Designing Evaluation Metrics That Meet State Needs and Recognize Local Realities

One of the largest reporting challenges in consumer horticulture is the size and diffuse nature of our

outreach and education efforts and our wide audiences. Across the entire lawn and garden spectrum,

we have a potential audience that encompasses a majority of residents in our states along with an

employee and volunteer network of educators that numbers in the thousands. It is clear that our reach

can often exceed our grasp in terms of gathering accurate impact data for consumer horticulture efforts.

While the data collection struggle is real, it is necessary to move forward with impact reporting and

assessment systems that are effective at a state and local level. These very issues are the current task

underway in developing outcome indicators in Agriculture and Natural Resource (ANR) topic areas in

Tennessee Extension. Workgroups of state and area ANR specialists together with county agents are

developing outcome indicators that will form the basis for all local and aggregated statewide reporting.

This case study will focus on our efforts in Tennessee to develop realistic and robust measures that work

across our entire system. Main points of discussion and emphasis will be balancing assessments that can

be feasibly integrated into the wide range of local activities and used by varied personnel while being

appropriate for statewide reporting; showing the public value of Extension consumer horticulture

programs; and examples of effective outcome measurement.