We developed a regional two-page color newsletter called PNWWATER UPDATE that focuses on specific water resource issues in the Pacific Northwest to meet the needs of our stakeholders. This newsletter is distributed to our congressional delegation and all state legislators serving on education, environment, or agriculture committees. Fifty-seven policy makers on our mailing list for the last 2 years evaluated the value of this newsletter. In general, policy makers found the newsletter to be of high quality, timely, and informative, and thought that it addressed the water quality priorities in the region

Cochrane, Michael

Mahler, Robert L

Simmons, Robert

Sorensen, Fred

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

The Journal of Extension Volume 44 Number 5 Article 21 10-1-2006 Using Updates to Educate Policy Makers About Water Programs at Land-Grant Institutions Robert L. Mahler University of Idaho, bmahler@uidaho.edu Robert Simmons Washington State University, simmons@wsu.edu Fred Sorensen University of Alaska, dffes@uaa.alaska.edu Michael Cochrane Northwest Indian College, mcochrane@nwic.edu This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Mahler, R. L., Simmons, R., Sorensen, F., & Cochrane, M. (2006). Using Updates to Educate Policy Makers About Water Programs at Land-Grant Institutions. The Journal of Extension, 44(5), Article 21. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol44/iss5/21 This Ideas at Work is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. 	 JOEHOME JOURNAL GUIDELINES ABOUT	JOE CONTACT NATIONAL	JOB	BANKCurrent	Issues Back	IssuesOctober	2006	//	Volume	44	//	Number	5	//	Ideas	at	Work	//	5IAW5Using	Updates	to	Educate	Policy	Makers	About	Water	Programsat	Land-Grant	InstitutionsAbstractWe	developed	a	regional	two-page	color	newsletter	called	PNWWATER	UPDATE	that	focuses	onspecific	water	resource	issues	in	the	Pacific	Northwest	to	meet	the	needs	of	our	stakeholders.This	newsletter	is	distributed	to	our	congressional	delegation	and	all	state	legislators	serving	oneducation,	environment,	or	agriculture	committees.	Fifty-seven	policy	makers	on	our	mailing	listfor	the	last	2	years	evaluated	the	value	of	this	newsletter.	In	general,	policy	makers	found	thenewsletter	to	be	of	high	quality,	timely,	and	informative,	and	thought	that	it	addressed	thewater	quality	priorities	in	the	region.	The	five	land-grant	institutions	(LGIs)	in	the	Pacific	Northwest	(Northwest	Indian	College,	OregonState	University,	University	of	Alaska,	University	of	Idaho,	Washington	State	University)	have	along	tradition	of	conducting	research,	education,	and	Extension	programs	in	water	resourcesciences.	On	an	annual	basis,	resources	devoted	to	water	programs	at	these	institutionscollectively	exceed	$25,000,000.	These	dollars	devoted	to	water	programs:	(1)	produceundergraduate	and	graduate	degrees,	(2)	result	in	research	being	undertaken	and	consequentresults	published	in	prestigious	journals,	and	(3)	enhance	the	quality	of	life	for	many	of	theregion�s	residents.	However,	the	collective	impact	of	these	water-related	activities	has	not	beeneffectively	or	adequately	conveyed	to	the	appropriate	policy	and	traditional	stakeholder	groups	inthe	region.As	a	consequence	of	this	perceived	disconnect,	we	developed	a	regularly	issued	two-pagenewsletter	that	focuses	on	a	specific	water	resource	topic	each	issue.	This	newsletter	is	namedPNWWATER	UPDATE	and	is	designed	to	be	issued	twice	a	month.	The	format	of	the	newsletter	callsfor	a	500-	to	700-word	article	with	appropriate	illustrations.	The	newsletter	is	designed	to	beproduced	in	color	(Figure	1).	In	addition	to	the	article	and	illustrations,	each	PNWWATER	UPDATERobert	L.	