A model for agricultural program evaluation in the Texas Agricultural Extension Service

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test a model for evaluating agricultural programs in The Texas Agricultural Extension Service. In order to accomplish this purpose the following objectives were included: 1. To identify a panel of experts who are knowledgeable of agricultural producers within a specific county. 2. To determine if persons in a leadership capacity with agricultural agencies are knowledgeable of the county situation. 3. To determine if a panel of experts in a face-to-face situation can predict behavioral changes on the part of agricultural producers. 4. To determine whether useful evaluation information occurs as a result of the panel pf experts meeting in a face-to-face situation. 5. To determine if a panel of experts can predict the extent to which annual goals are reached in county Extension plans of work. Procedure. Procedures for the investigation focus on the study of progress made toward reaching the annual goal related to beef cattle established by the Kaufman County Improvement Council for the 1975-76 Plan of Work year. This investigation included two procedures for assessing progress toward the annual goal. One included a questionnaire administered to a 12 percent random sample of the 1004 livestock producers with traditional treatment of data and comparison to the alternate approach..