pus ic in genera , and you will be much moresuccessful. After You have asogssed the needs of,thepeople you serve an0 analyZed(them and their prOblems,as'discussed earlier, you are now ready to design yourprogram..

Identify specific sub ect matters appropriate foryour target audience. (Th questionnaire on,page 20-2,3 might help you in doing ehis.) Creativity in adulteducation programming is'of great importance. Manyadults do not want to go back to the formal education-al system which they left many years ago. In order ttrreach them, you need to be creative in what you pre-sent and how you present it. Consult the chart on"Possible Consumer Education Titles" on pages.,56-57.

As a practical example of the programdesigp of a community outreach program,' we agal citethe project "Helping Families Adjust to Econdm'

. Change." Its major objective was to reach and helOfamilies with information on budgeting, decisionmaking, credit, insurance, saving, family communica-tion, and general money management and to develop edu-

,cational materials as necessary. Notice from the ,components identified below that this programhwasdesigned io meet the consumer needs of particular,communities through a varity of procedures andactivities:

.ComponentS of ehe Project

The outreach,phase explored the use of'avan at different times of the day and atdifferent locations,as one method to reachnew audiences. New Brunswick, Sayreville,and Perth AMboy, with their different ethnicblends, were selected as sites.

-

The program also used community rooms andconsumers' homes ta hold classes In, andasked the support of community leaders,local agencies, and civic groups to helpincrease the outreach.

Another aspect of the community outreachphase was to contact jOnsumers throughtheir employers by offering-classes incompanies and'firms., The program alsobenefited the employer, who is an integralpart of the community, by generating bettereducated and adjusted consumers who areable to cope with tho pressures of day-to-day expenses. ,

tvhe development of educational materialsfor educators to help consumers solvetheir personal financial problems throughproper decision making was another com-ponent of the,project, as was the,develop-ment of consumer fact sheets packaged as ahome-stUdy correspondence course.

OPThe eyaluation phase waa cond1Ictel underthe leadership of an outside evaluator.This phase also:included the developmentof program irklicators and proper evalua-tion.instruments. This was an ongoingprocess, done with support and constantfeedback from all of the professionalsinvolved with the project.

.The project has national implications :. the finalreport, evaluation conclusions, recommendations for thefuture, and the materials developed are being dis-tributed through all land grant univer'sities toExtension eaucators,and consUmers.. The findingsand writtermaterials help community educators in-terested in establishing,a local or regional curl-sumet economics program to do so with the least dMount

\

- of effort and expenditure of human and finatcial re-sources.

DELIVERY SYSTEMS: HOW

In order to get your message acros4 successfullyyou need to look into various ways of teaching con-sumers. Methods of teaching and reaching peopile withconsumer education information which have, at one timeor another'', proven to be successful in adult communityeducation include:

37

4 0

Direct teaching of groups through classas,workshops, panel discussions, forums, short

courses and mini sessions, discussion groupsand speeches given in community rooms, schools,

and colleges; teaching and disburting of in-formation in mobile units, in homes, at places

of work (lunch and learn), in'libraries,through social or service clubs, through

4, civic organizations, at religious sites;and teaching on a one-to-one basis im homes.

'Newsletters, home-study courses* and self-learning kits geared to specific audiencesand offered in homes to young mothers, theelderly, working couples, etc.,'who cannoteasily attend meetings.

Fact sheets and leaflets on one Specifictopic; flyers bearing, short messages, left

at places where consumers congregate.

Use of mass media including consumer articleswritten for newspapers and/or magazines,regular newspaper columns, radio announce-ments, appearances on television shows, cable

TV programs.

Displaying educational material (One or two

sets) in doctors' and dentists' offices,with flyers on hand to register fof classesor to receive further information;/distTibu-tion of educational literature (leaflets)through Welcome Wagon hostesses.

