Ross O. Love Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service IMPACT STATEMENTS Ross O. Love Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

How Impacts are Used? Local, State and Federal policymakers For quick response to info requests Communicate with partners/public Accomplishment reports News stories Administrative speeches and papers

What is Impact? The reportable Quantifiable Verifiable difference

Components Relevance Response Results Issue What has been done? Outcomes and Impact

An Impact Statement is Brief summary Lay terms -- environmental…. -- social…. -- environmental…. -- economic.... …results relatable to your efforts

Rockwell and Bennett’s TOPS Model

Logic Model of Development Research Situation: Development research in Land Grant universities colleges of agriculture, environmental, life, and human sciences.   Inputs Outputs Activities Participation Outcomes – Impact Short Term Medium Term Long Term What we invest: - Faculty - Staff - Students - Infrastructure - Funds - Time - Knowledge - Methodology - Technology - Stakeholder needs What we do: - Design and conduct developmental research - Write grant proposals - Publish scientific and industry/public articles - Train students - File patents - Develop methods and procedures - Inform policy and decision makers - Interact with discovery researchers and extension specialists Who we reach: - Other development researchers - Discovery researchers - Extension specialists - Teaching faculty - Funders - Scientific journal and industry/popular magazine editors - Patent officers - Policy and decision makers - Agricultural, environmental, life, and human science industries - Public What the short term results are: - Applied knowledge - Application skills - Grants - Publications - Patents and licenses - Application methods and technology - Plant & animal varieties - Developmental research methods and technology - Practical knowledge for policy and decision makers - Information, skills, and technology for extension programs What the medium term results are: - Expanded applied knowledge base - Graduates trained in developmental research methodology and techniques - Best management practices adopted by public and private sectors - Methods, technology, and inputs (i.e. new varieties) adopted by public and private sectors - Enhanced and updated extension programs - Informed policy & decision makers That the ultimate results are: - Successful agricultural, environmental, life, and human science enterprises - Economic development increased - Communities empowered - Improved environmental quality - Enhanced quality of life - Fact-based policies & laws written Assumptions External Factors

Impact Statements Report the difference your programs are making in people’s lives Report the difference in ways average people can understand Not every successful program makes a successful impact statement

Remember…Impact is Not For your scientific peers An activities report Just the number of people you reached A description of process A technical report A scientific paper or abstract A long, detailed account

Elements of Impact Statements Title Issue Reason the research or Extension program implemented: Scope, severity, need, problem, questions, consequences of issue What has been done? How did Extension or research personnel respond; description of the research or educational program Impact Outcomes or impacts of effort. May include evaluation strategy, evaluation data, quantitative or qualitative outcome and/or impacts or potential impacts; sometimes anecdotal statements can be used

Issue – who cares and why? Attention-getter that tells who should care and why Brief problem/issues statement Tells why this information is important and provides context May help form the scope of the issue or problem May mention potential public payoffs

What has been done? Brief general overview of activities Scope -- how many years -- number of people served -- number of educational activities -- attendance -- percent of target audience reached -- acres represented -- size of community

IMPACT The heart of your statement Relates to real people and real world problems Reports actual or potential change Outcomes Impacts

Outcomes Quantitative and qualitative Capacities built in audiences -- Knowledge gained -- Skills acquired -- Decision making improved Behavior, attitude changes Practice or situation changes

Impacts Actual or potential changes in: -- Economic value or efficiency -- Environmental quality -- Social well-being -- Individual health and well-being

Impact Examples Dollars saved or earned Input use reduced Acres of habitat improved Chemical applications reduced (#, A) Yields increased Markets developed Laws or regulations created

Impact Examples (Cont’d) Businesses started People employed Certificates awarded Improved attendance Reduced loss of productivity https://extension.org Impact Statement Reporting https://landgrantimpacts.tamu.edu/ R,E,T