Since 1949 it has been the declared Extension policy that agents in each county will organize and maintain an active Council that plans and conducts an Extension educational program based on needs, problems and interests of local people. Professional persons and agency personnel who are not members of the Extension Program Council organization can make a major contribution to its work. The following are examples of assistance they provide.
EXTENSION AGENTS are key figures in the local program development effort. They are responsible for sustaining the Council and its committees, maintaining it as an effective working body, and for carrying out phases of the educational program for which Extension is responsible. Specific tasks that agents must perform in fulfilling their program development responsibilities with Extension Councils are contained in the Performance Appraisal System for Extension Agents, PAS-1 Handbook, 1988; updated in 1994.
DISTRICT EXTENSION DIRECTORS convey and interpret administrative policies to Extension agents. As supervisors, they must fully understand the program development process and help agents acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to do their jobs. They help agents and local leaders recognize that planning a county program is only the beginning of the process and that the best written plans are of little value until people are committed to implementing the plans.
District directors should be sufficiently familiar with local situations to guide agents in organizing and maintaining Council effectiveness. A primary role of district directors is objective evaluation of Extension programs in each county, a responsibility they share with Extension agents and administrative staff. As this evaluation is made, district directors will:
THE DIRECTOR of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service is responsible for administering Cooperative Extension work in the state. Part of this responsibility is establishing policies and procedures to guide Extension agents in county program development and maintaining an organizational climate that motivates Extension faculty to accept their program development responsibilities seriously. ASSOCIATE AND ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, as administrative program leaders, convey program direction and opportunities to faculty.
EXTENSION SPECIALISTS are resource people. They are experts in their respective fields of subject matter who are responsible for disseminating accurate and useful information. Specialists also are prepared to help agents and committees think through the critical issues, decide long-range and annual plans, arrange program activities and evaluations.
Developing an effective educational program in any county depends on appropriate subject matter specialists having a clear understanding of the problems at hand and the people affected by those problems. Specialists must be skilled in program development processes and have up-to-date informationabout each county in which they work. With this knowledge and understanding, they can assist agents and committees in the following ways:
All Extension faculty members can benefit from studying the county's Long-Range Extension Program and annual plan of work [County Program Plan] as regular procedure in preparing for direct work in any county. Copies are available on campus through the Program Development and Evaluation office and in the district centers.
Extension Program Development and Evaluation Specialists are responsible for making faculty aware of effective approaches or methods in the phases of program development. They develop in-service education for new and experienced agents and specialists in the concepts and practices of program development. They are available upon request to help agents and local leaders in organizational matters, long-range and annual planning, leadership development, and evaluating program and Council effectiveness.
United States Department of Agriculture agency representatives are generally organized as an official group in each county, representing all USDA agencies. In addition, the group may have members from related organizations operating in the county from local, state or federal bases. The continuing purpose of these groups is to provide technical assistance to county and area committees in resource development. The group's role includes the following:
In the 1990s, demographic trends indicate that Texas is becoming a state in which minority segments together consitute more than half of the total population. Therefore, Extension agents should give careful attention to the representation that is reflected in all aspects of the Council's membership. Representation on the Council (or its committees) should reflect appropriate geographic, organizational and population diversity to insure active participation from all areas of interest. Reflection of population diversity should consider gender, age, race and socioeconomic levels, among other important representation factors.
Essential qualifications for effective Extension Program Council members are of two kinds. First, members should have the capacity to become leaders in thinking and acting. They should be able to be positively involved in solving problems. Second, members should have qualities that enable them to function well in a working group. They should have ability to think objectively about interests not directly represented on the Council. Such people serve to incorporate the wisdom and experience of others with their own. Important qualities include the following:
CHAIRPERSON (OF EXTENSION COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE BOARD)
The chairperson of the Extension Program Council (who also serves as chair of the executive board) should be action-oriented, with a drive for achievement. This person should understand, endorse and practice the philosophy of the program development process - maximum involvement of people in all phases of program development.
As chief executive officer, this person must provide effective leadership and constantly strive to build harmonious and productive relationships within the organization. The chairperson should be willing to study and learn the business of the Council as well as effective procedures for carrying out the chairperson's job.
The chairperson should be able to preside at meetings and lead discussions. The manner in which this is done can create a climate that encourages participation, allows all ideas and contributions to emerge, keeps general and specific purposes of the session before the group and contributes to achieving the Council's purposes.
Responsibilities of the chairperson are varied. They may shift as Council work progresses. Extension agents are important consultants to the chairperson and should provide assistance and resources for these responsibilities.
VICE-CHAIRPERSON OF COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
The vice-chairperson should be fully qualified for the job of chairperson. To insure that officers will have as much experience as possible, the vice-chairperson should be chosen in view of succession to chairmanship. The vice-chairperson's working experience should be designed to make it easier to assume the chairperson's duties when the occasion demands. The vice-chairperson functions in the absence of the chairperson; other duties may be performed as delegated by the chairperson and prescribed in the standing rules.
SECRETARY OF COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
The secretary keeps business records of the Council and board, including minutes or proceedings of each meeting. The secretary initiates and prepares correspondence related to Council and board business. From time to time, the secretary may obtain resources or references needed by the Extension Program Council or executive board.
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
Executive board members work with the officers to maintain a strong Extension Council and coordinate the work of various Council parts. Board members are expected to stay aware of the larger on-going Extension program so they are able to identify emerging issues, problems or concerns the Board should study and propose actions to take, including forming new committees to handle programming in new areas. CHAIRPERSONS OF PROGRAM COMMITTEES Program committee chairpersons (program area and issue-based committees/task forces) should be selected according to procedures established in the standing rules - appointed by the Council chairperson or elected by committee members. The major role of this office is to provide leadership to a specific committee while maintaining productive and satisfying working relationships among members. PROGRAM AREA/ISSUE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Program area and/or issue committee members accept responsibility for certain phases of the county Extension program. Much of their work will be toward implementing the programs related to annual plans they have made, although they also will be involved in long-range planning and evaluation. Committee members have definite roles and responsibilities, as do officers. All members should be familiar with the purpose of program development and functions of the committee. Members should stay informed about problems and issues of the committee's assigned area of work.