Telephone-answering servicia on specifictopics at certain times staffed by pro-fessionals or paraprofessionals; automatictelephone service offering a choice of two- tothree-minute cassettes containing information

4ori differen4 topics. There light be a tele-phone'tape library offering educational three- tofive-minute messages on selected topics, gre-sented in laypeople's language. As examples,many hospitals offer this service as a'

"health information.telephone service;"

*An actual example of the planning aria,implementationof a home-study course is presented oo pages 39 to 44..

4 138

County Extension offices may offer this"Dial-a-Message" system for homeownerson subjects such as landscaping and plantdiseases, home and family living topics.

. Envelope stuffers with educatIonal messagesfor enclosure in such things as bank state-ments and utility bills.

Recruiting and training volunteers or para-professionals to work with individuals orfamilies in people's homes or in small groupsituations.*

. Educational exhibits at county or localfairs; a booth offering information setup.at supermarkets, department stores;setting up a fair in a shopping mall.

Consumer information offered through in-house organizations, such as an industrynewsletter to employees.

Traveling mobile unit offering consumereducation in an informal manner at shoppingcenters, parks, etc.

THE HOME-STUDY COURSE(An Example)

As an infoijtion delivery system of communityoutreach,9.e-lom -study course provides;

a method r reaching people for whomattending learning sessions is notfeasible;

a method of imparting more ,c9mprehensiveintoemation than is geneiartoci possible in:the time restraints of learning sessions;

- a method of continuous monitoring of par-.ticipant reaction and interest to thecourse Administrator;

*A good example of:this is the EFNEP.program fundedby USDA. Expanded Food and Nutrition EducationProgram - U.S. Department of Agriculture - SEA/. Extension - Washington, D.C. 20250.

39

- a method by which participants can gainknowledge and skills in a desired subjectarea in the privacy of their own home,on their own time, and at-a modest expellee;

- written information on subject areas whichgives patticipanti permanent access to theinformation;

- a method by which participants can sharethe information and/or materials withother family members and friends or touse in their work, if applicable; and

- a catalyst for family communication anddecision making. ci)

Design

In congruence with the project objectives, fivetopic areas (units) were included in the couzWe "YourMoney Matters" (written,as part of the project).

Unit I - Financial PlanningUnit II - Coping With CreditUnit III - Planning For Protection - Life InsuranceUnit.IV .- Financial Aspects Of Buying A HouseUnit V - Making Your Money Grow

Each of the units was mailed in a titled folderand contained:

1. A cover letter.

2. Fact sheets:

a. Each fact sheet discusses a specificaspect of the unit topic.

Tact sheet's are divided inio sub-topicswith short discussions under each heading.

C. Each fact sheet consists of two to fourpages.

d. Fact sheets are consecutivelyolumbered.

e. Fact sheets in different ups are printedon different colored paper.

3. Quizzes.

A 3

40

4. Participant feedback mechanism through:411

a. A question at the en"f each quiz -"Hair% you uised or shared any of thisinformation from the fact sheets, ordo you plan to? If yes, 1.6 what way?"

b. An oilier for supplemental material formost/ units.

5. Pamphlets, charts, additional fact sheeta,or other material which amplifies the unittopic. .-

6, Envelope addressed to the course administratorin which the participant may return the quiz.

Implementation

To promote the course and emlist participants,the following strategies were used:

Newspapers - articles were written in the locallnewspapers about the prOject, including an,ex-planation of the home-study course and informationneeded for registration.

,

An announcement was printed in tohe County HomeEconomics Extension newsletter.

A cover letter and registration forms were sentt *community service organizations, such as theY CA, Urban Leagiie, Middlesex County WelfareBoard, etc.

A cover letter and tegistration forms were sent.to other individuals and groups who had hadprevious interaction with the project.

Administeri4 the Course

The process of.alministering the course was asfollows:

1. A cut-off date feu- reclistering for thecourse was announced.

2. The first unit was sent'to registrants.In addition to the'aforementionedmatgya-k, this unit contained:

a. A brief'description of the topics ineach of the units, and

41 446

b. Procedural directions for taking thecourse, including the schedule forreturning the quiz and roceiVingsucceeding units.

