Previous PageTable Of ContentsNext Page

Using a ‘POP’ and the ‘PAM planning cycle’ in a workshop

Colin Holt

Agriculture Western Australia, Narrogin District Office
10 Doney Street, Narrogin, WA 6312

Paper

Having a clear idea of purpose and an idea of expected outcomes is important in designing a workshop process. These should be clearly defined and communicated to the workshop participants to reach agreement and to match expectations of what the workshop is for and what it will deliver. The POP Model (Adamson 2000) was used to clarify purpose and outcomes before developing a process.

The process used was the PAM planning model (Chamala & Keith 1995) which lays out a clearly defined process. The questions developed at each stage were focused to achieve expected outcomes without influencing the results. Using a participatory workshop process considered the principles of adult learning (Malouf 1997) and encouraged ownership and responsibility of the outcomes.

The results from this workshop suggest a way of supporting extension excellence at a district level. Perhaps some of this workshop process (and the workshop results) can be used by other discipline areas and other districts or regions.

Introduction

Agriculture Western Australia (Agwest) is the State Government’s agricultural agency. It has a large extension role with many of its officers employed directly in extension activities. A recent change to the structure of the Agency has resulted in reduced professional support for extension excellence.

The Narrogin District Office of Agwest is essentially an extension office, with all officers involved in extension activities to some degree (even if some of them don’t know it yet). For the majority of officers it is the main focus of their work.

The staff in the district decided to establish their own structure to support the development of extension officers and ongoing extension activities.

The reasons for this decision were:

  • Extension is often a forgotten activity with few formal networks to build capacity within individuals or groups to improve on or share extension knowledge.
  • There is little on the job support and training for continual improvement in extension.
  • There is a need to create a forum so that extension experiences can be shared among officers.
  • There is a need to attract funds for specific training requirements in extension techniques.
  • There is a need to establish mentoring systems among extension networks to pass on knowledge and build mentoring skills.

Methods

The structures to support extension excellence in the district were developed during a five hour workshop. The workshop was planned using the POP Model.

P = Purpose (What is the purpose of the workshop/session/meeting)
O = Outcome (What are the outcomes we expect from the workshop/session/meeting)
P = Process (What process will we use to achieve the outcomes)

The purpose of the workshops was: “To develop a structure for the support of Extension Excellence in the Narrogin District”

The expected outcomes were: “A list of actions to support Extension Excellence” and “ownership of the actions by officers in the district.”

The process we used was the PAM planning cycle. PAM Planning Cycle:

  1. Understand situation
  2. Problems/Opportunities.
  3. Develop objectives
  4. Develop plans
  5. Implement
  6. Review

Results

Understanding situation

This was basic contexting on those things that had brought the group to this point and focussed on those issues raised in the background section of this paper. It also included some history of extension within Agwest and how extension excellence was supported in the past.

An important part of the contexting was outlining the purpose of the workshop and the expected outcomes participants will have at the end. It was also important to gain agreement from the participants that this is congruent with their expectations, and incorporate any changes that where identified by participants.

Problems/opportunities

The following are the outcomes of the brainstorm. The questions posed were:

'What are some of the problems we face in terms of extension?'

  • Working on your own
  • Extension is not recognised – others don’t know what it means
  • Extension is not looked at as a “specialist” skill
  • Lack of career path in extension
  • No peer review
  • No formal structure to share ideas
  • Lower priority
  • Model of extension is changing – often ad hoc
  • Concentration is on marketing own product
  • Lack of mentoring for new staff
  • Poor balance of technical and extension (individual and team)
  • Extension is often the afterthought (eg APL)
  • Lack of champion
  • Poor motivation
  • Geographical problems (team) – lack of local teams
  • Not knowing tools and when to use them
  • Poor coordination and communication
  • Lack of vision
  • A little information can be dangerous – no training schedule/lack of consideration for existing knowledge
  • Need to have more research into extension methodologies

'What are some of the opportunities in extension for us as a district?'

