UMass Extension
Massachusetts 4-H Benchmarking Study
“Planning Massachusetts 4-H’s Future”
Overview, Updates and Study Text Links

UMass Extension and Massachusetts 4-H are pleased to release the 2005 “Massachusetts 4-H Benchmarking Study” to the 4-H community. Dr. Sharon Fross, Vice-Provost of UMass Amherst Outreach, commissioned the study to assure that best management practices are used throughout the organization. Kathleen Chatwood, UMass Extension Volunteer and Risk Management, is the researcher and author.

The study identifies management trends and best practices occurring across ten states. It compares 4-H progress in Massachusetts to that of other states who have also faced changes in areas such as marketing, volunteer recruitment, fundraising strategies and other management areas. USDA and National 4-H Council leaders recommended ten states for the study to benchmark and offered feedback on the survey design.

Each Massachusetts 4-H advisory, council, staff office and 4-H collaborating organization will receive a bound copy of the study which is also available at this site online. Also included are ideas and suggestions from the study’s Review Team which included university, camp, foundation and volunteer representatives. You are encouraged to explore the study’s content. Note the patterns of events, challenges, and opportunities that 4-H programs share across the nation. You can use this information as you consider the Massachusetts 4-H situation and think of new approaches to strengthen the program.

MASSACHUSETTS 4-H BENCHMARKING STUDY UPDATES:

May, 2005. UMass Extension mailed the results of the Massachusetts 4-H Benchmarking Study and the “Strategies and Tactics” review team meeting to 4-H advisory groups and 4-H partnering organizations prior to feedback sessions held in late June, 2005. Findings were also posted on the website seeking feedback from 4-H youth, parents, staff and volunteers.

June, 2005. Feedback sessions were held in both the western and eastern parts of the state to hear concerns, comments and new ideas on the Benchmarking study and joint volunteer staff review team “Strategies and Tactics” recommendations from the Massachusetts 4-H community. Over 75 people attended the sessions across the state and voted for their top four recommendations within each of the Benchmarking Study’s organizational topic areas (A – J). (See Benchmarking Study Overview: “4-H Program Organizational Attributes to be Benchmarked,” p. 2)

August, 2005. The community feedback meeting votes on benchmarking recommendations are tallied and posted on the web. There are a total of 65 possible votes for any item, equal to the total number of participants in both sessions. (This number excludes staff in attendance who provided their priorities in a separate feedback meeting.) (See “4-H Community Feedback and Planning Meeting Results” posted on the web.)
Guide to Interpreting the Feedback Meetings Results tally:

• For each recommendation within each Mass 4-H Program category you will find the total votes gained for that item in bold on the left hand side of the page.
• On the right hand side of the page in parenthesis is a breakdown of votes by each session (western session vote totals: 6/23/05 and eastern: 6/28/05.)
• Note that some comments by volunteers gained their own votes within a category when other participants shared the view or liked the new idea expressed. Such votes are listed after the arrow or bullet sign and are counted as part of the total. All comments under an item, whether they agreed with, differed from or presented a new suggestion on that item’s content area will be taken into consideration when developing future program directions.

September, 2005. An Extension/4-H staff team is currently analyzing the recommendations from the Benchmarking Study, the review team and the feedback sessions to identify priorities for the Massachusetts 4-H program and align them with University/Extension and Massachusetts 4-H leadership priorities. These findings will be posted on the website on September 15, 2005 with further 4-H community feedback sought via web-submissions between September 15th and September 30th.

October, 2005. The final “Goals and Objectives” summary of priority Massachusetts 4-H strategies and tactics for the upcoming 4-H program year will be posted on line and circulated to the 4-H community. The results will provide a basis for developing the 2006 Mass 4-H Strategic Plan and will become a part of the 2007- 2011 Plan of Work submitted to CSREES.

Benchmarking Study:
Title and Table of Contents
Introduction
Overview
Analysis
Comparison by State Program and Program Attribute
Review Team Strategies and Tactics
New! 4-H Community Feedback and Planning Meeting Results
New! Benchmarking Study Questions