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Building a Stronger Maryland - Program Implementation Plan
Program Plan of Work
May 12, 2003
Our Implementation: How We Plan to Get There
In Outcomes 2002, our previous Plan of Work, we dealt with seven directed initiatives that served as the basis of our programming. While these initiatives were germane, they had a proclivity to be exclusive. Changing demographics of Maryland, the need to be more responsive to all Marylanders, and an increasing mandate to truly partner with other organizations, civic groups, agencies, and institutions mandated that we become more inclusive to all our clientele. Thus we re-examined and redefined our Mission Statement from our 2002 document to emphasize three major areas that impact all of Maryland. In doing so, we identified three areas as focus themes – Quality of Life, Economic Prosperity, and Environmental Stewardship. These three themes direct what we do as an education organization. They also have expected outcomes that transcend each theme and facilitate cross-discipline, self-directed team efforts by our faculty. Concomitantly, we found ourselves lacking in certain areas of necessary expertise, program delivery, self-continuing education, and organizational process and infrastructure that potentially inhibits achieving our new Mission and Vision. To better prepare to meet the challenges of serving all of Maryland within our focus themes, we identified two internal themes that will help us better prepare to accomplish what we do; Professional Development and Organizational Development.
Theme 1
Quality of Life
Quality of Life is defined as “Living and working in an environment that enables individuals and families to attain their basic needs and provides the opportunity for personal and community development.�
Situation: Quality of life involves everything impacting our daily lives from our environment and socio-economic position to communication and personal growth in family, work, and social interactions. Although to achieve one’s life goals is a continued pursuit by most, not everyone is as fortunate as others and some individuals and their communities still require basic services for their education, health and welfare. Abraham Maslow’s motivational theory regarding the hierarchy of needs is most relevant here. It provides the building blocks behind the motivation for achieving personal satisfaction and feeling a sense of worth and accomplishment.
In the pursuit of a “Quality of Life� it is necessary for MCE to develop and implement educational programs to help people sustain and improve their quality of life by better achieving their physical, psychological, and materialistic needs.
Statewide Outcomes:
1.1 Basic needs – Individuals and families fulfill basic human needs for safe, healthy, and adequate food, shelter, and environment. 1.2 Personal/individual development – Individuals and families solve problems, make decisions, and embrace change to reach their full potential as individuals and as members of the community. 1.3 Family and community development – Individuals, families, and groups build caring, safe, and productive communities.
Theme 2
Economic Prosperity
Economic prosperity encompasses “The financial and related factors leading to improvement in the well being of individuals, families, communities, and businesses.�
Situation: Economic prosperity is relative to socioeconomic levels and expectations. For some individuals and families, economic prosperity may mean securing employment and having sufficient resources to meet their basic needs. On the other hand, acquiring business skills, exploring career opportunities, and managing personal finances by reducing debt, increasing savings, and planning for retirement and estate settlement increase economic stability and feelings of prosperity for people at all income levels. Economic prosperity includes collaborative learning with industry that strengthens market positions and profitability in an increasingly global economy. Since many traditional businesses are under economic stress as markets change, future prosperity is likely to depend on innovation, adding value and accurately identifying customers and their needs. Regulatory compliance and quality issues often affect production costs and the marketability of products or services, directly affecting profitability.
Statewide Outcomes:
2.1 Individuals and families – Individuals and families will manage their personal finances including retirement and estate planning, more effectively and improve long-term financial well being. 2.2 Businesses and employees – Business start-ups and traditional industries, including those currently at risk, will increase profits and improve/diversify employment opportunities. 2.3 Communities – Improved employment, incomes, and corporate growth will produce the financial resources necessary to meet the community services and cultural needs of citizens.
Theme 3
Environmental Stewardship
Environmental stewardship can be defined as “Educating the public regarding the management of our environment (ecosystems and natural resources) for this generation and for those yet to come.�
Situation: Ecosystems are a critical component of a sustainable and economically viable land use. Studies have shown that both ground and surface waters contain high levels of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus (N and P), sediments and toxic contaminants.These contaminants adversely affect water quality, aquatic organisms, fisheries, and human health. Various regulations, programs and legislation are in place with the goal of reducing these sources of pollution. The Chesapeake Bay Program has a goal of 40% reduction of nutrients into the Bay by 2010. The Water Quality Improvement Act of 1998 mandates that farmers have and implement nutrient management plans. There are now new storm water runoff regulations to help control storm water, create remediation of soil and groundwater, and reduce air pollution. Previous legislation requires that restricted use pesticides may only be used by certified applicators.
