Researching Relevant Professional Development Learning Task # 4 - What Are My Coworkers Seeking? Melinda Re February 1999

I interviewed five extension nutrition education program Project Coordinators. Three had been on staff for at least three years; two are new staff within the last six months. I was curious to see if the "seasoned" staff would have different staff development needs than the new staff. As a Project Coordinator, I can attest to the fact that until recently there was no new staff training offered to coordinators. There is now a new coordinator training in place, however one of the new coordinator's I interviewed will not be participating in the training until her fourth month of employment.

Project Coordinators for the two nutrition education programs are few and far between. We are kind of a breed of our own. We are not Extension Educators, like the majority of the field staff in extension, and we are not Nutrition Education Assistants, like the majority of the nutrition staff. We're kind of unique and therefore have not received a lot of attention in the area of staff development.

I asked the questions that were outlined in the learning task (why reinvent the wheel?). Here are the questions and their responses (and number of people who responded in a similar way).

1. What types of staff development would be useful to you and others in your position?

7 Supervisory Issues (2) 7 Conflict Resolution 7 Team Building

7 Data Management 7 Computer Training - Excel/spreadsheets 7 File/Paper/Record Management 7 Accounting

7 Program Operations and Management (2) 7 Handling In-kind Contributions 7 Expectations of Program Records (2) 7 Evaluation of Learners

2. What format would be most useful for the staff development?

7 Group Meetings/workshops with instruction and question/answer (5) 7 Application of information either as a group or on own 7 "Coordinator's Handbook" (not currently in existence) with ongoing updates 7 Books, guides

3. What content information do you need to obtain during 1999?

7 Excel Training 7 Program Reporting 7 Identifying and managing in-kind contributions (2) 7 Corporate/industry approach to staff development; what can we learn from businesses? 7 Identifying the most important nutrition concepts for the program to offer participants

Over the next 5 years?

7 Improving program delivery and evaluation 7 Making long-term in-kind donation decisions to keep the program alive 7 Improving the collaborating relationship between the nutrition education programs and extension 7 Program Marketing 7 Attracting program participants through work site programming 7 Keeping the program fresh

4. What time intervals would be useful for staff development?

7 Quarterly (5)

How long for each session?

7 = day 7 1 day (2) 7 2 days 7 2 = - 3 days

5. Is staff development more useful for you in large groups, small groups or individual settings?

7 Large groups (1) 7 Small groups - under 20 people (4) 7 Individual (1) - have someone to call with questions

6. Do you want to learn from "experts" brought in to provide staff development or do you prefer to learn from a colleague that is familiar with your situation?

7 Both (5): 7 Expert - for content when colleagues don't have expertise; to give a new twist; if pertinent 7 Colleague familiar with situation - for program issues; trainer can offer the best advice if familiar with a situation

The most interesting finding to me was that indeed the new staff has the same concerns that the seasoned staff has. Even people, who have been in the position for a number of years, are not confident/comfortable that they are performing some of the most basic program management functions correctly/competently. I also have this feeling. Questions have gone unanswered and confusion is a way of life.

Part of this is the fact that there have been numerous staff changes in the nutrition program state office. In addition to staff changes, there have been numerous procedural changes implemented as the federal, state and local programs developed and grew over a very short span of time. The other part is that we have not received adequate basic training.

I will forward these responses to the state Program Leader so that these concerns can be incorporated into future staff development opportunities for Project Coordinators.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 1999

Answers

Thank you. That is interesting when the veteran staff and the new staff have the same concerns and questions...it will be interesting also to see what the state Program Leader does (or says) as a result of your data. Will you keep us posted?

When the federal, state and local change in terms of responsibilites and guidelines, how are you notified? Is there some staff development built in, or should there be?

-- Anonymous, February 22, 1999