John G. Richardson
Ext.Prog.Del.& Accountab. Ldr.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service NC State University

Background

Developing and Communicating Effective Program Success
Stories For Enhanced Accountability




Introduction

The dictionary defines success as "... favorable termination of a venture...the degree or
measure of attaining a desired end...an undertaking that succeeds or confers
success...succeeding fully or in accordance with one's desires"(Babcock, 1993).
Interviews with numerous Extension professionals indicates that success is seen in many
forms. However, for a success story to convey significant success, actions by clients or
impacts on clients should be indicated (Boyle, 1997). These actions may indicate
practice adoption or changed behaviors. Often, success stories in Cooperative Extension
accountability nomenclature may be called impact statements as well. Such impacts
may be indicated as financial gains; taxpayer savings; efficiencies gained; environmental
enhancements or protec! ! tion; individual life enhancements; resources preserved; or
societal improvements (Bennett, 1996). One county Extension director stated that
program success is "choosing to do the right things well, and achieving measurable
results from doing our programs that meet the needs of people"(Baker, et.al., 1995).

Success Stories for Accountability

Cooperative Extension has a large number of audiences that expect, and some require,
accountability information (NCCESTMTF, 1998). Based on evidence gained from many
of those audiences, concise success stories have generally been found to be highly
popular for communicating program impacts to lay audiences. Considerable anecdotal
input and feedback from State Legislators, Congressional staff and others, has made it
obvious that brief, concise statements focussed directly to the core of a program and
its results are highly preferred over more lengthy, explanatory documents! ! . Therefore,
based on this evidence, success stories that are used by the North Carolina Cooperative
Extension System (NCCES) for productive program accountability purposes are written
to communicate program impacts to lay audiences who may not be readily familiar with
Cooperative Extension programs. In understanding this key factor, program acronyms
are avoided or at least explained. Internal jargon that others outside of Extension do
not understand should be avoided in success stories for externally focused audiences.
The key seems to be brevity and conciseness that gets to the heart of the program
outcome and impact.

Here are some comments made by internal and external audiences regarding uses of
success stories as well as message brevity.

"My professional style is to get to the point as succinctly as possible, because staffers
are busy. Congressional committees usually limit testimony (either or both in! ! pages
and time) to encourage brevity. Formatting also helps, so that your main points stand
out. (Legislative Affairs Expert, National Association of Counties)

"We want brief, concise reports of accomplishments that cover the main points of:Who's involved; Problem; What you did; Difference it made; any collaborators;
Contact person; and on one page (Congressional Aide for Congresswoman Eva Clayton)

"We want brief reports of Extension accomplishments that get to the heart of thesubject and are no more than one page (N. C. Representative Howard Hunter s aide)

"My Extension Advisory Council members expressed a preference for brief successstories by indicating their pleasure with a marketing piece that we used for program
reporting that included success stories only. They specifically requested that I provide
this type of document to them periodically (J. S., NCCES County Extension Director)

&qu! ! ot;I want information that is really concise, tells me what is happening without wasting
words, and that I can read very quickly (Member of N. C. House of Representatives)

"My county advisory council, county commissioners, and county manager really like
this kind of concise information from Extension (H. S., NCCES County ExtensionDirector) The success stories and narratives are easily accessible and can be incorporated intotalks to emphasize local programs and impacts. Local audiences want to know and
hear about how CES makes a difference to their communities and for their neighbors.
Impacts even a county away is no longer adequate to build or maintain local support. (Director, County Operations, NCCES)

"Our success stories go to approximately 2,000 people which include county
commissioners, legislators, mayors, city council members, key government staff
members, advisory leadership system, all people on our mailing ! ! list, and media. We
also use them when introducing Extension to new potential audiences. In addition,
we use them for manager reports that we do twice per month to county
management. (M. B., NCCES County Extension Director)

"Some of my uses for our success stories include our marketing brochure for allpublic; our twice yearly "Report to the People"; a "Good News" bulletin board for
public viewing; Staff Celebrations; County Commissioner s Budget Sessions; Advisory
Council updates; speeches to stakeholder groups; and for staff training. (G. R.,NCCES County Extension Director)

