Overview of
Restructuring Process and Plans
The
Mississippi State University Extension Service provides
informal educational opportunities to help the people of
Mississippi improve their quality of life. Founded in 1914,
the Extension Service is a three-way partnership funded by
the United States Department of Agriculture, the State of
Mississippi, and each of the state's 82 counties. It is an
integral part of Mississippi State University, delivering
research-based knowledge in four general subject
areas:
- Agriculture
and natural resources
- Family
and consumer education
- 4-H
youth development
- Enterprise
and community resource development
Since
its inception, needs have been assessed and programs
delivered through county Extension offices by a core staff
that includes an agriculture and natural resources agent, a
family and consumer agent (formerly home economics agent),
and a 4-H youth agent or program assistant.
Mandate
for Change
The pace of change in all aspects of life has
accelerated rapidly. Until recently, an Extension agent with
broad knowledge of his or her program area was able to meet
local needs. Today's complex world, however, requires more
highly specialized training and in-depth knowledge.
Extension agents with broad expertise are finding it
increasingly difficult to meet the more specialized needs of
their clientele.
Many
social and economic changes point clearly to the need for a
change in the Extension Service's program delivery
structure. Technology is changing our lives, and the public
has come to expect instant access to information and
solutions to problems. The educational level of our
clientele base is increasing. The agricultural industry is
changing; the degree of technical expertise needed to be
successful is increasing and producer numbers are
decreasing. Dramatic changes are occurring in family and
community life. Today's youth are facing serious new
challenges in a rapidly changing world. At the same time,
the current economic climate calls for reassessment of
priorities, evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness, and
a focus on resource management.
In
summer 2001, aware of these forces for change and faced with
new budgetary constraints, the Extension Service interim
director established a team to examine the organization and
develop recommendations for change.
Planning
Process
A 15-member State Design Team representing a
cross-section of the diverse Extension Service workforce was
charged with developing recommendations for restructuring
the Extension program delivery system. Over a five-month
period, the team assessed current staffing and budgeting,
changes in clientele needs, and changes in the technological
environment. In December 2001 the team delivered its
recommendations to the Extension Service administration. The
Extension Leadership Council was then charged with
developing a final implementation plan.
While
budgetary issues were not the primary reason for
restructuring, it was necessary to address the impact of
substantial state funding reductions in fiscal year 2002 and
to plan for the possibility of further reductions in fiscal
year 2003. To provide greater flexibility for the future, a
goal was to develop a staffing plan requiring approximately
10 percent less resources.
Restructuring
Plan
Maintaining an office and staff in each of the state's
82 counties is well worth the expense in terms of
responsiveness to local needs. Hence the restructuring plan
sustains a strong local presence, supported by the expertise
of area agents and campus-based specialists. The plan
provides a core staff in each county consisting of a county
director, a 4-H agent or 4-H program assistant, and one or
more office associates. In some cases, the county director
will also serve as 4-H agent.
This
core staff is responsible for assuring that appropriate
educational programs are provided for all clientele groups.
For expertise beyond that available at the county level, the
core staff will call upon the knowledge and skills of area
agents in 14 different program focus areas.
The
county director will play a critical role in linking the
Extension Service with the county through involvement in
local civic affairs and contact with the county's elected
officials and informal leadership. County directors will be
responsible for assessing local needs and for coordinating
program delivery. They will also be responsible for
delivering programs in one or more of the program focus
areas, they will assure that the county-based 4-H program
operates effectively, and they will supervise the Extension
secretaries.
Area
Agents
When fully trained, area agents will provide in-depth
knowledge and skills in their program focus area. They will
serve multiple counties, working with county Extension
directors in their assigned area of the state to assess
needs and deliver programs. Every county will have access to
in-depth expertise from area agents specializing in three
subject areas:
- Family and
Consumer Education — nutrition and food safety, health,
child and family development, family resource management, and leadership
development
- Agriculture
and Natural Resources — agronomic crops, animal science/forages,
horticulture, forestry, risk/farm management, aquaculture, environment/nutrient
management, and wildlife/fisheries
- Enterprise
and Community Resource Development
Specialists
Extension specialists will continue their traditional
roles in planning and designing educational programs;
developing educational resources; supporting the marketing,
delivery, and evaluation of programs; and fostering
important relationships. However, they will play a greater
role in team approaches to career development for area
agents, and they will take part in assessing area agent
performance.
Middle
Management
For management purposes, the state will be divided into
four Extension districts. Two middle managers per district
will have administrative, programmatic, and supervisory
responsibilities. One will be responsible for programs in
agriculture and natural resources. The other will be
responsible for programs in family and consumer science and
in enterprise and community resource development. They will
share responsibility for the 4-H program. Each 4-H agent
will be assigned to one of the two district
directors.
Volunteers
Volunteers are essential to expanding the reach of
Extension programs. Recruiting, training, and managing
volunteers will be the responsibility of the core county
staff with assistance from area agents and state-level
personnel. Training and management programs are being
designed to help Extension staff members become more
effective in working with volunteers.
