Northeast SARE Webinar for Invited Research and Education Grant Applicants August 12,

Purpose To help you fully understand the application process, so you can write strong proposals. Type your questions in the ‘question box’ as we go, or at the end of the webinar.

Outcome Funding A system for assuring results of ‘investments’ Adopted by Northeast SARE’s Administrative Council over a decade ago Benefits both the grantor and grantee Focus is on measurable positive change …not on well-intentioned activities

Key components Performance target Beneficiaries Milestones Engagement Key individuals Verification

Performance Target Specific, measurable changes expected in behavior or condition of the people (beneficiaries) that your project is educating. In other words: exactly what do you expect to happen with your target audience if your project succeeds?

A strong target describes: specific verifiable change the scale of that change the resulting benefits (measured, or calculated based on existing knowledge)

The next few slides describe the development of a performance target. (It may or may not have a related research program.) (Note: in this example farmers are not the primary beneficiaries, so it is not a project that Northeast SARE would fund.)

Possible performance targets for a project focused on improving the diets of school children.

Children eat healthier school food.

100 children in 2 schools eat healthier food.

100 children attending 2 Vermont schools eat more fruits and vegetables.

100 children attending 2 Vermont schools eat one serving of both fruits and vegetables with their lunches.

100 children attending 2 Vermont schools eat one serving of both fruits and vegetables with 180 lunches per year, over 3 years.

100 children attending 2 Vermont schools eat one serving of both fruits and vegetables with 180 lunches per year, over 3 years, reducing their average Body Mass Index by 2 points.

Attributes of a strong target Verifiable by end of the project (e.g. BMI vs. diabetes; sales vs. profitability) Based on data that supports the change is needed or wanted by beneficiaries Success does not depend on results of proposed research. (But project verification can capture impacts of research later.)

Example of an education program and research program connection “The effect of school lunch menus on caloric intake and BMI of children.”

The education program seeks to achieve a performance target The research program seeks to test a hypothesis

Education Program Kids and school cooks learn about nutrition School cooks visit farms and buy their products School cooks adopt menus with more fruits and veggies (onions?) Kids eat more fruits and veggies…have lower BMI Research Program School lunch menus high in onion are developed Kids’ response to these menus is measured Kids’ caloric intake with different menus is compared High onion menus reduce caloric intake (…or not)

Education program Research program Performance Target Research results ?

An unacceptable target: 100 children eat school lunches high in onions for 3 years, reducing their BMI by an average of 2 points. This depends on new research results!

What are milestones? The BENEFICIARY actions or steps that must happen to ensure that a project is on course to achieve its performance target Not what YOU do -- what THEY do

A simple Outcome Framework example MILESTONE attend workshops TARGET 10 use new info MILESTONE 3 60 attend field demo MILESTONE 1 MILESTONE 3 PERFORMANCE TARGET MILESTONE learn about project MILESTONE 2 MILESTONE 4 15 write a plan

Describe essential beneficiary actions Help you engage people in the project Provide a timeline for activities Monitoring tool to assure target is reached Allow course corrections if needed How do milestones help?

Example: cover crop research and education Research hypothesis: new cover species will benefit soil health in some specific way

200 farmers attend workshops where they learn about known benefits of cover crops, and about the ongoing research into new species

60 farmers attend a field demonstration of known cover crops and new cover crop species

40 farmers plant known cover crops on 2,000 acres

IF research results prompt some farmers to also plant new cover crops on X acres, that should be reported!

Research and Outcome Funding Some researchers believe that outcome funding’s emphasis on behavior change makes it impossible to perform research Not true, but… outcome funding does require an extension / outreach program as part of the project

Key Individuals The ‘leadership team’ Contribute a key component to the project Provide letters of commitment

Engagement Beneficiaries help plan the project They know what the target is and what data will be needed from them over time Ongoing feedback is collected Support is provided (in addition to information) through consulting, assistance with planning and data collection, monitoring progress, etc.

Verification Planned from the beginning Done throughout project: for milestones Target is verified after project activities (allow time for behavior change to occur) Requires tracking beneficiaries – who they are and what they do as result of project

Success with verification Tell the beneficiaries about the target and verification process -- at start of project Collect any information needed as you go Develop effective verification tools; share them with beneficiaries ahead of time Be persistent in engaging beneficiaries

Northeast SARE’S Review Process it is interactive… nesare.org

Preproposal feedback; this webinar On-line materials (Guide to Applicants) Clarity questions (if needed) from first tier panel of reviewers Second tier review panel ranks all proposals and Administrative Council decides on funding ‘Pre-award’ conf. call with approved projects

Timeline - F ull proposals due October 15, Clarity questions answered by early Dec. - AC meeting in mid February - Funding decisions announced late February Pre-award conference calls in March or April - Contracts issued late summer

Questions?