Method

Developing Success Stories

Considering the uses described for concise stories that are, brief, descriptive and
explanatory, in presenting positive program impacts for accountability purposes, there
are some general guidelines for developing such stories that should be kept in mind.
When developing a success story, conciseness, brevity, informative, focused, and
impact-oriented should be the guiding principles. A success story should include a very
brief description of the problem; the educational program response; the participants;
other partners (if applicable); and program impact or participant response; plus a
conclusion. Thus, the structure consists of Problem, Program, People, Partners, Impact,
and Conclusion and can be stated as the four P s, I and C or PPPPIC. If available, the
participant response may be stated as a testimonial if available.

While brevity is a commonly used word to describe a success story, this! ! is a relative
term. However, several of the persons offering their thoughts for this paper emphasized
the length should be one page or less. Therefore, for purposes of communicating
successes of an organization (in one page or less), hard decisions have to be made as
to whether to only convey one story, or several stories.

With knowledge of program results the ultimate goal of most accountability efforts,
NCCES has focused on providing as many success stories as possible in such confined
parameters. Therefore, while a single page may allow 400 words or more, if several
stories are preferred, then 150 words per story allows for about four success stories on
a single page. With this in mind, during the conceptual stages and design of NCCES s
Web based Extension Reporting System (ERS) during 1995 and 1996, a decision was
made to allow only 100 words per success story. Anything over 100 words would
automatically be tru! ! ncated by the computer. However, even in the testing stage prior
to release of ERS, it was recognized that in order to effectively include the desired
PPPPIC parameters, every bit of available space was utilized, and many stories had a
few words or sentences truncated.

With this 100 word limit problem clearly identified, it was decided to allow up to 150
words before truncation occurred. This additional space has been sufficient to allow all
of the key parameters to be covered in success stories produced by field faculty and
specialists. While the World Wide Web was only beginning to be used extensively
during 1995 when the development of ERS occurred, the release of ERS coinciding with
the establishment of a statewide Graphic User Interface (GUI) computer network resulted
in the word truncated being observed for the first time by many. However, humorous
feedback quickly occurred regarding the effectiveness of the trunca! ! tion feature on the
success story menu of ERS. Usually, such humor was made in statements by field
faculty who said... I had never heard of truncated until now, but after seeing that
computer clip off part of my nice success story, I learned very quickly that when it said
it would be truncated at 150 words, it meant it! Thus, the computer system (ERS) in
which NCCES success stories are entered effectively assures brevity.
Value of Training
While conceptual designs and computer systems can readily be developed, the actual
writing of quality success stories is in the hands of field and campus faculty who actually
conduct the programs they are reporting about. Even though specific parameters can be
developed such as the PPPPIC and the wording limits, what really constitutes a quality
success story and how to present it in a positive mode becomes most important. Since
the primary purpose for such stories is to convey real world s! ! uccesses and effectiveness
of the organization s educational programs, it is important to think about the message
that is really being conveyed by the success story. Only training and coaching has been
found to be effective in helping most faculty to gain the knowledge and skills needed for
writing quality success stories.

Both number and quality of success stories entered in ERS have continuously improved
over the past three years. At the present time, about 1,500 success stories are entered
into ERS each year, and easily 75% do a good job in stating successes in the prescribed
format. However, some are still entered that only describe how hard the agent is
working, and some are simply so poorly written that no use can be made of them for any
purpose, except to use as examples of what does not constitute a quality success story.
Fortunately, such comparisons of excellence versus mediocrity have been most effective
in hel! ! ping faculty to understand the difference.

It has also been discovered that inadequate or inappropriate statement of the problem
can give the reader mistaken impressions as to why the program was undertaken or
what prompted the initiative to begin with.