3. A threeweek interval was allowed for study.The quiz was returned to the course adminis-trator within this interval.

4. The returned .quiz was corrected and photo-copied by the administrator. (No actualgrade was placed on the quizibut, incorrectanswers were marked and explained.)

5. On the scheduled day the second unit wassent to all registrants. This packet alsocontained:

a. The corrected quiz from the previous -unit, if returned; and

b. Requested supplements from the previousunit, if offered.

6. This process was repeatedofor each unit.

7. A congraiulatory letter and certificate of* completion was sent.to participants who.

if

completed the f ve-unit course. Completionis established

C

a particigant marked andreturned all un t quizzes. dee

The attached chart was found helpful for record-keeping purposes and administration and evaluation ofthe course.

'Suggestions For Using the Chart:\

- Alphabetize names of registrants (it also heips tooalphabetize.the photocopy of the quiz*es in unitfolders by registrants' names for evaluation.)

- For each unit, record:

date sent - 'if the date is the ,same for all regis-trants, it need only be written once, then checkthis 'column for esch participant as his/her unitpacket is mailed.

quiz eceived - as each quiz is recbived 6y the ad-ministrator, the date is recorded in this column:

quiz grade - although no grades appear on quizxesreturned to psrticipants, the number of correctanswers is placed in this column.

_7

;

MarticipantMecloid

IMMO

Address'

Vnit.1 Unit 2 Unit 3 unit 4 Unit 5

- A

NA.

411.

4

Aor a.

p. V'

II

4 6

used or shared - if participant indicated thatthe information or matrial wasused or was shared with others,this column is checked,

.

Finding the o\mum way of reachin people* in-cludes considering.optimum location a1hd appropriatetime (the where and when of your prog am).

FINDING THETEST LOCATION: WHERE

Finding the best location means asking yourselfthe question: Where do people congregate? Are theconsumers you want to reach young, newlyweds, a youngcouple with children,or elderly? The places wherethey are likely to be found will differ depending uponwhol the oonsumers arelyou want to reach.

. Newlyweds mit* be located by lookingthrough marriage announcements in news-papers, through a religious organization,or through a newcomers' cluti or WelcomeWagon type organization.

. Elderly consumers migtie congregate atsenior citizen centers, religious centers,the YWCA/YMCA, YMHA, or other such in-stitutions.

young families with children will be verybusy at home and the adults involved mightnot be able to leave the house-as often as go-they would like, although they need informa-.tion on how to handle financial matters, howto treat children in terms of money, and howto help them b ome affective consumers. Whynot reach th rough a newsletter, telephonemessages, c ns er memos, supermarkets, orpediatricia

*Additional information can be obtained from "Reachingand Teeching Young Families," A Handbook for Exten-sion Staff, Extension Service, U.S. Department ofAgriculture, ESC 573, Washington, D.C.

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The following are examples of creative placesconsumers might be reached with informattontsome will be repetitive, but.have been in-tentionally placed here to ra/nforce theirimportance:

At home (home-study units, newsletters,fact aiheets); public places (libraries,posters in supermarkets, flyers); or- ,ganizations (tenant's organizations),clubs (Lions, Women's Club).

On streets (flyers, announcements ofprograms, mobile unit).

At place of work (lunch and learn pro-grams, in-house newsletter, envelopestuffers with paycheck).

At religious centers (after-serviceprogram for parents while youngstershave an organi;ed program).

At commvnity centers (all times).

Local offices of Cooperative ExtensionServices, YMCA's/YWCA's and adult schools,colleges, day-care centers, (informationabout programs can be sent hcime throughyoungsters).

At places where people bank and conducttheir financial affairs, such as banks,credit unions, investment and insbrancebrokerage houses (exhibits, informationbooth, leaflets included in their mail-ings).

Agencies (fact sheets, consumer informa-tion to those on theirmalling list).

At doctors' or dentists' offices(literature, program announcements).

At unemployment offices (literature,leerning sessions announced).

In parks and at public or privaterecreational facilities.

In stores and shopping centers and malls.

