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Ohio 2004-2009 Outreach Strategic Plan
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 Ohio
2004-2009 Outreach Strategic Plan (69 Kb)
To provide services to all people in a manner that improves their
understanding of USDA programs and services, increases their participation in
USDA programs, and encourages them to participate in resource planning and the
decision making process.
This will be accomplished by:
- Providing information on USDA programs and services to all groups
- Gaining the trust and acceptance of underserved individuals and groups
- Assisting underserved individuals and groups with identifying their
natural resource concerns. Providing them with technical and financial
assistance available from USDA, partners, and other agencies or organizations
that would help them improve their land and/or communities
- Providing assistance in understanding programs, how to use programs, and
completing forms
- Developing partnerships to assist with reaching underserved customers
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NRCS-Ohio will reach ALL customers through programs and services.
NRCS-Ohio’s Goals/Objectives:
- Ensuring that NRCS-Ohio staff and partners have a clear understanding of
outreach (who, what, when, and where)
- Involving the partnership in outreach opportunities
- Assisting employees with providing service to all customers
- Improving communication with underserved individuals and groups
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Desired Results
All NRCS-Ohio employees will have a clear understanding of outreach.
Who—benefits from outreach and Who-are our underserved customers; What—is
outreach, What—are the resources available to assist them with their outreach
efforts; When—is the right time to do outreach, and Where-do I start.
Actions
- Outreach coordinator will attend each administrative unit meeting to
explain what outreach means and who benefits from our outreach efforts
- Develop an Outreach Activities Report to assist DCs and RC&Ds with
documenting outreach activities
- Share outreach activities across the State with all employees
- Develop an Outreach Strategic Plan as recommended in the Civil Rights
Action Team (CRAT) report
- Submit quarterly reports on outreach accomplishments to the regional
office
- Work with SEPMs to develop a program for recruiting minority students for
potential jobs in natural resources
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Desired Results
NRCS-Ohio employees will assist in district efforts to reach out to
underserved individuals and groups. The partnership resources (staff, programs,
information/advice, and assistance) are used in the most appropriate and
efficient manner for underserved individuals and groups. Form new partnerships
and strengthen existing partnerships (as stated in the Food and Agricultural
Policy). Collaborations involving government agencies, for profit and not for
profit organizations will encourage the development of public-private
partnerships and joint programs will improve program access and implementation.
This is very important with meeting the needs and interests of various groups
while still advancing the public good.
Actions
- Share information on contacts, etc., with districts and offer to assist
the district in reaching out to underserved individuals and groups as well as
to all potential customers
- Work with RC&D councils and district boards to encourage representation
from women and minorities on their boards. Encourage civil rights and outreach
items in the council’s and board’s business plans
- Work with districts to expand the participation of historically
underserved individuals and include the natural resource concerns of all
individuals and groups in their local work group area
- Work with soil scientists to focus on educating and informing customers of
available information in the soil survey
- Participate and support the State Outreach Council (SOC)
- Attend resource soil scientist meetings
- Provide training to RC&D councils, districts, ODNR employees, and NRCS
employees to increase their understanding of NRCS’ commitment to working with
underserved individuals and groups
- Implement a long-term service center outreach plan. Monitor the progress
and report significant developments
- Work with the Native American SEPM to provide training to administrative
units on tribal history, culture, and organization as well as the consultative
process
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Desired Results
All employees are able to respond to customers on an equal basis. Time is
utilized through partners to alleviate duplication of efforts. We will work
closely with other Federal, State, and local government agencies to ensure that
our work is mutually supportive and our policies and regulations are consistent.
Actions
- Include outreach information on NRCS-Ohio’s web page
- Develop special projects that enhance partnerships with community-based
organizations
- Work with the Native American SEPM to develop a Native American display
that can be used by NRCS and partners
- Work with Native American SEPM to provide training on the consultative
process in government-to-government relationships
- Provide training in working with Amish and Mennonite communities
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Desired Results
Information material is readily available to provide assistance to
underserved customers. NRCS-Ohio materials are regularly provided to
non-mainstream media sources to familiarize underserved customers with the
services of NRCS and USDA.
