Growing 4-H Opportunities together: Volunteers in Vision and Action
PHASE 2: STEP 7
Facilitation Guide: Steering Committee Orientation
OVERVIEW
This guide is designed to help facilitate the first meeting with the Steering Committee about their participation in Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action and to seek their input on immediate decisions. It is important for the staff member to have a good understanding of the process. It is also important to show enthusiasm for this process.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Steering Committee
Objectives
Participants will:
· Understand and be excited about Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action.
· Understand their role in guiding and implementing the process locally.
· Establish a timeline for implementing locally.
· Recommend participants for each of the focus groups.
Materials Needed
Facilitator’s Script.
Folder for each participant including agenda, position description, and Process Update (created locally from template), proposed timeline (inserted on the Process Update after the Steering Committee member heading or on a separate page).
Paper to create table tents with name of each participant.
Flipchart paper for capturing names of potential focus group participants.
Markers for writing on table tents and flipchart.
MEETING TIME
75 minutes
Orientation INSTRuCTIONS
Time / Script in Bold / Supplies neededPre-work / Review the Facilitation Guide and each of the supporting materials listed as handouts. The factsheet “Background Information: Focus Groups” found in Section 9 would also be helpful reading.
Create a proposed local timeline and add to the Process Update or develop a separate handout.
Create flip charts for capturing the names of potential focus group participants.
10 minutes / 1. Welcome
Thank you for your willingness to join the Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action Steering Committee. You were invited to be part of this Steering Committee because of your direct connection to an important stakeholder group for the 4-H Youth Development Program.
Introduce yourself as the facilitator.Invite everyone else to introduce themselves. Indicate why someone was invited to the Steering Committee table if this is not self-identified during their introduction.
In the materials you have been provided, each of you should have an agenda, position description, and county Process Update. / Table tents for creating name cards; markers
10 minutes / 2. Review Position Description
Walk through the position description of the Steering Committee members. Ensure that there is an understanding by all members about which of the specific duties and tasks are responsibilities of all members of the Steering Committee and when participation is desired but optional. Answer any questions. / Copies of the position description
15 minutes / 3. Overview of Process
Review the purpose of the Minnesota 4-H Youth Development as stated in the process report. Use the following script to elaborate on the purpose of 4-H.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with 4-H, let me briefly describe our program. 4-H is a program of the University of Minnesota Extension. Youth in grades Kindergarten through one year past high school graduation are involved as 4-H members. In 4-H, young people work in partnership with adult volunteers to develop essential transferable skills like leadership, problem solving, decision making and communication. Youth gain these skills by participating in community and afterschool clubs as well as in short-term learning experiences we call adventures.
{INSERT COUNTY PROGRAM SPCECIFICS. Example: In ___ County we have ### 4-H members who participate in 4-H clubs and ### 4-Hers who participate in afterschool programs.}
Most 4-Hers participate in focused learning around a particular topic or project area. Through 4-H, they have the opportunity to display what they learn in that project area at the county fair or another showcase event. By showcasing what they have learned at a local event they may earn an opportunity to share their exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. Some of the most popular project areas in _____ county are: xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx.
Explain the purpose of Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action as stated on the Process Report. Use the following script to elaborate on the process:
Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action is a planning process. Planning is a way to move us from where we are now to where we say we want to be at some point in the future. A planning process will require any organization to become conscious and deliberate in considering change. It is impossible to implement the planning process and to move from the present to the achievement of goals without specific changes taking place. Planning is action designed to achieve a different future from the one that would otherwise come to pass.
Seeking information is the first step in the planning process. This process involves reading, listening, and talking with others. We gather this information to learn more about what is going on in communities around us and to identify what gaps may exist.
Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action includes the collection and review of demographic and program data, as well as the facilitation of four focus groups. By participating in the data gathering process, this county 4-H program will have relevant community and program data, as well as the ideas of youth and adults, to help inform the future direction of the 4-H program.
At the next Steering Committee meeting, I will be presenting a snapshot of the county demographics and 4-H program participation, as this is important data for our consideration. I am using a variety of resources (list) to create this snapshot. / Copies of the Process Report: ______County (first page only)
The four focus groups will each have a different target audience. The participants will include 4-H members, 4-H volunteers, community youth currently not enrolled in the 4-H program, and adult professionals representing community organizations serving youth. We will use a standard set of questions to gather information about the community youth opportunities and experiences. I will be asking you as Steering Committee members to help me identify individuals we should invite to be focus group participants. I will also be inviting you to consider how you want to be involved with the focus group process.
The next step is data analysis. Staff will review and analyze collected data. Data that speak to indicators of growth and improvement, as well as to the current quality of the program, will be noted. Themes will be identified and added to the county Process Report and shared with you at the next meeting.
