POTENTIAL LOCAL IMPACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN COUNTY-BASED FACULTY AND STAFF PARTICPATION IN THE PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS FARMER-TO-FARMER PROGRAM.

POTENTIAL LOCAL IMPACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN COUNTY-BASED FACULTY AND

STAFF PARTICPATION IN THE PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS FARMER-TO-FARMER PROGRAM IN

NICARAGUA: A DELPHI STUDY

Global Perspectives IIJanuary 19, 2005Aliesha R. Crowe

UW-Extension-Rusk County

Review:

GlobalizationInternationalizing ExtensionUW-Extension International Work

Farmer-to-Farmer ProgramCounty-based faculty and staff only

Delphi Technique

MethodologyExpert Panel selectionRound 1 questionRound 2 questionnaireRound 3 questionnaireThree-round summary

Results

Logic ModelShort-term impactsMedium-term impactsLong-term impacts

Logic model

Results

Short-term ImpactsDefined—Learning, AwarenessGlobal perspectives for local clientele/community Global Perspectives for Agent/Colleagues

Results

Medium-term ImpactsDefined—Action taken; behavior, policy, practice changeProfessional development/personal benefits in terms of action takenAction of/for clientele

Results

Long-term ImpactsDefined—Change in conditionsOperating Globally

Short-term Outcomes-Impact

A. Global Perspectives for local clientele/community

 Create awareness of the difficulties experienced in Nicaragua—that they are many times worse than what we face and for the most part we should consider ourselves fortunate (even though we face marketing, pricing, and regulatory problems of our own).The description of my project work included observations about resource limitations and problems encountered by agricultural producers and the CONAGAN organization. Identifying these resource limitations and problems are very helpful in local program development. Too often, we take for granted the many resources we have.

Individuals learn about the projects, the people of Nicaragua, the Nicaraguan culture, and the way agriculture is practiced there.Local committee learns about many of the differences (and some of the similarities) of how agriculture is practiced in the two countries.

I believe many of the people who I address are enlightened about the conditions in Nicaragua (both good and bad), and that they gain a better appreciation for what life is like here in Wisconsin.Local people get a better understanding of agriculture, culture, life in a third world country.

Increased cultural awareness

Through local publicity(newspapers, etc) and presentations, citizens learned of the challenges facing individuals in the communities where Partners volunteers lived and worked.

Short-term Outcomes—Impact

B. Global Perspectives for Agent/Colleagues

Participation helps the agent gain a new understanding and appreciation of people living in developing countries.Participation helps the agent to appreciate some of the struggles our country’s original agriculturalists faced when settling the land in this country.Colleagues in Extension learn a lot about people living in developing countries from listening to participant agent experiences.

Participation reminds the agent of the importance of economic development--maintaining/improving local infrastructure and leadership.Provides agent with a life experience to bring to work and community.

Medium-Term Impacts

A. Professional development/personal benefit in terms of action taken

The work with both the university faculty, the partner agency and the producers helped me develop patience and sensitivity toward working with others.Overall, and most importantly, the work built my confidence in a variety of ways—in a relatively short period, I used critical listening skills, identified issues, problems and resources and thought through and put together an appropriate/effective response.

Working on these projects has helped me to think of new ways to solve practical problems that farmers in our area face when capital or infrastructure are lacking.I have much better appreciation now for the fragility of our local landscape and the necessity for being good stewards of our environmental and agricultural resources.The experience I had interacting with and teaching farmers in Nicaragua required a great deal of flexibility and imagination at times, and have helped me improve my teaching abilities here at home.

My participation made me a more effective teacher and facilitator in content areas such as strategic planning, needs assessment, facilitation of open discussions. Teaching experience that can be used locally.

Ability to compare adult learning styles and non-traditional ways of teaching.It was also a great way to recharge my batteries—bring new creativity and energy to local programming.

Medium-term Impacts

B. Action of/for clientele

•Impacts were listed on original surveys, but the panel did not indicate any were likely or very likely.???????

Long Term Outcomes-Impact

Operating Globally

Participation may result in local groups/individuals getting involved in exchange or programs that could help communities in Nicaragua.

Potential Long Term Impacts

The questions to ask:1. Do they exist?

1. In this program?2. In other programs?

2. How do we measure them?3. How do we communicate them to

stakeholders?

Recommendations1. Future studies should determine if cultural differences within the county of assignment affect the impact of international work.2. Assessment of local impact of international work should occur at the local level in order to articulate potential benefits.3. In developing an internationalized extension program the objectives/goals and expected benefits should be clearly articulated to participants and stakeholders.4. Future research should include other UW-Extension international extension work.5. Future research should include other UW-Extension faculty and staff that are not county-based.

ReferencesTaylor-Powell, E., Steele, S., & Douglah, M. (1996). Planning a program evaluation. Retrieved April 2002, from University of Wisconsin-Extension-Cooperative Extension, Program Development and Evaluation Unit Web site: http://www1.uwex.edu/ces/pubs/pdf/G3658_1.PDFCrowe, A. (2004) Masters Thesis. POTENTIAL LOCAL IMPACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN COUNTY-BASED FACULTY AND STAFF PARTICPATION IN THE PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS FARMER-TO-FARMER PROGRAM IN NICARAGUA: A DELPHI STUDY.