  • Development of a district focus
  • Coordinated extension across programs and districts
  • Attract resources for extension through integration
  • Mentoring system within office – extension profile
  • Set up universal structure
  • Peer review process
  • Z days allocated for extension training/mentoring
  • Extension reference library
  • Opportunity to work outside the square
  • Opportunity to do training as an office – attract funding to do so
  • Sharing of knowledge and skills
  • Invite guest speakers/gurus to Narrogin
  • Engender enthusiasm
  • Employ extension coordinator
  • Learn from others experience
  • Opportunity to learn new techniques
  • Try techniques in a safe environment
  • Identify funding for extension training – take opportunities

Develop objectives

The next stage was to develop some objectives. The question posed was: 'In terms of extension what do we want to aim towards?' (Sub question/prompt 'What are the goals of this group?'). The goals were intended to be SMART (specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, time bound) (REF)

  • Objective: Gain a commitment from management to support extension excellence in the district by providing funds by June 2001.
  • Objective: To establish a mentoring/support system by Christmas 2000.
  • Objective: To establish a professional development structure for extension officers
  • Objective: To be a leading group in extension by June 2003, and recognised as such.

Develop plans

The next stage in the PAM planning cycle is to develop plans and actions to achieve the objectives.

Objective: Gain a commitment from management to support extension excellence in the district by providing funds by June 2001.

Five days allocated to extension staff, specifically committed to support extension excellence.

  • Allows an opportunity to prepare for and attend training, conferences or special events on extension. (eg the Extension in Action Conference, district seminars on extension tips and tools)
  • Allows time to be a district representative on committees and other important network groups, eg Asian Pacific Extension Network (APEN).
  • Provides time to attend extension activities around the district organised by other staff.
  • Recognises a commitment to continual improvement in the science of extension.

Attract funding for an extension champion (20–30 days and some operating funds) by Christmas

  • Many of the activities required to support extension excellence in the Narrogin Office will require a ‘champion’ to coordinate and carry out tasks.
  • Activities could include membership on the APEN State Executive.

Objective: To develop a mentoring/support system by Christmas 2000.

Question: What might the mentor/support scheme look like?

  • Extension officers in the Narrogin office will be form Action Learning Sets (McGill & Beaty 1996) that focus specifically on extension activities. The Action Learning Sets will have a mentoring and reflection (action learning cycle, Mumford 1993) role and will have both more experienced and less experienced members.
  • The ‘District Extension Champion’ will facilitate the establishment of Action Learning Sets and provide some ongoing support.
  • Extension Officers should attend other extension activities to gain experience, to provide evaluation and review the process.

Establish a series of quarterly “Tips and Tools” meetings for extension officers in the Narrogin District.

  • Provides a safe forum for sharing knowledge and skills in an experiential and participatory way.
  • Provides an opportunity to invite extension guest speakers or gurus to address the group.

To put together an extension reference resource centre which will include a library and other extension material.

  • Will enable staff to have access to current theories and methodologies in extension and resources for use in their extension activities.

Conduct a skills audit of extension officers.

  • This would provide a central register of extension skills for the office and give staff an idea of where to go for particular areas of expertise.

Conduct a needs analysis.

  • This would allow the identification of common needs within the office perhaps resulting in training courses being delivered locally. It would also help to identify areas in which certain officers may need additional support.

Objective: Establish a professional development path for extension officers.

Through on the job experiential learning, officers will be encouraged to develop and try out new extension techniques. The district network of extension staff will provide support and review of activities.

  • Extension Officers will be encouraged to be involved, coordinate and organise extension group meetings. These could be office quarterly seminars or an Agency wide conference.
  • Catalogue extension training courses available and define training pathways.
  • Develop an evaluation process for each extension activity performed by staff. This is to assist with the reflection process, professional development and for continual improvement. This would include peer evaluation, self evaluation, action learning sets and extension meetings
  • Select a range of useful extension competencies/skills that could be used in the extension officer’s personal development plan.
  • Identify extension training to be completed in profession development plan and allocate time/resources required to complete this training

Objective: To be a leading group in extension by June 2003, and recognised as such.

