The document outlines a structured approach for cooperative extension professionals to effectively communicate their program impacts through impact reports, focusing on the 3 R's: relevance, response, and results. It provides guidelines for developing each section, including examples of successful educational programs that resulted in significant changes in soybean farming practices and childhood obesity prevention. Emphasis is placed on the importance of evaluation and clear statistics to demonstrate program effectiveness.

1. Cooperative Extension Professionals
Working Above the Line:
The 3 R’s – Telling the Extension
Story with Impact Reports

2. Rebecca White
Professor
Organization Development & Evaluation

3. RELEVANCE
RESPONSE
RESULTS

4. The 3 R’s -
Telling the Extension Story
Step 1 – Developing Your Relevance Section

5. • The reason why and the situation
• 3-5 sentences
• Limit to 100-150 words

6.  Includes 4-5 sentences:
1. Importance of the
issue
2. How issue was
identified
3. How education can
help
4. A target audience
5. Clearly stated
program goal(s)

7. Relevance Example
The 2011 Ag Summary reports the gross farm value of
soybeans in XYZ Parish was $15.5 million. Data in the LA Ag
Summary has shown a steady decrease in the acreage of
soybeans produced in XYZ Parish over the last 5 years.
Reducing input costs by educating producers on ways to
improve efficiency can help them stay in business. One
hundred twenty soybean producers in XYZ Parish were
targeted for a four year educational outreach program. The
goal of the program was to for XYZ Parish soybean farmers
to adopt recommended farm practices to achieve
sustainable management of their soybean resources and
protect the environment. (105 words long)

8. The 3 R’s –
Telling the Extension Story
Step 2 – Developing
Your Response Section

9.  Describe what you did
 List educational methods used
 Note when and where activities were conducted
 Identify partners and collaborators
 May be narrative or bulleted
 Include acknowledgements
 Limit to 150-200 word

10. A multi-faceted educational program was conducted targeting 120 soybean
producers in XYZ Parish from 2008 - 2012. The program included :
 Series of six presentations were given at each annual soybean field day
held in northeast Louisiana on soybean production best practices
 Monthly newspaper column in the ABC Gazette addressing current farm
production issues. Readership is 3,000.
 Educational exhibit at the State Farm Bureau convention held in XYZ
Parish in June 2010
 Field demonstrations at eight cooperating farms
 Virtual seminar in Spring 2009 on Farm Financial Management
 Development of a soybean production website in 2008
 360 farm visits - 40 on nutrient management/water quality issues
 Annual pesticide safety seminars
Partners in this educational endeavor included Farm Bureau, the Soybean
Growers Association, the ABC Gazette and local aerial applicators. (137 words)

11. The 3 R’s –
Telling the Extension Story
Step 3 – Developing Your Results Section

12.  Describe:
1. How effectiveness of the program was evaluated
 Explain evaluation or assessment strategy (1-2 sentences)
 Indicate response rate (1 sentence)
2. Changes that occurred as a result of the program
 List significant results in order of importance,
including both numbers & percentages
3. Summarize results

13.  Pre- and post-tests were used to assess science
investigatory and critical thinking skills of 120
eighth grade students.
 The physical activity logs of 587 fifth graders were
analyzed to determine physical activity patterns.
 A survey was conducted at field days to gather
benchmark data regarding soybean production
practices using a 20-item instrument.

14.  A total of 608 of 780 (78%) fifth graders who participated in
the program completed both the pre- and post-test.
 80% of the producers in attendance at the field days (n=124)
completed the post-program survey.
 Note: If you are going to use percentages, be sure to use
actual numbers, too.

15.  Behavior - Documented behavior change, intent to change
behavior
 Learning - Knowledge gained, skills acquired, attitudes
changed
 Order responses
 Demographics
 Satisfaction
 What’s next

16.  84% of the 608 fifth grade students who completed
the program tasted at least one new fruit and one
new vegetable during the program.
 559 of 608 (92%) participants increased their
number of minutes of physical activity by 30
minutes on 5 of 7 days.
 Approximately three-fourths (76%) of soybean
producers surveyed adopted at least two new
management practices as a result of the program.

17.  Over ½ (58%)of the students in the program
indicated they would choose fresh fruit or
vegetables over chips for a snack.
 118 of 124 respondents (95%) indicated they
intended to implement at least one new BMP.
 30% of those who participated in the SET program
indicated they would choose a more science-
oriented career as a result of participating in the
program.

18.  492 out of 608 (81%) learned the number of servings of fruits
and vegetables they should eat each day.
 54% of producers indicated that they understood proper
spray conditions at a good or excellent level before the
program and 93% said they understood proper spray
conditions at a good or excellent level after the program.
 72% of students reported that they were less afraid of
science after the SET program than they were before.

19.  Describe program participants
 Age
 Gender
 Income levels
 Years farming or as a 4-H member
 Area (parish, region, state, etc.)
 Size of herd or acreage
 Educational level

20.  100% of the respondents stated they were mostly or
completely satisfied with the information being easy to
understand.
 579 of 608 (95.24%) of respondents stated they were
mostly or completely satisfied with the helpfulness of the
information in making decisions about their own situation.

21. Results indicate that the Childhood Obesity Prevention
Program in XYZ Parish met its objectives of increasing the
consumption of fruits and vegetables and increasing physical
activity in 5th grade students. The greatest behavior changes
were associated with trying new fruits and vegetables and
becoming more physically active. This program will be
expanded next year to include 6th and 7th grade physical
education teachers and students.

22.  Note how these results will be beneficial in the future
 As we continue to address the childhood obesity issue in
XYZ County, this program has helped to guide future
program efforts. We now know that the program is
effective and can be used with other youth to improve
overall physical health and reduce the incidence of
obesity-related chronic diseases later in life. This program
will be expanded next year to include 6th and 7th grade
students.

23. A survey was sent to 120 farmers participating in the program
to measure programmatic impact using a 20-item instrument.
Ninety-six (80%) of the producers completed the survey.
 Seventy-two (75%) of the 96 soybean producers surveyed
adopted at least two of ten new management practices as a
result of the program.
 Eighty respondents (83%) indicated they intended to
implement at least one new BMP in the future.
 Eighty-nine (93%) said they understood proper spray
conditions at a good or excellent level after the program.

24.  Sixty (63%) of the respondents had participated in the
Master Farmer program in previous years; eight participated
during (2014)
 Eighty-seven (91%) of respondents stated they were mostly
or completely satisfied with the timeliness of information.
Results indicate that the Soybean Producers Extension
Program in XYZ Parish met its goal of farmers adopting
recommended farm practices to achieve sustainable
management of their soybean resources and protect the
environment. The greatest behavior change was farmers
adopting recommended Extension soybean management
practices. (160 words long)

27.  Proofread the report
 Check your stats
 Don’t use jargon
 Format appropriately
 Write for your target audience
 Submit impact report regularly
 Share impact reports with stakeholders

28.  Write toward the Three R’s
 Relevance
 Response
 Results

29. Mastering Impact Reports
Can be as easy as 1 – 2 - 3

30. Rebecca White
Professor
Organization Development & Evaluation