MahlerWater	Quality	CoordinatorUniversity	of	Idahobmahler@uidaho.eduRobert	SimmonsWater	Quality	CoordinatorWashington	State	Universitysimmons@wsu.eduFred	SorensenWater	Quality	CoordinatorUniversity	of	Alaskadffes@uaa.alaska.eduMichael	CochraneWater	Quality	CoordinatorNorthwest	Indian	Collegemcochrane@nwic.eduGail	Glick	AndrewsWater	Quality	CoordinatorOregon	State	Universitygail.glick.andrews@oregonstate.educontains	appropriate	contact	information	and	a	list	of	the	eight	national	water	quality	themesdeveloped	jointly	by	USDA-CSREES	and	the	land-grant	institutions	(Figure	2).Figure	1.Examples	of	Five	PNWWATER	UPDATES	Developed	During	the	Past	30	Months	Figure	2.Consistent	Formatting	Items	Found	on	all	PNWWATER	UPDATE	IssuesThe	PNWWATER	UPDATE	newsletter	has	the	following	goals:	(1)	to	provide	timely	informationabout	water	resource	programs	at	LGIs),	(2)	show	the	linkages	between	the	research	andExtension	mission	activities	of	LGIs,	(3)	indicate	potential	regionally	based	solutions	to	waterresource	problems,	(4)	transfer	appropriate	water	resources	technology	to	stakeholders,	and	(5)publicize	regionally	based	forums	that	target	specific	water	resource	issues.	The	PNWWATERUPDATES	focus	on	regional	water	projects;	however,	projects	specific	to	a	particular	state	arehighlighted	when	they	can	be	used	as	models	for	programs	in	other	states	of	the	region.The	actual	topics	for	each	issue	of	PNWWATER	UPDATE	are	determined	collectively	by	the	waterquality	coordinators	from	each	of	the	land-grant	institutions	on	a	quarterly	basis.	Once	the	topic	isdetermined,	a	writing	assignment	is	made,	and	a	deadline	is	set.	The	types	of	water-related	topicscovered	in	the	PNWWATER	UPDATES	are	shown	by	category	in	Table	1.	After	each	article	iswritten,	it	is	forwarded	to	the	University	of	Idaho	for	editing,	layout,	and	printing.	A	pdf	file	of	eachissue	is	made,	and	color	copies	are	produced	on	a	laserjet	color	printer.Table	1.The	Categories	and	Numbers	of	PNWWATER	UPDATES	Produced	in	the	Initial30	Months	of	the	NewsletterCategory Number	of	UPDATESWater	Quality	Team 4Partners 5Conferences 5Education 2Successes 3Animal	Waste	Management 2Drinking	Water	and	Human	Health 4Environmental	Restoration 6Nutrient	and	Pesticide	Management 2Pollution	Assessment	and	Prevention 7Water	Policy,	Economics	Surveys 9Watershed	Management 4Water	Conservation 6Urban	Issues 2Stormwater 1	We	developed	an	initial	mailing	list	of	350	key	individuals	in	the	Pacific	Northwest	to	receive	the	bi-monthly	update.	The	types	of	individuals	placed	on	this	list	represent	the	following	groups	ofstakeholders:	(1)	congressional	delegation	from	the	four	Pacific	Northwest	states,	(2)	all	statelegislators	serving	on	education,	environment,	or	agricultural	committees,	(3)	land	grant	institutionadministrators,	(4)	members	of	the	USDA-CSREES	executive	team,	(5)	heads	of	commoditycommissions,	and	(6)	administrators	in	partner	federal,	state,	and	local	agencies.	In	addition	to	thismailing	list,	PNWWATER	UPDATES	are	also	mailed	to	all	county	Extension	offices	in	the	region.All	PNWWATER	UPDATES	are	numbered	for	easy	identification	and	inventory.	Since	the	inception	ofthis	program,	over	65	PNWWATER	UPDATES	have	been	issued.	All	updates	are	available	in	htmland	pdf	formats	on	our	regional	Web	site,	www.pnwwaterweb.com.	These	updates	have	served	topopulate	our	Web	site	and	are	organized	on	this	site	the	following	three	different	ways:	(1)	inchronological	order	of	issue,	(2)	by	national	water	theme	category,	and	(3)	by	subject	matter(Table	1).Evaluation	of	PNWWATER	UPDATESIn	March	2005	we	asked	the	114	policy	makers	(members	of	Congress	and	state	legislators)	whohad	been	on	our	mailing	list	for	a	minimum	of	24	months	to	evaluate	the	value	of	PNWWATERUPDATES.We	developed	an	evaluation	form	with	nine	questions	that	fit	on	one	sheet	of	paper.	