Advisory
Groups
Local needs assessments are the key to targeting Extension
programs. Under the new structure, county Extension
directors are responsible for ensuring that adequate needs
assessments are carried out in their county. Each county
will have two types of advisory groups: programmatic
advisory councils and a County Extension Executive Board.
The county Extension director will be responsible for
organizing and maintaining these groups, ensuring that they
reflect the diversity of the clientele.
Implementation
Process
Based on current and projected funding levels, the Extension
Service will have 198 county professional positions to
allocate among the 82 county Extension offices and the area
agent positions. Every county director, in addition to
providing leadership for the county Extension program, will
be responsible for program delivery in one or more program
focus areas within the county. In addition, 16 program
assistants will be available to help conduct county 4-H
programs. The professional positions will be allocated as
follows:
- 82
county directors (one per county)
- 69
area agents
- 47
4-H agents
Area Agents
All agriculture and natural resources agents and all family and consumer
education area agents will specialize in a program focus area. The following
lists show representative numbers of area agents in each of the program
focus areas. They also show in parentheses the estimated number of county
directors that will serve each program focus area. In addition, four enterprise
and community resource development area agents will serve the state.
|
Family
and Consumer Education
|
|
Nutrition
and Food Safety
|
8
|
(10)
|
|
Health
|
6
|
(6)
|
|
Child
and Family Development
|
6
|
(6)
|
|
Family
Resource Management
|
6
|
(6)
|
|
Leadership
Development
|
4
|
(0)
|
|
Agriculture
and Natural Resources
|
|
Agronomic
Crops
|
11
|
(13)
|
|
Animal
Science/Forages
|
10
|
(10)
|
|
Horticulture
|
6
|
(10)
|
|
Forestry
|
2
|
(2)
|
|
Risk/Farm
Management
|
2
|
(0)
|
|
Aquaculture
|
1
|
(0)
|
|
Environmental/Nutrient
Management
|
1
|
(1)
|
|
Wildlife
and fisheries
|
2
|
(0)
|
4-H
Agents
4-H agents and program assistants will be assigned to
counties on the basis of criteria established by the State
Design Team. Forty-seven counties meet the criteria for
assignment of a 4-H agent. In approximately 19 additional
counties the county Extension director will conduct the 4-H
program. 4-H program assistants will serve the remaining 16
counties.
Assignment
of Agents to Positions
Agents currently employed will be asked to provide
information about their experience, education, skills, and
preferences. Each will then be assigned to an area agent,
county director, or 4-H agent position. In making these
assignments, MSU-ES will comply with the intent of
applicable court order requirements, maintain minority
balance in agent job assignments as prescribed by the court
order, and accommodate employee interests and preferences to
the extent possible, while meeting the organization's needs
and enabling it to fulfill its mission. Job assignments will
become effective July 1, 2002. The salary level of each
agent prior to reassignment will be maintained in the new
assignment. Should salary inequities become evident,
corrections will be a priority as future funding increases
permit.
Training
Newly assigned county and area employees may need
additional training to successfully fulfill their new
responsibilities. Training and development needs for each
agent will be assessed through a coordinated process, and
those needs assessments will be the basis for recommending a
career development and training program. Training agendas
will be designed with the expectation that all agents will
be fully trained within three years. After that time, all
agents will be expected to continue to improve their
knowledge and abilities in their program focus area and in
communication and information technology skills
Program
Planning and Coordination
A team approach will be essential to successful program
development and delivery in all program focus areas. Area
agents will be the primary resource for program delivery in
all areas except 4-H. State specialists, county directors,
and area agents working in partnership as members of
Priority Program Groups will be responsible for overall
coordination of programs statewide in their subject areas.
In addition, all members of the professional staff and all
program areas will have responsibility for providing support
for youth programming.
Linkage
with County Government
The partnership with county government has long been a
great strength and resource of the Extension Service. At
present, counties provide more than 11 percent of the
organization's salary support in addition to office space,
contractual services, and commodities. Those resources are
invaluable and irreplaceable. For the restructuring plan to
succeed, it is critically important that current levels of
county support be maintained. Considering the state and
federal government investment, every county dollar leverages
far greater returns at the county level, where Extension
delivers all of its programs.
The
Bottom Line
The goal of the Extension Service's restructuring process is
to maintain or enhance the level and quality of services to
every county. That will be possible because the core county
staff will be able to draw upon the expertise of area agents
in many program focus areas. At the same time, a committed
county Extension director will be directly involved within
the local community, and locally based 4-H programs will
continue to provide unmatched development opportunities for
the county's youth.
During the restructuring and retraining processes, every
effort will be made to avoid disruptions of service. The
Extension Service values and depends upon the support and
goodwill of federal, state, and county government and
especially of its clientele as it strives to do an ever
better job of helping people improve their quality of life.
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