A proposed model of an interstate metropolitan extension service authority for metropolitan Washington

Abstract

This study showed that Extension Services, like any other human service organizations, are having difficulty in serving diverse populations where there are overlapping political jurisdictions. One example of such a situation was the interstate metropolitan region that included Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. This region is one of 38 such regions in the United States.

The three extension services in metropolitan Washington appear to be failing to meet the need for nutrition education, consumer education, urban horticulture, street safety, and volunteer civic leadership and other needs because they are not fully utilizing available resources and are unable to capitalize on such earmarked resources as those designated by the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-95 review process which requires areawide consultation and regional planning.

An organizational model was developed as part of the study and appears to satisfy such criteriaas maximizing resource utilization and access to new resources while minimizing friction among the land grant universities and related institutions in the region. In clarifying needs and refining issues, over 50 knowledgeable consultants were. involved in the study. In developing the model and testing for feasibility the ten key actors on policy matters that would become involved in accepting and implementing the model were used as a panel of experts. They further defined needs and approaches, critiqued the preliminary models, and eventually agreed upon the proposed model presented in the study.

The result of the study is "A Proposed Model for an Interstate Metropolitan Extension Service Authority for Metropolitan Washington." The model has five major elements: a proposed charter, a set of bylaws, a table of organization, a decisionmaking process, and recommendations for implementing the model are included in the study.