Thisquestionnaire,	mailed	to	each	of	the	114	policy	makers,	was	packaged	with	a	letter	of	explanationand	a	business	reply	return	envelope.	Fifty-seven	evaluation	forms	were	returned	completed	bythe	survey	reply	cutoff	date	of	June	1,	2005.	The	survey	response	rate	of	50%	was	consideredlarge	enough	to	effectively	evaluate	the	PNWWATER	UPDATES.The	survey	results	are	shown	in	Table	2.	In	general,	the	57	policy	makers	who	filled	out	theevaluation	form	had	positive	things	to	say	about	the	PNWWATER	UPDATES.	Thirty-three,	30,	33,and	4%	of	the	respondents	reported	that	they	always,	often,	sometimes,	or	never	read	thePNWWATER	UPDATES	mailed	to	them,	respectively	(Table	2).	The	fact	that	96%	of	these	policymakers	at	least	occasionally	read	our	materials	was	encouraging.Table	2.Results	from	the	PNWWATER	UPDATE	Evaluation	Completed	by	57	PolicyMakers.Question ResponseQ-1.	How	often	do	you	or	a	staffer	read	our	UPDATES?Always 19	(33%)Often 17	(30%)Sometimes 19	(33%)Never 2	(4%)Q-2.	Do	you	wish	to	continue	receiving	our	UPDATE?Yes 50	(88%)No 7	(12%)Q-3.	What	information	in	our	UPDATES	interests	you?Water	quality 48	(84%)Success	stories 42	(84%)Current	programming	efforts 37	(65%)Water	quantity 31	(54%)General	consumer	information 28	(49%)Outreach/Extension 25	(44%)Research 21	(37%)Education	(college) 21	(37%)Q-4.	Have	you	visited	our	Web	site	(www.pnwwaterweb.com)?Yes 33	(59%)No 23	(41%)Q-5.	Have	you	followed	up	on	any	information	we	provided	to	you	in	ourUPDATES?Yes 42	(76%)No 13	(24%)If	yes,	how:Use	of	www.pnwwaterweb.com 30Through	contact	information	on	UPDATE 16Through	water	quality	program	at	LGI 11Direct	contact	with	R.	L.	Mahler 9Other 4Q-6.	Are	our	efforts	addressing	water	quality	priorities	in	the	PacificNorthwest?Yes 53	(97%)No 3	(3%)Q-7.	Please	rate	the	quality	of	our	UPDATES:Excellent	quality 42About	right	length 42Excellent	information 33Too	often 6Fair	quality 4Too	short 2Too	long 2Poor	quality 0Poor	information 0Q-8.	Before	you	received	these	UPDATES	on	a	regular	basis,	how	much	didyou	know	about	water	programs	at	the	LGIs	in	the	Pacific	Northwest?Virtually	nothing 28	(49%)Much	less	than	I	do	now 18	(32%)Somewhat	less	than	I	do	now 7	(12%)About	the	same	as	now 4	(7%)Q-9.	Suggest	possible	format	changes	for	us:Stay	with	current	color	one-sheet	format 41One	mailing	per	month	(2	updates,	one	envelope) 27Make	Web-based	only;	send	email	when	available 7Change	to	black	and	white	(save	money) 3Use	lighter	weight	paper,	regular	sized	envelope 1	Over	88%	of	the	responding	policy	makers	reported	that	they	wanted	to	continue	receiving	ourupdates.	The	types	of	information	of	most	interest	to	policy	makers	varied;	however,	a	majority	ofrespondents	expressed	interest	in	updates	highlighting	water	quality,	success	stories,	currentprograms	efforts,	and	water	quantity	(Table	2).Over	59%	of	the	respondents	have	visited	the	regional	water	Web	site,	www.pnwwaterweb.com.Seventy-six	percent	of	respondents	have	followed-up	on	information	provided	in	a	particularPNWWATER	UPDATE	(Table	2).	The	most	common	method	of	follow-up	utilized	our	regional	Website.	Ninety-seven	percent	of	responding	policy	makers	felt	that	the	updates	were	addressing	thewater	resource	priorities	in	the	Pacific	Northwest.Seventy-three	percent	of	respondents	thought	that	the	quality	of	the	bi-monthly	updates	wasexcellent.	The	same	percentage	also	felt	that	the	updates	were	about	the	right	length	(Table	2).The	answers	to	survey	question	8	indicated	that	the	majority	of	policy	makers	learned	much	aboutwater	programs	at	land	grant	institutions	in	the	Pacific	Northwest	(Table	2).	In	fact,	over	81%	ofrespondents	reported	that	prior	to	receiving	PNWWATER	UPDATES	they	knew	virtually	nothing	ormuch	less	than	they	do	now	about	water	programs	at	land	grant	institutions	(Table	2).Based	on	the	responses	to	survey	question	9,	policy	makers	are	satisfied	with	the	current	format	ofthe	updates	and	do	not	want	significant	change.	