45 18

ot

CHOOSING THE OPTIMUM TIME: WHEN

The time bf day one offers a program is of greatsignificance. To illustrate this point, more and morewomen work today. Many are too busy to go out at nightto an educational program; neither are they home duringthe day (Monday-rriday) for discussion group sminars.But Saturday might be a good time to bring them outfor a seminar. Newsletters will certainly reach themat home as would home-study courses or mini-units.Saturday might also be the day the spouses would jointhem in their endeavors.

A lunch and learn program conducted at an em-ployer's site offers good timing and a convenientlocation. Similarly a program can be scheduled foryoung mothers at the library while their childrenare busy attending the story hour. The followingexamples are offered as strategies involving suc-cessful use of the elements of time and place:

LUNCH'N LEARN SERIES(An Example)

Overview

In April, May, and June 1978, three Lunch'N Learnseries (a total of 12 sessions) for university sec-retaries.were initiated and conducted on the Rutgerscampus. Each series consisted of four one-hour ses-sions (one per week for four weeks) on different areasof family financial management and included after-session counseling in two of the three series. Allsessions were held during the lunch period at a facil-ity provided by the university.

,Conclusions and Recommendations

The use of the lunch hour for learning sessionswas found to be an excellent time to reach workingconsumers. The participants in this program weremore than willing to make use of their lunch hourby attending this free mini-course. The major ad-vantage of this approach is that it allows workingconsumers time for self-enrichment through learningsessions without adding to the time they spend awayfrom home.

The major drawback is the strict time limitationavailablefor the session. Thus for a lunch and learnseries to be effective, the following suggestions arerecommended:

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496

A

I) The meeting place should be within shortwalking distance of the target audience.

2) goffee or tea should be provided and readyat the appointed hour.

3) The presentation must be well orginized ifmaterial is to be covered. However, whenteaching adults, the presenter must alwaysremain flexible in order to meet the needsof the participants.

4) Question-and-answer and discussion formatsare important teaching methods which add tothe informality and rapport between thepresenter and learner, but these methodsmust be moderated carefully due to timeconstraints.

5) If possible, it would be advantageous toenlist the cooperation of the participants'employers. It might even be possible toextend the lunch time. From a public re-lations angle, remember, however, thatparticipants must be back at work at theappropriate time.

6) Experience showed that it is beneficial ifthe presenter plans for extra time to answerpersonal questions from participants dfterthe end of the session. Thus there is ad-ditional teaching/learning going on for thoseparticipants who want and can stay longer.

AN AFTER-HOURS PROGRAM WITH INI6STRX(An Example)

Overview

Three series were conducted at two New Brunswickcompanies. Each of the series offered sessions infamily financial management presented by professionalsin different areas. The learning sessions were heldat the end of the work day on the premises of the co-operating industfy.

The community coordinator organized the series to-/gather with the personnel managers of Midland Ross andSurgikos. The project director was part of the plan-ning committee and Conducted individual sessions at,Midland Ross and Surgikos. The Midland Ross programreached both middle-management and blue-collar workers.

47 5- 0

The Surgikos program included only manegement andsecretarial personnel.

Conclusions and&Recommendations:

Employers are becoming increasingly aware of theadvantages of providing nonwork-related services toethployeei. Thus, in ah effort to ipprove employer-employee relations, many companies are willing to co-.sponsor programs for the self-benefit o the workers.Companies may be willing to supply meeti g rooms onthe premises and provide advertisement a d promotion.for a series.

After completion of the Surgikos series con-ference was held,with Mr. Weisberg, Manager, Organi-zational Planning to discuss his assessment of theprogram as it was presented to Surgikos and his sug-gestions for, and input into, the most effectivemethods of working with industry.

4Ie felt the series was vrry well organized andpresented, the speakers exce lent, and the topiccovered of interest and ithportance to all consumers.He felt his company benefited by providing this ser-vice to the. employses. The following recommendationssurfaced at the tvaluation meetings held after thesessions and interviews with the personnel manager,project director, and project coordinatorr/

When Working with Industry, Consider theFollowing guggestions:

1) Contact the president of the companyor the personnel manager responsiblefor programming. Explain fully thepurpose of the service (a flyer ishelpful) and the benefits to thecompany of co-sponsoring this type ofprogram.