In stating a problem, it is very easy to convey the impression that we were sitting idly by
at the Extension office waiting for a problem to arise rather than conveying the image
that we were educating to prevent problems and to produce positive program results.
Conveyance of the message that Cooperative Extension is making a difference in
people's lives in a positive manner with demonstrated impacts should be the intended
purpose of writing a success story. In North Carolina, we have found that training and
more training coupled with practice and feedback are most helpful in agent s
understanding and practice of the right way to write success stories and to convey thecorrect message in the process. A before and after example of the value of agent
training in a direct workshop setting analyzing their own stories is shown in the following
two success stories that have been reported by the same agent in North Carolina s
Extension Reporting System during the past year.

BEFORE PARTICIPATING IN TRAINING

Date: Tue Oct 21 12:53:30 EDT 1997
SMP #: 4
Local System: county g
Person Reporting: livestock agent x
A cattle producer who had done a good job breeding for replacement heifers and
selecting brood cows for genetic merit, was not pleased with the price his feeder calves
were bringing. He purchased a bull he believed would improve his sale calves. Needing
assistance evaluating whether the bull would be suitable for breeding his heifers and
mature cows or just mature cows, he sought the opinion of his county agent. Upon
studying the genetic makeup of the bull and the producers' e! ! xisting cow herd, purchase
of a new bull was recommended. Conformation, Expected Progeny Differences and
breed of the bull as well as current feeder steer market conditions made this bull
unsuitable for producing optimum quality and type calves for NC markets. Analyzing
market history, the calves from this new bull will net the producer $1875 per year more
than the calves from the old bull.

AFTER PARTICIPATING IN TRAINING
Date: Tue Jun 30 15:49:03 EDT 1998
SMP #: 4
Local System: county g
Person Reporting: livestock agent x

A small beef producer marketing his calves as 300-400 pound feeders was not getting
the full potential from his herd of good quality brood cows. Through Extension
educational efforts, this producer was convinced of the benefits of cross-breeding and
using performance-tested bulls that would produce heavier, high market-value calves.
He sold his old bull and bought a new bull from a state! ! performance-testing station.
Calculating genetic improvement and the value of heterosis, calves resulting from this
careful crossbreeding program will weigh 15-20 percent more than previous years calves
and show an increase of $.15/pound in market value. Knowledge gained and practices
adopted through Extension educational efforts will increase this farmer's proceeds from
the sale of calves by $1150 in one year's time.

Difference

The second story that was reported several months following training indicates that the
agent gained a clear understanding of writing success stories, both from communicating
the program impact point of view, and also in knowing how to place Extension in a
positive, proactive role as well. Therefore, as a result of such training and
communication from NCCES administration as to how the information is being actually
used for accountability efforts, the quality and quantity of reports entered i! ! n the ERS has
continued to improve very rapidly.

Key Components of a Success Story

The six key components of a success story have been described earlier In this paper as
the Problem, Program, People, Partners, Impact, and a Conclusion, or the PPPPI&C.
Obviously, in successes where no partners exist, this component can be readily skipped.
Such logic can also apply regarding a concluding statement when insufficient space isavailable, or the statement of program and Impact clearly communicate the story without
further elaboration. An actual success story reported in the NCCES ERS reporting
system has been analyzed to identify the six key components.

---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

Heart Healthy Program Successful

Heart disease is the number 1 killer in Robeson County [Problem]. CooperativeExtension in cooperation with local h! ! ospital and Healthy Dept. [Partners] sponsorsquarterly "heart healthy" cooking workshops for the general public. Emphasis is on
health recipes and cooking techniques participants can use in their daily lives [Program].49 consumers participated in the three workshops [People]. Participants were surveyedseveral weeks following classes, and 73% indicated they had used class recipes or
modified their own recipes to reduce fat, sodium, or sugar. According the JADA (1996),
nutrition intervention saves on average $8000 per patient. Thus, for the small group
surveyed there was a savings of $64000 [Impact]. Due to interest of participants,workshops will continue quarterly [Conclusion].

