Creating Public Value | University of Missouri Extension

In University of Missouri Extension, we often are called upon to provide evidence of our programs’ private value to program participants, including such factors as time saved, dollars earned or health benefits increased. But, MU Extension also creates public value when our programs benefit others in the community — those who do not participate in our programs directly.

Fiscal pressures on federal, state and county governments make the need to demonstrate our public value increasingly urgent. More than that, by understanding and substantiating the public benefits our programs provide, we can be confident that MU Extension, as a publicly funded organization, is doing what it is truly meant to do.

Vetted public value messages

All vetted public value messages

recent additions:
March 2012 — Building Strong Families Public Value Statements (DOCX)
Dec. 2011 — Family Financial Education Extension Public Value Statements (PDF)

Communications containing public value messages

Making an Impact (PDF) (4/30/12)
Stay Strong, Stay Healthy info piece (PDF) (4/22/10)
Saline County 2009 Annual Report (PDF)
Testimony before Missouri Children's Services Commission (PDF) 2/8/10
Presentation to Association of State Nutrition Network Administrators (PDF) 2/17/10

Tools

Public value statements in annual reports (Dec. 2011)
The Public Value self-directed work group (SDWG) invites Extension field faculty and staff to use the attached timed PowerPoint to refresh memories on why we do annual reports, how they can be an important tool for communicating with stakeholders, what to emphasize in annual reports, formatting tips and how to incorporate public value language that can give University Extension a competitive edge.
PowerPoint presentation: Refresh Your Memory: Public value statements in annual reports (PPSX)
Annual report guidelines and template

Family Financial Education public value statements
An Adobe Connect training on public value and family financial education public value statements was presented on November 30, 2011 and was repeated again on December 1, 2011.
View the video (36 minutes)
The recording begins just a few slides into the presentation. The presentation was developed by Brenda Procter and Cynthia Crawford.

Results of post-training survey responses (DOCX)

Family Financial Education Extension Public Value Statements (PDF) (updated Dec. 2011)

Definitions

Developing public value messages

Public value tools

Presentation about public value in MU Extension programs and sample messages (DOCX)
Dr. Cynthia Crawford, family financial education specialist and Saline County program director, describes how the “Tackling the Tough Skills” program benefits those “not in the room” as well as participants.

Project proposals

The Public Value Self Directed Work Team’s approved cost proposal provides an opportunity for $2000 of seed money for each of the eight extension regions to enhance knowledge and develop innovative ways to expand public value language within the region’s programming efforts and reports. This will be an incentive to focus on the intermediate and long-term outcomes within the logic model. The following are approved Regional applications.

Public Value Team Budget Request, April 2011 (PDF)

Public Value Project Regional Initiatives (PDF) | DOC

Northwest Region Public Value Project Initiative (PDF)

Central Missouri Region Public Value Cost Proposal (PDF)