staffing

Cooperative Extension Staffing for Colorado



Staffing Challenge:

Our challenge is to develop a staffing pattern from which to sustain and build Extension, and to provide

adequate structure to support the work of developing, delivering and measuring the impact of quality

educational programming to meet priority needs of the citizens of Colorado. While the current system

has been used for years and is known, it has become apparent during times of budget reductions that the

system is not scalable or flexible. Reductions result in the elimination of expertise and programming in

individual counties. There is no formal mechanism that allows expertise from other counties/areas to fill

gaps. In most instances, fully employed agents take on additional responsibilities to cover for lost staff,

spreading themselves even thinner. Many agents also fill multiple roles in the current system, spreading

their time and expertise thin.



What we need from you:

 Your ideas on how to most effectively deliver balanced and focused programming across Colorado

 Your insights and cooperation in increasing collaboration among counties

 What issues and needs have to be addressed to make this work for you

 Your support in changing the way Extension is staffed in Colorado



Background:

The current Extension staffing pattern in Colorado is county based with

agents located in and working primarily in response to the needs of a

specific county’s residents. State and federal funds support campus

specialists, administration and approximately 80% of the salary and

benefits of formula Extension agents in the county – the county

contributes the balance. Counties fully support the cost of local office

operations and additional staff. Based on county size and programming

needs, from 1 to 4 formula agents work in each of the 59 Colorado

counties that partner with CSU to provide Cooperative Extension.

CE Budget Reduction by County



Over the past 3 years, state budget support for Cooperative

Extension has decreased by $1.8 million while the cost of doing

business has continued to rise. Reductions have resulted in the loss

of 33 full time field agents, specialists, administrators and support,

loss of entire programs such as the Center for Rural Assistance, and

reduced capacity to respond to county programmatic needs. 27

Colorado Counties have individually felt the impact of staff

reductions and the resulting loss of needed programs and expertise.



In comparison to peer states and State funding is significantly less than all

peer states on a dollar per capita basis

institutions, CSU Cooperative

State approp funds per capita, 2001









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Extension is challenged to maximize its resources in order to serve a Footnote 43 Peers

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diverse and growing Colorado population. CSU Peers

5

CCHE

(Footnote 43 Peers: Univ of Arizona; Montana State Univ; North Dakota State Univ; 4

Oklahoma State Univ; Oregon State Univ; Washington State Univ. CCHE Peers: Iowa State Univ; Michigan

State Univ; North Carolina State Univ; Ohio State Univ; Oklahoma State Univ; Oregon State Univ; Purdue 3

CSU

Univ; Texas A&M Univ; Univ of California-Davis; Univ of Illinois; Washington State Univ. CSU Peers: Iowa

2

State Univ; Kansas State Univ; Michigan State Univ; North Carolina State Univ; Oklahoma State Univ;

Oregon State Univ; Texas A&M Univ; Univ of Georgia; Univ of Missouri; Univ of Nebraska; Virginia Poly 1

Inst & Univ; Washington State Univ.)

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Cooperative Extension





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What we need in a staffing pattern:

 A strong local presence to connect the university, our county partner and citizens.

 Flexibility to meet priority programming needs.

 A scalable system that can expand and contract with programming needs and budget.

 Enhanced capacity and ability to respond locally in programming.



What we are committed to:

 Working with Extension’s current staff wherever possible to match people with appropriate

positions; provide retraining and opportunities to recognize and develop expertise.

 Engaging stakeholders in the decision making, planning and transition process.

 Providing balanced and focused programming state-wide.

 Recognizing that one size or one system may not fit every situation.

 Not passing budget reductions on to partners.



Options on the Table:

There are two patterns that Extension is considering based on our own experiences, experiences of other

Extension systems, and our own staff input.



Area staffing pattern

The area plan is currently employed by a number of counties in

Colorado. Budget areas occur where a defined group of counties

enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to share staff over a

set geographic area. The counties work cooperatively with

Extension to set staffing priorities. Individual counties or the

area can also hire entirely county/area funded agents to meet

specific county or area needs. Generally an office is staffed in

each county. An area director is selected to provide

administrative and program oversight in the current Colorado

Extension areas.



Base-plus model

In this model, counties would be provided with a base staff

housed in and serving as the local presence. This base staffing is

then overlaid with programming expertise, such as program

specialists who are housed in a local office yet serve multiple

counties based on need. Programming areas would not

necessarily be the same for specialists housed in the same office.