Impact Focused
While the partners and concluding statement may be omitted when appropriate, our
experience in using success stories for accountability purposes has shown that It is
imperative, though, to always include a statement of the problem, the Coope! ! rative
Extension program, the people it serves and its actual impact. Program success should
generally focus on the entire educational program that includes multiple program delivery
strategies rather than on a single program delivery activity. Success should be
demonstrated by actual outcomes, meaning actions taken, rather than intended
outcomes or in educational gains of clients. That the information was actually used to
make a positive difference should be indicated. From the North Carolina Cooperative
Extension s point of view, happiness about an activity or statements of intentions to
change are not sufficient to indicate a program success story.

Results

Success Story Examples

The following examples are actual success stories from recent accomplishment reports
(NCCES, 1998), that have been written to include information that clearly communicates
positive program results.

Reduced Cotton Tillage Program Produces Savings

Problems with wind and sand injury on cotton in the spring has resulted in Cooperative
Extension focusing educational programs on reduced tillage farming methods. Acres of
reduced tillage in Bertie County has increased from 500 to 20,000 in 1997. Most farmers
are strip tilling, using hooded sprayers and never cultivating the cotton. Educationalprograms and farm visits have assisted farmers in equipment selection adjustments,
along with herbicide selection and rates. Results have been the use of less herbicides,
reduced tillage trips, savings on land preparation time in the spring, reduced cultivations,
better weed control, increase in organic matter an! ! d better stands with no wind damage.
All these have resulted in a $487,500 savings to the County's farmers.

4-H Career Program Makes a Difference

Many high school students do not have the opportunity to see first hand what is involved
in a career of their choice. Wayne County 4-H collaborated with a civic club to conduct
a shadowing program in which high school students experienced a day with an adult in
a career of their choice. The day ended with a luncheon to honor the students and
recognized the adult volunteers. Each student had to write an essay about their
experience and included remarks such as: "This day has helped me decide what I want
to go to college for". Another student commented, "Through the 4-H career program I
learned that what I thought I wanted as a career was not really for me. This program
helped me see this before I invested my time in college preparing for a career."

P! ! lastic Waste Collection Program a Success

Each year thousands of ornamental plants are planted into Guilford county landscapes.
The result is a stock pile of plastic nursery pots. Unfortunately these pots are not
included in the current city recycling program. They are frequently disposed of through
the county landfill. To prevent this a Recycling program was established by Cooperative
Extension, with the cooperation of Plastics Revolutions, a recycling company which
handles this type plastic. Television spots were conducted as well as newspaper articles
published to alert people to handle these pots in a more environmentally friendly manner
by means of a one day collection program. There were 5,500 lbs.of plastic collected
which will be used to make new nursery pots and parking car stops. There were also
300 lbs collected which will be reused by backyard propagators for producing landscape
plants.

Pesticide Container! ! Recycling Program Saves Landfill Space

Used pesticide containers can be a major environmental hazard. In order to assure that
farmers and others properly dispose of such containers, the Caldwell County Extension
Center is in its second year of conducting a pesticide container recycling program. This
year, two educational programs were held to educate producers on the proper methods
of recycling containers. Of the 128 that attended, 120 stated they will or are taking part
in the program. So far this year, the program has resulted in the recycling of 700 two
and one-half gallon containers, 100 five gallon containers and 6 fifty-five gallon drums.
This has saved the county approximately 1150 square feet of landfill space. At $17.50/sq
foot, the resulting savings is more than $20,000.00 for landfill space alone.

Family Budgeting Program Stimulates Action

Moving families off of welfare to work is a goal of Forsyth Count! ! y. The Cooperative
Extension Service partnered with DSS, Goodwill Industries, and the JobLink Center to
educate young mothers so they can improve their financial status. Classes were held
at Goodwill Industries focusing on basic budgeting for parents who will be entering the
work force. Two hundred participants increased knowledge of the family budgeting
process as a means for developing a budget to fit their family's needs. At the end of the
series, 150 limited resource participants stated they were now making a budget which
is helping them to prioritize their bills and start paying bills on time, which will improve
their credit record as well.