Over	70%	of	respondents	want	us	to	stay	with	thecurrent	color	one-sheet	format.	Only	seven	respondents	would	prefer	a	Web-based	only	update.	Itappears	that	a	traditional	paper	copy	is	handier	and	effective,	and	more	likely	to	be	read	to	conveywater	information	to	policy	makers	than	via	electronic	transmission.DiscussionBased	on	evaluation	results,	PNWWATER	UPDATES	are	meeting	our	needs	by	providing	timely	andimportant	water	information	to	policy	makers	in	the	Pacific	Northwest.	We	have	received	105documented	requests	for	additional	information	on	highlighted	water	topics	from	stakeholdersregularly	receiving	PNWWATER	UPDATES	(more	than	just	the	policy	makers).	Several	of	thesurveyed	policy	makers	indicated	that	they	have	often	used	the	provided	information	in	their	workand	deliberations.	One	state	policy	maker	commented	that	the	information	provided	in	a	particularPNWWATER	UPDATE	influenced	his	vote	in	the	2004	legislative	session.The	cost	of	printing	and	mailing	each	copy	of	PNWWATER	UPDATE	is	$0.81.	In	addition	to	thesefixed	costs,	a	significant	amount	of	human	resources	(faculty	and	staff)	labor	is	involved	in	thepreparation	of	each	issue.	However,	we	believe	that	this	money	is	well	spent	for	the	followingreasons.Much	of	the	PNWWATER	UPDATE	material	can	be	used	dually	in	the	preparation	of	quarterlyand	annual	reports.PNWWATER	UPDATES	gets	our	information	out	in	an	organized	and	timely	manner	using	aneasy-to-digest	sound-byte	strategy.This	information	allows	us	to	more	effectively	populate	our	Web	site,	www.pnwwaterweb.com,with	water	resource	information.It	provides	us	with	a	feedback	loop	on	our	current	efforts	and	progress.It	is	important	to	note	that	in	this	age	of	electronically	transmitted	information,	policy	makersprefer	hard	copies	of	PNWWATER	UPDATES.	We	speculate	that	this	hard-copy	format	is	betterreceived	than	electronic	materials	because:The	hard-copy	format	puts	the	issue	right	in	front	of	the	staffer	or	legislator.The	color	format	is	attractive,	and	the	inclusion	of	a	color	picture	grabs	the	attention	of	thestakeholder.The	hard-copy	PNWWATER	UPDATE	is	the	right	length	(500	to	700	words)	and	is	a	singlesheet	of	paper.The	single-sheet	format	lends	itself	to	one-step	filing--no	copying	from	a	computer	isnecessary.The	hard-copy	format	is	attractive	and	thus	easy	to	route	through	an	office	and	receiveattention	from	several	employees.This	article	has	documented	our	impact	on	education	of	our	policy	makers;	however,	the	updatesare	targeted	at	a	wider	audience.	In	addition	we	need	to	expand	our	audience	to	include	themedia.	For	instance,	the	updates	could	be	used	as	news	releases.	We	need	to	build	upon	our	initialidea	of	PNWWATER	UPDATE	to	truly	achieve	our	water	research,	education,	and	Extension	missionin	the	Pacific	Northwest.Copyright	©	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Articles	appearing	in	the	Journal	become	the	property	of	theJournal.	 Single	 copies	 of	 articles	may	 be	 reproduced	 in	 electronic	 or	 print	 form	 for	 use	 in	 educational	 or	 trainingactivities.	Inclusion	of	articles	in	other	publications,	electronic	sources,	or	systematic	large-scale	distribution	may	bedone	only	with	prior	electronic	or	written	permission	of	the	Journal	Editorial	Office,	joe-ed@joe.org.If	you	have	difficulties	viewing	or	printing	this	page,	please	contact	JOE	Technical	Support©	Copyright	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Copyright	Policy

Using Updates to Educate Policy Makers About Water Programs at Land-Grant Institutions

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Using Updates to Educate Policy Makers About Water Programs at Land-Grant Institutions

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