Friday, June 15, 2012

Customer Satisfaction Counties for FY2012-2013

Customer Satisfaction Counties for FY2012-2013

The customer satisfaction program within Texas AgriLife Extension Service is designed to help ensure the agency continues to provide timely, relevant, and effective educational programs to the citizen of Texas. It is also a state-mandated performance measure for our agency. Counties need to give attention and care to this data collection effort as its critical to our agency’s continued existence and programmatic success.
Organizational Development has designed two sets of scan forms (standard and with client change) that counties can choose from to meet their customer satisfaction reporting requirement
District 11 Counties required to participate in customer satisfaction reporting for FY 12-13 are:
  • Calhoun
  • Dewitt
  • Goliad
  • Matagorda
What a Required County Must Do to Comply
  1. Each agent within a required county must use any version of a standard or customer satisfaction with outcomes scan form (click here to download forms http://od.tamu.edu/evaluation/scan-forms/download-forms/customer-satisfaction-scan-forms/)  for at least two program events within the fiscal year (September 1 – August 31).
  2. Submit the scan forms from step 1 and a completed cover sheet to Organizational Development for processing (click here for mailing instructions http://od.tamu.edu/evaluation/scan-forms/sending-your-forms/). Also, to ensure agents meet the outcome summary reporting deadline (typically in early December) they should not sit on their completed forms; send them in ASAP as processing volume around the deadline is heavy and takes longer than usual.
  3. Steps 1 and 2 must be done by each agent within a required county for each fiscal year (FY12 & FY13)
Due to the oversight of various funding partners it is imperative that Texas AgriLife Extension Service monitor the satisfaction of our clientele as it relates to programs. Failure to comply with  performance measures, such as customer satisfaction, can severely impact appropriated funding. Compliance with this performance measure should be treated as a significant part of Agents professional obligations.

Extension Program Building in District 11

At our Spring Fall Faculty Conference last month we discussed the importance of program area committees as well as task forces and your leadership advisor broads.

I want to remind all of our agents that program planning workshops and conferences are just around the corner this fall.  In order to develop program plans an agent must meet with their committees and identify and prioritize issues that will be the focus of your program plans for 2013.  It is very important that planning meetings with your committee members, volunteers, and cooperators be held prior to our program workshop and program planning conferences.  Agents will be evaluated on the expectations of a sound committee structure for 2012, and 2013.  As I discussed with my presentation last month on an agents professional career path; your committees engagement in your programs directly affects your professional development as an agent.  If you have any questions on establishing or revitalizing your committees please give me or our RPD's a call.

Summer 2012 in District 11

I have been receiving excellent reports on the success to the start to your summer programing. Crop tours and agricultural educational opportunities are being well received  by our clientele. Specialists have been reporting that attendance is up at many of our events.

Reports are coming in from a very successful 4-H Round up in Lubbock.  Unofficial totals for District 11 scholarship recipients are $260,500.  We have also had a successful roundup in contest and event participation .4-H Round up in Lubbock looks to have been a great success.  I believe that this round up will be the beginning of a new 4-H Round up experience, much different that what we all remember. Thanks to the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University and District 2 for their great hospitality.

Next week we will move to 4-H Leadership Lab and Horse Show .  We have good numbers for each event and look forward to seeing you all at the events next week.  I also would like to remind each of you that we must continue to provide the best possible experience for our 4-H members and leaders at our county and district events.  These events are very important to our young people , leaders and volunteers as they spend much of their vacation time and resources to bring their youth to our events. Our professionalism must not waiver in providing these special opportunities to our young people.

Turkmenistan and Tajikistan Visitors to the District Center

Recently I had the opportunity to participate with a international project as visitors form Turkmenistan and Tajikistan visited the District office.  These countries are former Soviet Union countries that border Afghanistan.  The individuals that visited were researchers, farmers and Extension agents that are wanting to learn new ways to help their producers be more productive.  I visited with them about the Extension network and how we work with our clientele.  This was my first time to use an interpreter and was very different in how I had to provide my information in the presentation.  It gives me a greater appreciation of our land grant university system,  and how we continue to be relevant in working with our clientele. Most of the questions were for me as they were mostly interested in how to sustain an Extension Service.  They understood Russian and other languages, however my south Texas accent was well received.   We work for a great organization and clearly it is respected by many all over the world.  I really enjoyed visiting with these groups.
District 11 Personnel News

Please help me welcome Beth Collins to District 11  Beth started her new appointment as Austin County 4-H agent on June 1st. Beth comes to us with a extensive 4-H background from Sam Houston State University and is working on her masters at TAMU. 

Also welcome Jody Price, our new FCS agent in Jackson County, Jody started her first step training in Victoria County on June 1st.  Jody comes to us as a former health educator and coach, and we look for an easy transition to Extension FCS and 4-H work in Jackson County. Jody is  native of Goliad County were she was a very active 4-H member.

Peter McGuill will be transferring to Victoria County as their new AG/NR agent after providing years of leadership in Wharton County.  Peter will start on July 1st.  Please join me in congratulating Peter on his new challenge in moving Victoria County forward along with Erika and Alyssa.

The selection process continues for Matagroda 4-H , Lavaca FCS, Nueces County FCS, San Patricio ANR  and Aransas County FCS positions.  The Karnes County Position will be announced internally soon. Please continue to help recruit and encourage individuals to apply. I appreciate many of your efforts as ambassadors of our agency and District.  As always give me a call if I can help, DM