Narrogin office to support an award of excellence in extension.

  • Recognises contributions staff make to the development of extension methodology and to the science of extension.

Narrogin to be a local agent for APEN – someone from Narrogin to be on the committee.

  • It is seen that for Narrogin to remain at the forefront of extension there will need to be important links with other extension practitioners and groups. APEN is considered an important link.
  • We need to encourage extension staff to be a part of important networks.
  • Promote activities of the Narrogin group as a model that can be used across agency and across discipline.

Conclusion

Having a clear idea of purpose and an idea of expected outcomes is important in designing a workshop process. These should be clearly defined and communicated to the workshop participants to reach agreement and to match expectations of what the workshop is for and what it will deliver. The POP Model was used to clarify purpose and outcomes before developing a process. The POP model is very simple and can be used in a wide range of applications and when used correctly, can increase the efficiency of any meeting or event.

A large part of the success of the workshop was the use of the PAM Planning Model. By using this well defined process with clear and specific questions the group was able to meet the outcomes of the workshops. The group quickly identified some guidelines for the establishment of a support mechanism to for extension excellence in a district agricultural office. Using a participatory approach enabled ownership of results and a shared responsibility, it also considered the principles of adult learning.

Incorporating the Adult Learning Principles was an important aspect for the success of the workshop.

  • Relevant: Relevancy was set early on in the process, even before the workshop began, through open discussion with many of the participants. This helped identified the need for the workshop and structures.
  • Safe Environment: Many of the participants are from a close working team so there is some degree of familiarity between participants. The Safe environment was enhanced through icebreakers and energisers throughout the workshop.
  • Problem Oriented: Participants wanted to solve their own problem, ie the problem of no support for extension excellence.
  • Participation: The workshop format (inclusive facilitation, small group work etc) and using the PAM Planning Model helped increase participation.
  • Experience Based: The solutions to the problems were based on the experience found within the group.
  • Achievement: There was a sense of achievement directly after the workshop. However this needs to be built upon for continued success.
  • Involvement: The workshop format incorporated two way communication.

Meeting the outcomes.

One of the outcomes of having this workshop was to establish some processes to support the professional development of extension personnel of the Narrogin Agriculture District Office and to increase the capacity of the office to develop extension excellence.

This objective was met very well as can be seen in the outcomes of the workshop:

  • Many of the structures set up from the planning workshop have well identified benefits for participants (what’s in it for me).
  • The results from this workshop suggest a way of supporting extension excellence at a district level.
  • Some of this workshop process (and the workshop results) can be used by other discipline areas and other districts or regions. There has already been interest from other Agwest regions to adopt the structures outlined for use in their regions.

While some of the processes will be easier to implement (eg Tips and tools sessions and action learning sets as mentoring systems) other actions will be more difficult to achieve as they will rely on external requirements and other resources/people that this group has less control over.

Another outcome of the workshop was to encourage ownership of the processes to support the professional development of extension personnel through participatory workshops.

This was met to varying degrees. Those who attended and have extension as a core and large part of their everyday work have certainly taken most ownership. Again it’s the ‘What’s in it for me’, ie they can see the benefits for them from being involved with the group, and taking ownership for the groups direction and outcomes.

References

  1. Adamson P. (2000) Experiential Learning Program Manual. Published by Adventure West.
  2. Chamala, S. & Keith, K. (1995). Participative approaches for landcare. Australian Academic Press Brisbane.
  3. Malouf, D. (1997). How to teach adults in a fun and exciting way. Business and Professional Publishing.
  4. McGill, I. & Beaty, E. Action Learning: A guide for professional, management and educational development (second edition). Published by Kogan Page Limited.
  5. Mumford, A. Putting learning styles to work: An integrated approach.

Previous PageTop Of PageNext Page