CEAC

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Situation Analysis
The shortest distance between where we are now,
and the future, is a story.

• CEAC
• December 13, 2007
• Madison, WI

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What is our purpose today?

• Solicit input about the situation analysis data
  that has been gathered so far
• How can we use our data snapshots to help
  identify what our strategic plan should address?
• How can we best tell the story of our current
  situation to provide a compelling framework and
  link to our future?

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What is a situation analysis?
A Situation Analysis involves research and
analysis of both internal and external
environmental factors, consideration of
organizational successes and failures, and the
impact of the organization's past and present
abilities to reach its goals.  
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What will we do today?

• Provide an overview of the strategic planning
  process and timeline
• Review snapshots of collected data
• Get a feel for the keystone themes
• Begin to develop a sense for themes that are
  both highly important and feasible to
  address
• Look for underlying paradigms and
  inter-relationships among themes

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Why Snapshots?

• Photographers look through many lenses macro and
  telephoto
• Snapshot observers notice many things subject,
  background
• Snapshots create nostalgia for the past and
  inspire nostalgia for the future
• A flash in time
•  

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Why Keystone themes?

• Keystones are the central, wedge-shaped stones at
  the archways that support the arch and lock it
  together
• Regardless of levels of abundance, keystones have
  a dramatic effect on their surounding environment
• Keystone strategies can create positive shifts
  and improve structures
•  

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Why Stories?

• Allow us to bridge perception and reality
• Help us understand perspectives from throughout
  the system
• Help us connect on a deeper level and find
  common ground
•  

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Why you, why your story?

• You bring a unique perspective from within the
  organization
• You are needed to help us go beyond talking
  about our issues so we can begin acting for our
  solutions
• You can help tell the story to other parts of
  the organization
•  

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Specialists in Todays UW-Extension
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Situation Analysis Overview

• Starry eyed disclaimers the fine print
• Snapshots are in draft form
• All gathered input will be shared either in
  raw data or summary fashion
• We err on protecting confidentiality
•  

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Facilitated Processes District, CEAC, WACEC
Key Informants UW System, Electeds,Partners
WisLines, Meetings, and Website
Existing data, documents, and plans
Strategic Planning Steering Committee visits
Values Design Team and Survey
JCEP World Café Extension in the 21st Century
Specialist Survey and Meeting
Hello, were the input gatherers, givers,
responders and analyzers.
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Specialists in Todays UW-Extension

• Two basic questions
• What is the role of the specialist in
  UW-Extension?
• What is the role of scholarship in UW-Extension?

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Specialists in Todays UW-Extension

• Some observations.
• There is great heterogeneity in how
  specialists view their job..
• Research and peer review is important, but
  there is disagreement as to what these mean.
• Declining resources has forced a change in the
  role of the specialist..
• Movement to a stronger web-based delivery
  mechanism is inevitable.

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Your opportunity for snapshot analysis

• What snapshot impressions come to mind?
• What do you sense are the keystone themes?
• Are we missing anything?
•  

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Keystone Themes

• Choose one Keystone Theme
• What makes the theme compelling?
• Why must the theme be addressed if we are to be
  highly successful in the future?
• Describe the feasibilty of addressing the theme
•  

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A Systems View

• Consider the Keystone Themes that have been
  described so far
• How are they connected to one another?
• How might a change in one theme impact other
  parts of the system?
• What are the deeper questions we should be
  asking?
•  

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"If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going
to keep getting what we're getting."- Stephen
R. Covey
Knowledge
Habits
Desire
Skills
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Seeing all parts of the iceberg
Events What just happened? Patterns Whats been
happening? Have we seen this before? Structures
What are the forces at play contributing to these
patterns? Mental Models What about our thinking
allows this situation to persist?  
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Seeing all parts of the iceberg

• When thinking about Cooperative Extensions
  iceberg, what highly ineffective habits need
  challenging?
• Events - Reactive
• Patterns - Adaptive
• Structures - Creative
• Mental Models Paradigm Shifts

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First Trimester Check-Up
How are we doing?
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Thank you!