2) Present examples of past performancerecords.

_3) 'Have a workable course outline givingpotential sessions, dates, speakers, etc.

4) Record in writing all delegationsofauthority, i.e., methods of promotion,when and by whom promotion is to becarried out, etc.

5) Enlist the cooperation of labor unionofficials if applicable.

4 8

51

6) Mak. sure that you have the full cooperationof the personnel manager and/or union leaderor others on your planning committee regardingdistribution of promotional brochures and thatfull moral support is given to the projectteam. /

7) Conduct a needs assessment in cooperationwith the;personnel managersand/or unionJeader to pinpoint exact needs and problemsof the employers which the program will tryto meet.

i) After informing employees of the 1.esults ofthe needs survey, include a registration forMwith the program outline and make registra-tion mandatory by a certain date.

9) Have a simple evaluation form prepared tohand out at end of aerie' to be filled inby participants.

10) Share tabulated data and results of evaluationwith your industry liaison person and the -planning committee to assure future co-operation. Industry representatives areused to working with figures'ancl'alwayslook for tangible results. Your performanceof an evalpation and dissemination of theresults will be impressive and will .commandtheir respect.

The illustrations presented in this chapter arejust that--illustrations. With particular referenceto project planning and development, keep in mind thatcreativity and ingenuity are many times the onlyboundaries in an educator's quest for new horizons.

49

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e"

Chapter 3:

PROJECTIMPLEMENTATION

53

WHAT IS PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION?

Implementation is the action taken based on yourprogram design. It is the real productivity test. Itindicates who was taught,'when, what, where, and how.It is here that the success of your community outreachprogram will be tested, weighed, and decided.

If your planning has been thorough, there is noneed to be afraid of failure. If some strategies donot work'as you,had anticipated, do not be afraid toadmit this and to'make the necessary changes. This iewhat program planning, design, and implementation are

*all abbut.

The following two ideas, stressed by Silverman inProieot Mannement, have been adapted bytfie authorsfär educational projects:

1

,. 1. The jump from planning a project to actuallycoordinating and controlling it while in

Nprocess is difficult for many people, ManyOrofessionals have been specialists of onekind or auother and .now as manages have tobe generalists, who oversee and tontrol..

2. The requirements for successfully completingthe planning aspects of a project are usuallyquite different from the requirements forimplementing and controlling that,plan.

In the beginning or planning stages of a project a"supportive or cooperative style is generally necessaryin order to secure everyone's cooperation in a fullydefined, rather flUid situation. Later, when plansare completed, designs frozen, and production underway,a more directed, business-like style is needed to meetspecifiEEiiiiii="Cost restraints." It is very difficultto change "one's management style" to meet the changingneeds of the situation, but "in proldoctoanagement,it's anecessity." A successful "style" during thebeginning phases can be a liability in the impleMenta-tion phase if it is unchanged.

If you are inteiested in further study on thistopic, you might also want to read A 'Theory of Leader-ship Effectiveness, Fred E. Fiedler, McGraw-Hill, 1967;or consult some other books on thip topic.

53

EXAMPLES or DIFFICULTIES AND BENEFITSIN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATIONk.

The authors,reel that it is important for projectmanagers (especially those for whom this role is a newone) to be aware of some of the difficulties which canbe experienced in project implementation:

. DifficuLty with personnel.insofar as the? aretemporarily brought towther for the project.Also, personnel have different backgrounds andnot enough time to get adjusted or not enoughinterest 6o do so.

There is a question of loyalty to projectdirector.

Other interests might be placed beforeproject responsibilities.

Time is needed to become familiar enough tocommunicate successfully regarding projectneeds.

. People outside the project team don't alwayeunderstand missions and goals of the project.

. There might not be enough support given toteam members from regular staff.

. There is great pressure for "success" and forachievement in terms of reaching the project'sgoals.