You will be involved in reviewing the data and themes and identifying what it means to the 4-H program. We will complete a SWOT analysis to determine how internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats could affect the county 4-H program. The Steering Committee will identify and prioritize strategies that address existing gaps and current needs and that build on strengths and opportunities. The Process Report will be updated with your recommendations for priorities, and a timeline will be established for sharing this information with focus group participants; the county 4-H Federation/Council and members of committees; the University of Minnesota Extension Advisory Committee members; and the County Board of Commissioners. Those of you who are interested will be invited to work with us to share the information learned with the Extension Committee and Federation/Council; however, this is not an expectation of all committee members.
Once the priorities have been shared, a new team of youth and adult volunteers will be identified to work with 4-H Youth Development Program staff members to develop a program plan for accomplishing these priorities. As a Steering Committee member, you will also be important to helping identify youth and adult volunteers and partners who might be particularly interested in helping to create action plans for moving the priorities forward.
A program action plan includes goals and strategies, along with a timeline for implementation and evaluation. Among the strategies will be the development or enhancement of the volunteer system and structure that is needed to move the priorities forward. The strategies may also include an intentional plan to partner with organizations that have a mutual interest in working together to bolster youth development in the community with targeted audiences.
You may choose to continue to work with youth and adult volunteers and partners to create program action plans around the priorities, but again, this is not an expectation of the work of a Steering Committee member.
As noted at the beginning, this is a planning process. Planning is a way to move us from where we are now to where we say we want to be at some point in the future. A successful 4-H Youth Development program takes planning. Using an intentional process and design for assessing needs and opportunities, identifying program priorities, and developing strategies to implement helps to keep program focus. This also allows results to be documented and the public to be informed about the work.
Are there any questions about the Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action process?
10 minutes / Review the draft timeline for implementing the process locally, including dates, times, and locations for the following action items:
· Federation/Council meeting to orient volunteers to Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action.
· Four focus group sessions.
· Staff meeting to analyze focus group data and identify themes
· Steering Committee meeting to determine program priorities
· Federation/Council meeting to begin action planning
Also include approximate date for communicating the final Process Report to stakeholders.
Does this timeline appear as if it will work? Do you see any issues with the proposed timeline? / Proposed timeline (if separate form) or reference back to the Process Update
15 minutes / 4. Focus Group Members
During the orientation, I indicated that we would be facilitating four focus groups:
· 4-H members.
· 4-H volunteers.
· Youth not involved in the 4-H program.
· Adults representing community youth-serving organizations.
The ideal size for each focus group is 6–8 participants to allow for everyone to speak. I would like to invite you to help me brainstorm individuals we might want to invite to participate in the focus groups.
As you brainstorm individuals, consider different:
· Demographic characteristics—race, ethnicity, gender, age, income bracket.
· Geographic location.
· Roles within 4-H or other extracurricular involvement within or outside of school.
· Social groups
· Places of employment that have connections to youth
There is a marker on the table for each of you. As you think of individuals you believe would be willing to share their ideas, record their names on the appropriate flipchart. If you have an idea of a young person but you don’t know if they are a 4-H member, just capture their name on the community youth flipchart, and we will adjust the group if needed. The same is true with adults. Let’s take 5 minutes for this exercise.
Allow 5 minutes for individuals to move around and record names on the flipcharts. If individuals seem “stuck” with the brainstorming around community members, share the list of suggested community youth-serving organizations from the background information sheet on focus groups. After 5 minutes—or earlier if it appears everyone has completed the task—invite participants to return to their seats. Invite individuals to share the people they have recommended and why; capture details on individuals so you are able to make contact.
Thank you for your ideas. / Flipchart paper and markers
10 minutes / 5. Steering Committee Participation
Prior to our next Steering Committee meeting, we have three opportunities for your participation. I will describe each of the opportunities and then ask about your interest in participating in these additional ways.
First, it seems that individuals are more likely to say “yes” to an invitation to participate in a focus group if they are personally invited by someone who knows them or has recommended them. The first request is to ask if anyone on the committee would be willing to extend the initial invitation to the individuals they suggested. Staff will follow the initial committee contact with a written invitation and phone call.
A second opportunity is to be present at one or more of the focus group interviews to serve in a listening role. You would be asked to summarize conversation(s) and share findings with the Extension Educator.
Finally, I would like to invite an individual to co-lead with a member of the staff the orientation to Growing 4-H Opportunities Together: Volunteers in Vision and Action at the 4-H Federation/Leaders Council. This lesson includes developing a county volunteer organizational chart. As noted when discussing the timeline, this meeting is scheduled for ______.
Can I encourage any of you to volunteer in one or more of these ways? Capture the following on a flip chart:
· Names of the Steering Committee members who will extend the initial focus group invitation and which of the individuals on the list they would be willing to contact.
· Names of individuals interested in being present at a focus group session and which one(s).
· Names of individuals who would be willing to help present the orientation to the volunteers. / Flipchart paper and markers
5
minutes / 6. Wrap-Up
Thank you for your participation today. Our next meeting as a Steering Committee is scheduled for ______(date, time, location). If you have committed to another way of being involved in this process, a staff member will connect with you in the near future.
authorED BY:
Tamie Bremseth, Director of Youth Development Operations, Center for Youth Development
Kia Harries, Extension Educator, Center for Youth Development