Search

The purpose of this study was to determine to what degree extension educators self-assess their knowledge and skills on competencies related to program evaluation and their needs for further training. A total of 752 extension educators from twelve states of the North Central Region (USA) Cooperative Extension participated in this study through an online survey. The instrument for the study included eleven competencies that were tested using a five-point Likert-type scale. Results indicated that participants reported primary needs of training for building evaluation capacity in the following competencies: "assessing impact of a program," "developing and implementing surveys," "analyzing and interpreting survey results," and "using impact data for further planning." Findings have implications for designing competency development programs. Therefore, training focused on program evaluation is recommended at all levels of the North Central Region Extension system. The problem faced by the developing world for building evaluation capacity of extension agents is similar to that in the United States. Therefore, implications of the findings in international extension settings are also discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demonstration of a high level of professional competence is the primary public justification for the Cooperative Extension Service in the United States. Therefore, a highly competent and well-trained staff is an important resource for ensuring Extension's organizational success. A regional study was conducted with 441 Extension educators who participated in an online survey. The purpose was to determine the relative importance of 11 professional competencies related to learning systems and identify the best time to learn each of these competencies. Participants perceived a majority of the competencies as highly important for their professional development. High percentages of the respondents preferred to learn a majority of the competencies through a graduate program and in-service programs. These findings imply a need to design flexible staff development programs for Extension educators that include graduate education, in-service trainings, and on-the-job experience. Findings also suggest a need for new policies regarding employee selection, training, professional development, and performance appraisal. Findings have implications to design professional trainings on learning systems in a variety of national and international extension settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]