Many people find it difficult to have toleave the project after a certain period oftime, although it was pre-arranged; somebitterness can result.

On the positive side, there are some real benefitsas far as the program implementation:4s conceriTia7----such as: ,

great flexibility (at least greater than inthe regular'program where channels areestablished).

the generation of new ideas.

creativity can be at its peak.

. possibility of trying tbin9s. out et the spurof the moment or on relatively short-notiCe.

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4:

a relatively inexpensive way of putting to-gether or trying out some now project idas.If they do not work they can be discarded;chances are that there will be some verygood results coming from the ptoject, eventhough some might be different than expectedIf the ideas work out as projected, so much-the better; Oen the entire process can,beapplied on a larger scale and integrated in-to the regular program and into_the largerorganizational structure.

Elements of program implementation include thepromotion of your project and the delivery or actiontaken.

MARKETING YOUR PROGRAM(Project Promotion)

General Strategies

General "strategies towards successful implementa:tion and proMotion include:

. 4 Making a plan that includes resources you haveat hand and a time frame.

Analyzing the various methods of 'implementationavailable to you and selecting one or two whichyou feel is best suited to your audience.

It. Using community resource for coordination of

efforts; maybe you need a co-sponsor for yourprogram, or-need assistan e in Other ways.You can use community resources for facilitiesand speakers and as-referral for informationand'audiences. See the chapter on "UtilizingCommunity Resources" in Personal and 'FamilyFinances, a Resource Guide for Tiadhing.,

Using advisory committees in program imple-mentation. The roles they play can vaiy

46- greatly. To make them effective, it isimportant for you to analyze N.:a* yourselfwhy you need them, how you will use them,and what you have to offer in return (moreon the use of advisory committees can befound at the end of this chapter).

Employing some or'all of the followingsuggestions:

- Develop a folder on your organization andthe project; include all relevant material.This folder can be used when introducingthee program to peop1e in the community,industries, agencies.

- Identify weekly and daily pap'ers, shoppers'magazines, radio stations, and supply ttiemwith promotional.information on an ongoipg.basis.

-. Develop attractive, inexpensive flyersabout your project. Send'letters tokey leaders, in your community. Suchflyers and brochures can be includedwith the letter to help sell your pro-ject.

"Package your educational program in an -appealing and creative way. Thid meanschoosing an innovative title for yourprogram, such as "Money-RWEiers for Teens"instead of "Budgeting for Teenagers" andincluding an exciting course description(The following list of titles might giveyou some ideas on developing your own programtitle:

LIST OF POSSIBLE CONSUMER EDUCATION TITLES*

Families in Crisis

Non-fault/Default

StrpSs Points

Family Adjustment to Econdmic Change

'Think for Yourself

New Coping Techniques

*These ideas for titles are the result of a brain-storming session with R. Friedman,'-B. Maaauley,A. Burkdrt, F. Minifie, R.Speelman, (ExtensionHome.Economics Specialists) on creative topics andtitles in ionsumer education in 1977.

Creative Coping for Consumers

Shifting Gears in,...rtnancial Management

To Cope or Cop Out

Adapting to Change

Adjusting'to Change

From Stress to Success

)Availability auf Resources-X

Financial Independence - Fact or Fancy/

Tunnel Vision or Vista Vision

Focusing Goals for Consumers

Real Probleths - Real plutions

Instant Society - Instant Success

Be Your Own Expert

Explore Your Options

Consumer for All Seasons

Locking,Yourself into a Life-Style

-From Cadillac to Pontiac - Realizing YourLimitations

Financial Stress and Strain - A Habit?

Time Trap - Money 11--ap

Spending Yoprself'

Don't Panic -%Adjust

Environment - Consumer

,Fyture - Stretch:

eme---- 'Offer refreshments and a s al hour.This activity can serve t break theice.

- Negotiate with the industry and laborunions where you are holding your p

ID

-gram to have half the time for the ourse

57

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donated to employees, the other halfbeing the employees' contributions.Let this IA known to the. people in-volved well ahead of time..

