Organizational Development and Planning

Organizations sometimes need outside facilitation of an internal development or planning process. Extension may provide this help to local governments and to non-profits that have a public-serving mission. Strategies available include: assessing organizational effectiveness, strategic planning, operational planning review, and board development.

Citizen/Member Participation

Extension helps local governments and non-profits design quality citizen participation efforts.  Ongoing opportunities for public input – including those leading to citizen ownership of civic efforts – are a hallmark of effective government.  Membership-based non-profits need a diversity of committed people to get things done.  Facilitation by Extension is designed jointly with leaders on a case-by-case basis, given the unique characteristics of each organization.

Toward a Sustainable Community:  A Toolkit for Local Government – Volume 2 – Toolkit (pdf)

This guide is intended to give practical tools for making each function of local government more cost-effective and more supportive of human and environmental health and well-being. This volume has largely kept the Introduction section the same. What has changed are the sections focused on government functions. Volume 1 focused internal government functions, such as procurement, buildings, investments and human. Volume 2 focuses on government functions that directly affect community. This volume’s chapters are organized in large part around alocal government’s functions: air quality management, land use, weater, land and water conservation, parks and recreation, cemeteries, encomic development, local food systems, and solid waste. A chaper on climate change is included because these effects will impact local government function in potentially profound ways. This guid provide stategies that can be implemented through traditional means of policy development, fiscal administration, programs, and education. The various government functions and stategies listed in this guide are intended to be viewed and implemented as a whole system.