Urbanization, development and the subsequent construction and use of wastewater treatment plants contribute significantly to contamination. Urbanization and development also compromise open space. In urban areas, toxins and nutrients enter Maryland’s environment through excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers from commercial, public and private applications. Sediment enters Maryland’s surface water from erosion originating from exposed soil, mainly from construction sites and home landscapes. There is concern that as much as 30 percent of the nutrients entering the Bay is caused by air deposition (rainfall). Commercial and non-commercial pesticides are used in Maryland in the indoor and outdoor environment.
Statewide Outcomes:
3.1 Citizens/communities/agencies will make informed decisions that will conserve and improve our environment. 3.2 Optimize land and water utilization while minimizing impacts to our ecosystems. 3.3 Create a greater understanding of the environment from both commercial agriculture and consumer interests. 3.4 Individuals and communities will become stewards to manage the environment for the mutual benefit of people, ecosystems, wildlife, natural resourcesand economic interests.
Theme 4
Professional Development
Professional development is “The ongoing process of maximizing Maryland Cooperative Extension’s effectiveness through strengthening the capability of the individual employee.�
Situation:Employees are Maryland Cooperative Extension’s most valuable assets. To enhance the effectiveness of Extension employees, the organization must provide them with opportunities for development and training that focus on core competencies. Core competencies are defined as the basic knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviors that contribute to excellence in Extension educational programs. These competencies may include information and education delivery, diversity/pluralism/multiculturalism, and subject matter. Professional development opportunities may include formal and non-formal education, mentoring, coaching, job enrichment and other methods.
Individual Outcomes:
4.1 All MCE employees have a well-defined professional development plan that builds technical expertise, management and leadership skills, and program management, evaluation, and delivery skills. 4.2 All Extension employees anticipate and deliver high quality educational programs of relevance and importance to the public.
Organizational Outcomes:
4.3 MCE has identified core competencies for all Extension positions. 4.4 MCE has in place a planning and implementation team that facilitates a systematic, coherent, professional development program.
Theme 5
Organizational Development
Organizational development is “The continuous improvement process that will sustain Maryland Cooperative Extension as an adaptive and valuable outreach and education organization for the University System of Maryland.�
Situation: Throughout 2002, MCE examined its historical accomplishments and current situation and envisioned a future direction for the 21st Century. The immediate result of that work is the strategic plan which sets a direction for a strong, focused, outcome-oriented organization that will be recognized as the premier educational outreach organization of the University System of Maryland. For that vision to be realized, MCE must incorporate the identified initiatives and actions into its policies and procedures as well as into the hearts and minds of its people. This proposed plan of work is one means of enabling the vision to become real.
Statewide Outcomes:
Maryland Cooperative Extension will…
5.1 Have effective internal and external communication systems and processes that include all our stakeholders and that support and promote efficiency and effectiveness in our organization to help us meet our goals and mission. 5.2 Provide a mechanism for continuous program evaluation that affords assessment of the impact of our investment in those programs, recognition of our accomplishments, and documentation of scholarship efforts. 5.3 Foster an environment that holds all accountable and encourages, recognizes, and rewards faculty and staff innovation and excellence. 5.4 Identify opportunities and support engagement, internally and externally, that results in self-directed teams and new partnerships. 5.5 Ensure that administration and support units within the college are aware of and are responsive to the barriers that limit efficiency of program operation and organizational advancement. 5.6 Ensure that faculty, staff, and administration are committed to becoming a learning organization and that they are aligned with the principles such an organization encompasses, including
- continuously striving to achieve its vision and mission,
- establishing processes for reviewing and focusing direction,
- aligning policies, practices, and procedures with the needs of a premier institution.
For more information, contact Jim Hanson
Last updated: 04/13/2006