- Announce that you will be giving outcertificates of achievement to'bhosewho attend the entire course.

- Nfee might be charged (e.g., $6 fora six-session course), and returnedto the consumer after completion ofA course.

- Write short, appealing, Meaningfulradio announcements, flyers, newsreleases, or feature articles for thelocal newspaper,/

- The project director can either beinterviewed by a staff reporter orthe announcement can be developedjointly. Post the flyers in super--markets and libraries, deliver them.to homes,of consumers, and distribute'them through organizations.

- Include an intereggng person on theprogram who "draws"-crowds (it can bea local politician, some respectedgovernmer official, or a celebrity).

- Last, but not least, go Out and findconsumers at places where they con-.gregate: hospitals, baby healthclinics, women's centers. Explainyour program directly and give outflyers and brochufes.

Tailor Your Promotion To FillSpecial Neeas

In addition to the regular promotional activities,you need to develop,a speciCic promotional strategyfor the particular project you are,planning.''

The strategy is different when you prOmote aprogram geared towards industry employees in-houseas opposed to one which is open and aimed at thegeneral public. The promotion of the latter willdiffer again depending, on how you deliver the program.For example, if you co-sponsor a project, the announce-ments will go to more than one mailing list and willreach more people.

5 958-

The promotional strategy adopted will also dependon the typo of audience you are trying to reach (e.g.,young families, senior citizens, etc.). You need tobe sure your information will reach your particularaudience.

Only you can develop a promotional strategy whichwill work for you. The following examples might helpyou in developing your own suCcessful marketing styleand approach.

A Promotional Strstodgy Involving Retail Businesses

This strategy was developed and implemented in thefederal project (p similar strategy can be employedwhen working through industry establishments).

You decided that you wanted to work through retailestablishments in the designated community, either tOco-sponsor a project for company employees or perhapsto utilize their credit manager as a resource personfor a class open to the public using their communityroom or some other location. You 4ave chosen the re-tail establishment because a large number of peoplewalk thrqugh retail stores, and many of these peoplewould benefit from your information and your program.

What do you do?

Ste'', I

Identify retail establishments in the communitiesin which you want to work. Cain their cooperation andassistance for your project.

. Draft a letter of introduction inditating thewho, what, when, where, how, and why of theproject; also say what typp of support isexpected and why.

Identify the decisionmaker(s) in the retailestablishments - who has authority-toimakethe programming decision. Address yourletter to this person (e.g., the generalmanager or personnel manager).

. Explain hdW cooperation on this project willhelp the retail establishments.

Explain how their cooperation can and willbenefit consumers.

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Mail a model letter tothose retail stablish-ments interested in your project (each onereceives an original letter, not a Photocopy).Enclose a pamphlet or other pertinent printedmateria4. (This pamphlet should have inarttion on the projecf. Eo familiarize the rceiver with the project.)

Step 2

Contact key people in the above establishmentsby phone as a follow-up to the letter.

Ar.range appointments.

Meet with people in the personnel departmentand with those in the organizatidn's officeof development and consumer affairs and/orpublic relations department. If there is aunion involved, include a union member (stewardor other) as well as a member of the group towhich the program is to bepresented, if pos-sible.

get a date for a program planning meetingregarding specifics of content, time, andresources needed.

Follow up the meeting with a letter to reinf rcethe intention towards further cooperation, anto thank the manager or personnel officer forhi& or her time.

Organize the next planning meetings Proceedwith implementation of the program (choosetitle, order rooms, invite resource peoplec,./promote and hold the meeting; aftsr the pro-gram is completed, do necessary follow-up andevaluation).

S.

Bbsic Steps in Implementing a Conferenve*.

The following is a detailed planning guide.Although the steps were developed for the planning,implementation, and evaluation of a formal conference,they will stimulate thinking and can be readily adaptedto the management of any type of educational program.

*Quoted from'Training Program for Consumer Education byLynn Jordan, }Omer ,President,-VIrginia Citizens Con-sumer Council.

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_

(1) Qetermine the purpose and objectives of thec