Engaging the Leadership Advisory Board in Identifying Critical Issues

Ways We Can Identify Local Issues

LAB Charged With Visioning Identifying relevant issues is critical to our success. The LAB has this responsibility as a core of their mission. Every 4 to 5 years, the Texas Community Futures Forum engages a group of community leaders with the LAB

TCFF Issue Forum Involves a more broad group of local leaders Several small groups meeting to identify critical issues Facilitated by LAB members Focused on issues that can be addressed locally, but not limited to these issues only Issues are identified and ranked by small group members

Who makes up the groups? Community leaders identified by members of the LAB and Extension faculty, to include: Farmers, Ranchers, Agribusiness Education system Youth Board/Other Youth Health care system Business leaders Government leaders Civic organizations, etc…

Process Participants introduced to the process by LAB Member. Intro with Extension Mission Explanation of process Explanation of follow up procedures What will happen to their suggestions Placed into pre-assigned small groups

Small Group Breakup and Directions Questions: In the next 3-4 years, what are the most critical issues in this county? Which of these issues can likely be addressed locally? Break into small groups by subject area. Send them off for small group discussion Give a supply bag to each group

Small Group Discussion 45-60 minutes Each group facilitated by a LAB member, PAC member, or other community leader Brainstorm and post all issues on the wall Discuss and combine similar issues Participants will use 10 colored dots to vote on the importance of the issues, may vote on ten issues, or place all votes on one. The facilitator will order issues by number of votes and re-write the top 5-7 on flip chart paper

Small Group Discussion Continued Once all issues have been prioritized from most critical to least critical, a second vote is conducted to determine which can most likely be addressed locally. Facilitator will re-write the list on clean paper, including the top 5-7 issues with both votes reflected on the list.

Large Group Discussion 30 minutes Small groups report summary of top 5-7 issues to the general group 2 minute summary from each group representative The issues are not to be revised or re-ranked, just reported for everyone’s information.

We have Issues…..Now What? Enter issues in the online system. https://texasdata.tamu.edu Issues will be categorized by: subject matter, and Extension or non-Extension issue Examine issues for planning group structure and assistance Present the identified issues to the appropriate planning group to begin plans to address them.

Year 2 - 4 Process Spring Meeting of LAB – Have Issue ID on the agenda. Involve Youth if possible. Update the LAB on status of all issues Identify any new issues Update the online database by May 15 each year

Other Sources of Issues and Program Direction

Base Programs Ag/NR 4-H FCS CRED This is where we have subject matter expertise

County Committees Grass roots efforts Local connection to county issues

Emerging Issues May surface without warning May be something we have not addressed before List a few… Natural disasters, response to flood, wild fires, hurricane, etc. Economic situation, price of gas/diesel

Specialists Specialists can help identify or provide resources to use in issue identification Can also be helpful in providing guidance in implementing program

Elected Officials Know and understand the community and its needs

Commodity/Industry Groups Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Texas Beef Council Texas Cotton Producers Farm Bureau Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council Diabetes Community Coalition

State and Federal Mandates BLT Pesticide Applicators Food Protection Management

Which issues do you address? There are going to be many different issues you can target locally Look for the overlap, similar/same issue(s) identified by multiple sources

Summary Relevant Issues = Relevant Programs = Local Support We do this process every 4 or 5 years, let’s make it count! The non-Extension issues may be just as valuable to us as the Extension issues…they are a great sources of new relationships and partnerships.

Questions