OLD SERA39: Public Policy Issues Education
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
OLD SERA39: Public Policy Issues Education
Duration: 10/01/2008 to 09/30/2013
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
The Public Policy Issues Education (PPIE) SERA is being created to provide an organized framework for facilitating public policy education coordination regionally and nationally through a structure for regular information exchange and professional development for Land Grant University research and Extension professionals and faculty. Statement of needs and justification are provided as follows:
For more than 50 years, the Farm Foundation, through its sponsorship of the National Public Policy Education Committee (NPPEC) conferences and activities, facilitated public policy education materials development and delivery through faculty at land grant universities. However, reductions in Extension staffing and budgets, as well as changes in the nature of public policy issues in agriculture, natural resources, community development, and the food system necessitate a new approach for coordination. The Farm Foundation is diversifying its financial and leadership support and the NPPEC has been disbanded. Thus, in this new vacuum, national or regional public policy education objectives are not being addressed in any coordinated or synergistic way.
The Southern SERA-PPIE is proposed to largely continue and expand the mission of the NPPEC. A SERA will provide a framework around which PPIE can be organized to work efficiently and effectively to enhance the delivery of relevant policy education to targeted audiences. Since public policy issues occur at the state and national level, multi-state collaboration is needed to address the global issues plus allow the leveraging of analysis and education programming efforts to compensate for the fact that fewer policy educators exist now than in the past to get this job done. Support of the Southern Extension and Experiment Station Directors is critical to making this happen.
Education programs and economic analyses that address critical public policy issues faced by various stakeholder groups are needed to support informed decisions. The PPIE SERA would support multiple SAAESD Priority Areas. Those are:
Goal 1. An Agricultural System That Is Highly Competitive in the Global Economy. Within this goal 1, the PPIE SERA would support the sub-goals of G. Competitiveness in international markets; and, J. Public policy and economics of agricultural production systems. Farm Bill education and producer participation alternatives would be a key example in this area.
Goal 2. A Safe and Secure Food and Fiber System. Issues related to sub-goal A. Food safety would be addressed by the PPIE SERA. Included in this area could be education and analysis on issues such as inspection regulations and international policy and trade concerns.
Goal 3. A Healthy and Well Nourished Population. Public policy concerns related to this goal could center on sub-goal B. Food choices for optimum nutrition and individual health; and on sub-goal E, Interrelationships of food animal health and human health. Diet choices of children in schools is of concern as well as how food animals are handled which could impact human health.
Goal 4. Greater Harmony Between Agriculture and the Environment. The PPIE SERA would significantly support this Goal, such as sub-goals A. Air, soil and water resources conservation and enhancement; sub-goal C. Multiple uses of agricultural lands; and sub-goal G. Environmental policy and regulations. Education and analysis on natural resource policy alternatives and consequences could be a major contribution of the SERA.
Goal 5. Enhanced Economic Opportunity and Quality of Life. Once again, it would be anticipated that members of the SERA on PPIE would have major interest in sub-goal A. Economic and policy analysis of agricultural industrialization; sub-goal B. Rural community development and revitalizing rural economies; sub-goal C. Risk management and assessment in agricultural systems as it relates to policy; and sub-goal F. Agriculture-related social and consumer concerns. Right now, for example, the food vs. fuel debate is a high-profile policy issue related to this sub-goal.
Other anticipated benefits and products to be developed from this PPIE SERA project include:
* Improvements in the capacity of educators to utilize the proven alternatives/consequences approach to public policy education programs and analyses.
* Development of new methodological frameworks for analysis and discussion. As appropriate, pursue opportunities to publish articles and enhance expertise and provide other scholarship opportunities for professionals.
* Initiating and coordinating conferences, programs and printed materials for professional development and networking opportunities for faculty and stakeholders and for education delivery to stakeholders.
In addition to Land Grant faculty and professionals, stakeholders include non-Land Grant faculty, related professional associations and agribusiness, rural development centers, community leadership organizations, landowners, and producers. Researchers, Extension educators, county partners, local, state and national governments, elected officials, NGOs and community leadership organizations will all benefit from a concerted PPIE coordination effort.
Objectives
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Provide opportunities for exchange of information, professional development, recognition and activity coordination for Land Grant Extension personnel and others engaged in public policy issues education.
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Strengthen multi-state partnerships and professional association collaborations among faculty having responsibilities in public policy education with the goal of increasing relevant PPIE education in the southern region and nationwide.
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Develop public policy issues education curricula and training activities in a variety of venues and formats, and with a variety of audiences, utilizing the proven alternatives/consequences approach to policy education.
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Advance scholarship in public policy issues education and analysis through peer-reviewed educational materials and products.
Procedures and Activities
Objective 1:
A. The PPIE SERA will establish a framework for engaging the faculty of the Land Grant University system and others in the public policy issues education process thereby facilitating the exchange of information and collaboration on relevant issues identified by the SERA membership.
B. Using current events, provide opportunities for professional development and coordination around complex public policy issues using the approaches of unbiased presentations of relevant policy alternatives and their consequences plus conflict resolution strategies.
Objective 2:
A. The PPIE SERA will foster collaborations and partnerships among interested SERA members for joint learning, objective analysis, and dissemination of public policy issue educational materials to audiences in the region and nationally.
B. The leadership of the PPIE SERA will facilitate the design and implementation of hosting a PPIE web site for announcing activities, exchanging information and publications, and for coordination of multi-state projects and professional development activities.