Actions
- Work with public affairs specialist (PAS) to develop Public Service
Announcements (PSAs) to reach out to underserved customers
- Develop articles for tribal and Amish newspapers on natural resource
information concepts and assistance
- Establish a relationship with Spanish speaking communities and newspapers
- Convey increased technical needs as a result of outreach activities to
leadership
- Develop prepared articles on various practices, backyard conservation,
tree planting, crop residue, grazing, soil survey use, no-till, GLCI, and
carbon sequestration
- Include conservation information on NRCS-Ohio web page
- Invite Native Americans to train staff
- Initiate and support Hispanic outreach projects
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For Programs:
- Target resources and improve program coordination throughout the state
- Develop innovative ways of using programs to increase participation of
underserved individuals and groups
- Will encourage RC&D councils to reach out to underserved groups and
communities
- Will encourage RC&D councils to seek out eligible disabled, minority, and
women to become council members or to participate on councils
- Will support Ohio’s outreach efforts.
For Technology:
- Develop a brochure of low-cost and low-management conservation practices
- Develop a fact sheet on information available in the soil survey and how
to use the soil survey.
For Field Operations:
- Support recruitment, retention, and training of current and future
employees
- Support reaching out to underserved individuals and groups through USDA
programs and services
- Reinforce outreach documentation at the field level
- Will have an outreach presentation in at least one administrative unit
meeting a year
- Will support a diversity day program.
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- Will include outreach information on NRCS-Ohio’s web page
- Will publish an outreach newsletter to share information on successful
outreach projects with all employees and partners
- Complete the State’s Outreach Strategic Plan
- Work with soil scientist to provide outreach training on information in
the soil survey
- Participate in the State Outreach Council (SOC)
- Work with the State Association of RC&Ds and SOC to conduct education and
informational workshops for limited resource, small, and beginner farmers,
focusing on USDA programs and activities, Marketing strategies and Alternative
Markets (as indicated in the Food and Agricultural Policy)
- Work with a non-profit farming camp for at-risk youth, Gallia County
- Work with minority farmers in establishing community networks
- Work with the PAS and visual information assistant to include maps, links,
and other outreach information on our State’s web page
- Discuss the differences between outreach and civil rights
- Exchange outreach ideas
- Help employees set goals for reaching out to underserved customers
- Attend DPA (District Program Administrator) meetings to discuss the
importance of outreach and discuss the roles districts can play
- Discuss methods to inform partners of outreach opportunities
- Submit quarterly outreach reports to the regional office every September
14, December 21, March 22, June 21, and September 20 of each year
- Work with soil scientist to develop soil training information
- Work with PAS to develop PSAs to reach out to underserved customers
- Establish relationship with Spanish speaking individuals so as to use as
translators
- Work with PAS and visual information assistant to include information on
conservation education on NRCS-Ohio’s web page
- Identify qualified organizations and minorities to be a part of the SOC
- Along with PAS, visual information assistant and other partners develop an
outreach display
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- Assist the district in reaching out to underserved customers
- Collaborate with Government, Non Government agencies, for profit and not
for profit organizations to establish partnerships to promote joint projects
(as stated in the Food and Agricultural Policy)
- Encourage board to expand their representation of women, minorities, and
limited resource customers
- Encourage conservation districts to expand the participation with local
underserved groups and individuals
- Ensure that USDA programs and services are reaching underserved
individuals and groups/communities
- Document outreach activities at the field level
- Send in quarterly reports to the outreach coordinator
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- Encourage councils to expand representation of disabled, women,
minorities, limited resource farmers, and tribal members on RC&D councils
- Provide information on outreach and program delivery to underserved
customers
- Develop a business plan, which includes civil rights and outreach action
items
- Provide assistance to underserved customers/communities
Provide information on/or training in:
- Promote education or worker training workshops to help rural communities
to improve human capital and earning potential
- Assist rural communities with adopting creative strategies to diversify
the economy, attract new businesses, and sustain their successes
- Program delivery to underserved individuals and groups/communities
- Equal employment laws and regulations and government-to-government
relationships with tribal groups
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- Provide consultative training to RC&D councils and NRCS employees to
increase their acceptance and understanding of NRCS’ commitment to working
with Native American individuals and communities
- Develop a Native American display that can be used by NRCS
- Provide information on tribal history, culture, and organization as well
as the consultative process
- Provide assistance to Ohio’s Indian Centers
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