In Extension, a plan of work is a document that serves as a guide for program planning, implementation, and evaluation over a specific period of time. The Plan of Work guidance document can be found at the Planning and Recording Portal.  Plans of work consist of narrative components that reflect the entire Framework for Ongoing Program Development.

Below are some resources for doing program planning and putting a Plan of Work together.

Guidance Document

• A brief overview for creating an individual plan of work

Situation Statement

• Demographic Data Resources created by Applied Population Laboratory & Dept. of Youth, Family, and Community Development leaders and specialists.
  • Including GetFacts – the APL’s interactive data portal featuring mostly infographics https://getfacts.wisc.edu/
• Secondary Data Sources for Understanding the Situation and Context in Agriculture (2021)
• Summary of Findings from Wisconsin Extension’s 2018 Statewide Situational Analysis
• Access data resources that were identified and curated during Extension’s 2018 statewide situational analysis here
  • You can filter the columns to more easily find resources that are relevant to your work.
  • If the hyperlink to the resource isn’t working due to our Google Drive transition, you can contact the educator who found the resource (their email is included in spreadsheet).

Writing Outcomes & Action Plan

• Writing action plan statements that center inclusion and equity – see this article’s section on “Converting SMART goals to SMARTIE goals”
• More on Outcomes & Program Logic – sections 2-3, see this for help writing outcomes
• Verbs that can describe learning outcomes (Bloom’s Taxonomy)
  • English
  • Spanish

To consider while developing programs:

• Incorporating Theory into Extension Program Design – pages 1-11 are most relevant, from University of Maryland Extension
• Community Toolbox from University of Kansas – includes tips and tools around community assessment, planning, intervention, etc. Under continuous improvement since ’94 and available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
• Special journal issue on the Extension Program Development Model – for those interested in delving into more reading

Fitting it all together

• Logic Model Template – note, a logic model can be a helpful tool to visualize various components of your plan of work, understand how the different pieces fit together, and help guide evaluation