Objective 3:
A. In order to complement information exchange and coordination, the PPIE SERA will also take responsibility to develop curricula on selected public policy issue topics and provide these educational materials encompassing the public policy education process to others who can adapt them for use in their respective states.
B. The PPIE-SERA annual meetings will be utilized to identify, share and plan for delivery of new curricula to targeted audiences in order to increase their knowledge of public policy issues, options, and consequences.
Objective 4:
A. In order to advance scholarship in PPIE, the SERA will facilitate multi-state meetings and conferences in support of professional development through the sharing of technical papers on public policy issue analysis and education methodology.
B. The PPIE SERA will pursue improved evaluation methodology and common procedures for estimating public policy impacts or consequences from policy options.
C. The PPIE SERA will provide a forum for professional recognition of outstanding published and program development contributions to PPIE.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Coordination of research and extension programming related to public policy issues education among Land Grant University professionals.
- Exchange of concepts and information related to the options/consequences process of public issues education.
- Review and publication of multi-state curricula and professional papers related to public issues education.
- Implementation of educational programs in respective states on relevant policy issues as a result of the SERA.
- A website developed and in operation for dissemination of education products to faculty and target audiences, plus a mechanism to provide awareness of SERA activities to its membership.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
A. Hold an annual meeting of the PPIE SERA for professional development activities, information exchange, and to identify national or regional needs in public policy issues education.
B. Issue a call to SERA members and others for proposed presentations and publications relating to Public Policy Issues Education to be shared at the annual meeting each year.
C. Develop sub-committees, as needed, for the coordination, planning and development of education curricula, training materials, and publications necessary to conduct Public Policy Issues Education with stakeholder groups on relevant issues.
D. Provide education programs to increase the knowledge of the public and other stakeholders relative to emerging Public Policy Issues. (An example would include coordinated education programs on provisions and implications of the 2008 Farm Bill.)
E. Organize an awards program for professional recognition of outstanding public policy issues education efforts.
F. Strong efforts will be made to invite and to recruit members for the PPIE SERA from 1890 and 1994 land grant universities plus those from Hispanic Serving institutions.
Groups invited to participate in the PPIE SERA will include those with responsibilities in public policy issue education and have internal or external linkages related to agriculture, rural families, and rural communities. These could include:
1. Extension and research economists within the 1862, 1890, and 1994 Land Grant universities plus Hispanic Serving Institutions.
2. Family Life Extension specialists and researchers within the Land Grant system.
3. Community Development Extension specialists and researchers within the Land Grant system.
4. Other researchers, teachers and Extension faculty within the Land Grant University system who have a public policy issues related interest or assignment.
5. County or Multi-county Extension agents/specialists.
6. CSREES/USDA Economics and Community Systems Unit.
7. Representatives from the Farm Foundation.
8. Leadership from Regional Rural Development Centers.
9. Members of non-governmental organizations, state and local government, and others who have an interest in non-advocacy public policy issues education related to agriculture, agribusiness, natural resources, rural families, and/or rural communities.
Organization/Governance
The recommended Standard Governance for multi-state research activities include the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a CSREES Representative.
Literature Cited
Recent works involving multi-state collaboration on public policy issues include:
1. Lubben, Bradley D, Nelson L. Bills, James B. Johnson, and James L. Novak. The 2002 Farm Bill: U.S. producer preferences for agricultural, food and public policy. National Public Policy Education Committee, Publication Number 2006-01, September 2006.
2. NPPEC and Farm Foundation leaflets providing background information for the 2007 farm bill using the policy options and consequences method. Topics cover the major titles of the farm bill plus other policy issues important to the new farm bill. These documents represent a multi-state collaboration of economists from Land Grant Universities and other organizations and are available at the Farm Foundation website, www.farmfoundation.org.
3. Smutko, Steve and Kay Haaland. Handling Scientific and Technical Information in Contentious Public Issues: A Public Issues Education Approach. NC Coop. Ext. CD-46A. 2004.
4. Singletary, Loretta, Ann Ball, and Marlene Rebori. Managing Natural Resource Disputes: A Comprehensive Guide to Achieving Collaborative Agreements. Univ. of Nevada Coop. Ext. Bull. EB-00-04.
5. Recent multi-state education programs or conferences most relevant to this proposal would include:
a. Drabenstott, Mark. An Overview of New Rural Economic Drivers, 2006 NPPEC, Fayetteville, AR.
b. Pease, Jim. Impacts of Integrated Poultry and Hog Production/Processing: The Economic Story, 2006 NPPEC, Fayetteville, AR.
c. Loewer, Otto. Regional/State Perspective on Creating New Rural Development Opportunities, 2006 NPPEC, Fayetteville, AR.
d. Collins, Keith. Agricultural Policy Education - Inside the Beltway, 2006 NPPEC, Fayetteville, AR.
e. Christensen, James. The Land Grant Investment in Public Policy Education. 2006 NPPEC, Fayetteville, AR.
f. Outlaw, Joe, Agricultural Policy Education. 2006 NPPEC, Fayetteville, AR.
g. Smutko, L. Steven. Managing Land Use Conflict. 2006 Western NC Sustainable Communities Summit, Wayneseville, NC.
h. Smutko, L. Steven. Building Negotiating Skills: Getting to Win/Win. 2006 Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Crystal City, VA.