For example, county A may receive a base allocation of one

agent, who, based on county input and needs provides primary

support for the county 4-H program. A Nutrition/Food Safety

program specialist, who is also housed in county A, may provide

Base staff + specialist overlay

programming in counties A, B, C and D. An agronomist from

county C, a Natural Resources agent from county F and a

parenting specialist located in county D also provide

programming support in county A, although not located there.

The local 4-H program could be supported through either base

staff, program specialists, or a combination. County funds

(primarily) plus some state funds are used as the main support

for the base staff. State and federal funds are used as the main

support for program specialists with a smaller proportion of

county buy-in.







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Benefits of the change:

 Opportunity for agents to specialize in more specific subject matter; extend that expertise across

communities.

 Availability of program specialists to address issues locally.

 Greater quality and consistency statewide in programming; increased access to programs and

ability to measure outcomes.

 Enhanced teamwork among program specialists/agents to provide both subject specific and

interdisciplinary approaches to education and problem solving.

 Improved access to human and program resources – ability to capitalize on the strengths of others

and their programs.

 Program planning involving multi-county, and program specific advisory groups.

 Some flexibility within each model to accommodate local needs and preferences.

 Ability to vary staffing concentration in response to local and statewide programming and fiscal

needs.

 Increased opportunity to use technology to appropriately meet audience program and information

needs.

 Greater potential for alternative funding through grants and contracts.



Challenges and opportunities:

 Moving from the current system of individualized county Extension operations to a system of

shared expertise; navigating the political realities and individual preferences among counties.

 Discuss, work through budget or fiscal management changes, if any, as needed.

 Perceived equity among counties in regards to investment and receipt of programming.

 Compatibility of technologies across communities and audiences.

 Program Specialist/Agent scheduling, communication and coordination over larger areas and

populations.

 Changing client expectations.

 Making hard decisions in regards to focusing staff expertise, programming and information

resources to meet the highest priority needs of Coloradoans; developing and implementing

alternative delivery mechanisms to ensure broad access to the resources of Cooperative

Extension, Colorado State University and the Land Grant system.









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About Colorado State University Cooperative Extension:

Cooperative Extension is the front door to Colorado State University, providing the extensive knowledge,

research capabilities and resources of this premier land-grant university to Coloradoans from all walks of

life. With offices located in 59 of Colorado’s 64 Counties, Cooperative Extension is the University’s

conduit for understanding and responding to the informal educational needs of local citizens. Cooperative

Extension’s employment base includes 8 administrators, 46 campus and field-based specialists, 130 field

faculty (22 of whom are fully county funded), 7 educators, and 45 campus-based and approximately 110

county-funded program assistant technical and support staff. Extension’s $26.9 million dollar budget is

funded through several sources: state ($7.5 million, 28%), federal government ($3.96 million, 14.71%),

local county governments ($11.5 million, 42.46%) and grants and contracts ($4 million, 14.83%).



Primary products of Cooperative Extension include educational programs at the state, local and regional

level; on-line and print information; individualized application of information; and individual and

community capacity development in the areas of leadership, information and program delivery and

problem solving. Extension’s program areas include: 4-H and Youth Development; Strong Families,

Healthy Homes; Nutrition, Health and Food Safety; Natural Resources and the Environment;

Competitive/Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Community Resource Development. Each program

area is composed of one or more work teams whose function is to develop strategies and curriculum to

address priority educational needs statewide, program associates responsible for helping to focus CCA

efforts and deliver programs, and program cooperators such as advisory groups and university and

community partners. To learn more about Colorado State University Cooperative Extension and its

program leadership model, go to http://www.ext.colostate.edu/staffres/program/



Extension’s Mission: The mission of Cooperative Extension is “to provide information and

education, and encourage the application of research-based knowledge in response to local, state,

and national issues affecting individuals, youth, families, agricultural enterprises, and

communities of Colorado.”



Extension’s Vision: Cooperative Extension is the front door to Colorado State University

providing the extensive knowledge, research capabilities and resources of this premier land-grant

university to Coloradoans from all walks of life. Cooperative Extension is dedicated to serving

current and future needs of Coloradoans by providing educational information and programs that

safeguard health, increase livelihood and enhance well being.



Extension’s Value Statements:

 We recognize the equal importance of university research, education and outreach.

 We build the capacity of people and communities.

 We collaborate to provide education to Colorado citizens.

 We are accessible to all constituencies and honor diverse viewpoints.

 We are unbiased in knowledge shared.

 We are oriented to the future through effective innovation.

 We encourage a supportive and inclusive environment.

 We are good stewards of public resources.









CSU Cooperative Extension Milan Rewerts, Director

Tel: (970) 491-6281

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