Dodge County committee to review Extension work plans after community forum; state builds statewide curriculum from local pilot

The Dodge County Conservation Extension Committee heard an update on the community needs forum and the next steps for Extension work plans during its meeting.

Cindy, a presenter for the forum, said the timeline calls for all draft work plans to be available by May 1, with a full discussion of the plans at the committee’s next meeting. “We have one completely done. And I’ll meet with Cameron and Andrew and we’ll look through it to make sure that everything that we’re providing is what was expected,” Cindy said.

The committee was told a state team is compiling the lessons from Dodge County’s listening session into a curriculum or workbook that other counties will use. “There is now a state team that is actually taking what we learned here and developing it into kind of like a curriculum or a workbook that all counties will use in the future,” Cindy said, adding Dodge County was an early pilot for the approach.

Committee members discussed the role the committee must play in shaping the work plans. One member urged colleagues to review the county’s strategic objectives before the May discussion, noting that past problems in other counties arose when extension staff did not receive clear direction from county leaders. “Our job as representatives of the people on the county board? How are we directing the employees, the staff? … That’s a critical step,” a committee member said.

Staff said the work plans will include 3–5 goals per educator and will indicate how those goals align with county strategic priorities and other assessments beyond the community needs forum. Committee members were told the draft work plans will be sent in advance of the meeting for review, and that the committee’s final action will be required to move the plans forward; staff suggested a motion to approve the plans or a formal resolution may be appropriate after committee review.

The committee will consider whether to recommend approval or to ask for changes after the May meeting discussion; staff indicated the final package would likely be presented to the full county board afterwards.