1. Evaluating Your Beef Checkoff Program

2. Evaluation
Provides producers accountability for Beef Checkoff Program investments
Measures results of checkoff programs annually, and provides results to producer leadership
Mid-year checkups on work-in-progress
Performs two to five in-depth external evaluation program audits annually
Encourages program committees to integrate results into next year’s planning

3. 5 from Federation of SBCs 2 from NCBA Policy Division
Evaluation Committee
12 members
5 from CBB
5 from Federation of SBCs
2 from NCBA Policy Division

4. The Checkoff Planning Cycle

5. SMART Objectives Specific outcomes Measurable Achievable Relevant
Time bound

6. SMART Objectives
Specific outcomes – means that the precise objective to be accomplished. The outcome is stated in numbers, pounds, percentages, frequency, reach, scientific outcome, etc. The objective is clearly defined.

7. SMART Objectives
Measurable – means that the objective can be measured and the measurement source is identified. If the objective cannot be measured, the question of funding non-measurable activities is discussed and considered relative to the size of the investment. All activities should be measurable at some level.

8. SMART Objectives
Achievable – the objective or expectation of what will be accomplished must be realistic given the market conditions, time period, resources allocated, etc.

9. SMART Objectives
Relevant – means that the outcome or results of the program directly supports the outcomes of the leverage points of the Beef Industry Long Range Plan.

10. SMART Objectives
Time-bound – means stating clearly when the objective will be achieved.

11. Beef Demand Index Takes into account:
1. USDA per capita beef supplies
2. USDA Choice retail prices
3. Annual adjustment for inflation based on Consumer Price Index

12. * Preliminary estimate: Declined 3.7% in 2009
After 10 years of decline, the angle of the downward trend in beef demand turned around in 1986, the year after the national beef checkoff program was created. Then in 1998, the trend line turned upward for the first time in 20 years, just after we developed our first industry-wide long-range plan and started really focusing on what CONSUMERS wanted from our product, including new-product development. There have been up-and-down adjustments since then, but we remain about 9 percent ahead of where we were in 1998.
Every five years, we are required to have a formal economic evaluation of the checkoff’s effectiveness performed. In the latest report, which includes some pretty extensive econometric models that I won’t pretend to understand in full, ag economist Dr. Ron Ward of the University of Florida estimated that producers get an average rate-of-return of $5.55 for every dollar invested in the beef checkoff…. Take a minute and think about how much that means for you and you’ll start to understand how important those beef checkoff investments are for dairy producers.
* Preliminary estimate: Declined 3.7% in 2009