Sawmill Efficiency Program Increases Income

There is a great need to increase the competitiveness and profitability of North Carolina's
forest products industry. Extension programs focused on educational and technical
assistance to North Carolina forest products manufacture! ! rs resulted in one sawmill
operation making modifications to their dispatch system. The results reported by this one
mill indicated a production gain of 10,000 board feet of lumber per day or increased
income of $300,000 per year. While the entire wood products industry is served by Wood
Products Extension, this one example is indicative of the many impacts accruing as a
result of useful educational opportunities being provided in a timely and inclusive
manner.

Conclusions

Conclusion

Often called silver bullets within the Cooperative Extension System, success stories
have considerable utility in meeting accountability demands from multiple internal and
external entities. Usually, those demands are for highly specific and concise information
on program impacts and accomplishments. The concise and brief success story format
provides much of the production framework to meet these accountability demands. Such
diversity is shown by NCCES identification of 24 separate primary audiences for
receiving accountability information. Sixteen additional audiences were identified as
secondary for receiving accountability. Since even the secondary audiences are critical
to the support of NCCES, altogether, these audiences account for forty separate entities
who require accountability information in some format (NCCESTMTF, 1998). Use of the
brief, concise and impact laden success stories have been ! ! shown to have great utility
in meeting many of those audience s accountability needs/requirements.

In this time of performance based budgeting, budget defense at every turn, questions
about program duplication or relevance, and yes, even questions that request information
for supporting greater budgets and program expansion, multiple accountability needs
exist. The Federal Office of Management and Budget requires only numbers of teaching
contacts by Extension. Recently, the University of North Carolina System imposed a
requirement for reports on the number of all non-degree credit activities Extension
conducts, and what type delivery method was involved. Grant reports are strictly
dictated by the granting entity, and may require program outcomes or may simply require
an accounting of how the money was spent. Such examples clearly indicate thatsuccess stories are not the answer to all accountability needs of an organization. Yet! ! ,
based on the experience of NCCES during the past three years in which a proactive
effort has been made to collect, store and creatively use program success stories, this
means of accountability is highly adaptable and usable for a wide array of the many
audiences who use or require accountability information from Extension.

Indeed, having a defined database to turn to in an instant not only provides
accountability information users the information they require, but can also be highly
impressive as well, due to the speed of the response to the request. Such speed and
dependability for quality program impact information can produce highly positive
responses from those who need such information. Thus, while staff continues to need
to be trained in both development and use of program success stories, this commitment
is well worth the time and efforts involved to accomplish the task. Program information
available on demand o! ! r usable as deemed desirable for the agency is being shown to
be a strong and highly valuable component of NCCES accountability system. Such
program impact from a local or state system should be equally as valuable to other state
systems as well. Perhaps the most important key is to have a vast supply of readily
available program impact information available on demand as well as for organization
use as planned or desired.

References

Babcock, P. , editor (1993). Webster's Third New International Dictionary.
Mirriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield,
Massachusetts.

Baker, D., Boyd, A., Caldwell, A., Davis, E., Hammond, C., Pleasant, R., Smith, D., &
Smith, M. (1995). Personal Interviews. NC Cooperative Extension Service. NC State
University, Raleigh.

Bennett, Claude F. (1996). Rationale for Public Funding of Agricultural Extension
Programs. Journal of Agricultural and Food Information, Vol. 3(4).

Boyle, Patrick (1997). Epsilon Sigma Phi. Number 68 (May /June).

North Carolina Cooperative Extension System Targeted Marketing Task Force(1998).
Targeted Marketing For Accountability Information. Task Force Report, NC State
University, Raleigh, and NC A&T State University, Greensboro, NC. May, 1998.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension System (1998). Program Success Stories.
NC State University, Raleigh, and NC A&T State University, Greensboro, NC.
Richardson, John G. and Corbin, Marilyn A. (1998). Writing Program Success Stories.
Agricultural and Extension Education Publication AEE 98-02. North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, NC.