Each partner, AES, CES and CSREES, has made unique contributions to the growth and development of the land-grant system. Each partner operates in a cultural milieu which impacts our ability to work collectively and which may limit the effectiveness of the partnership.

It was clear in survey responses that the roles of each partner are not clearly understood by respondents. It was also clear from the responses that expectations are sometimes incongruent with the capacity of the partner to deliver. We believe the partnership can function more effectively if roles of each partner are better defined, understood and even valued.

The Partnership Task Force developed the following contributions, constraints, and roles of AES, CES, and CSREES based on the survey data.  

AES

Contributions

• Discovers and synthesizes new knowledge
• Provides access to a tremendous network of expertise
• Assists in education and strengthens what can be provided to citizens both through Extension and directly to the public
• Addresses national, regional, multi-state and local problems
• Mentors young researchers, providing a system through which a research community is maintained
• Provides products that can be licensed and creates a revenue stream for colleges and universities
• Integrates with CES through joint appointments
• Leads and connects to international networks
• Links to graduate and undergraduate education
• Expands knowledge base to inform public policy decisions
• Links to segments of the corporate and industrial sector, acting in between the public and private research agendas

Constraints

• Difficulty in synthesizing the whole of the research output, because of its breadth and diversity
• Changed and changing customer base: traditional base shrinking, overall base expanding
• Conflicts in priorities due to state and national needs and funding sources
• Expectations that CES will work on the basis only of knowledge generated by their state AES or AES overall [AES needs to supply some, not all, of the knowledge required by CES]
• Full potential of integration with CES and CSREES not achieved
• Appropriate linkages are not always made, do not exist
• Research agenda focused differently from work of CES
• Inadequate evaluation of whether AES is doing what it ought to do (rather than what is done)
• Inability to be responsive and change directions
• Reluctance to share results until research is complete
• Limited ability to support and encourage staff development to meet changing needs
• Inadequate communication and marketing of successes to the public

Additional Constraints:

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CES

Contributions

• Develops and coordinates a nationwide network to get national, regional and state information to local people
• Identifies and meets customer needs
• Links AES research to clientele
• Sustains a network of tens of thousands of volunteers
• Engages large sectors of the college and university communities
• Draws knowledge from multiple sources
• Builds community through relationships with youth, adult development, and public and private organizations
• Offers diverse and comprehensive programming to many segments of the population
• Provides credible, science-based, integrated knowledge
• Understands and identifies emerging issues that require research and action
• Adapts knowledge to address local needs
• Conducts applied research

Constraints

• Rapidly expanding agenda not in sync with its resources or capacity to deliver
• Difficulty in keeping up with and reflecting the changing composition of US population
• Limited ability to capture funding outside agriculture limited due to perception of being an agricultural organization
• Under utilization of full range of available educational methods and technologies
• Full potential of integration with AES and CSREES not achieved
• Difficulty in setting priorities and focusing the agenda due to broadness of agenda and expectations
• Lack of rigor in evaluation of its effectiveness
• Limited ability to support and encourage staff development to meet changing needs
• Inadequate communication and marketing of successes to the public
• Difficulty in reconciling local expectations with available resources
• Limited capacity to hire needed professionals in our changing environment

Additional Constraints:

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CSREES

Contributions

• Provides federal funding
• Brokers with AES and CES to use the capacity of colleges and universities to address national issues (not just funding)
• Links the concerns and programmatic issues identified by the partnership with other agencies and organizations
• Defines critical national and international issues and rallies support of the partners to address them (capacity to lead)
• Promotes the impact and utilization of AES and CES programs by other agencies
• Facilitates sharing of materials and information within and among states and institutions
• Provides technical assistance on national regulations and policy to states
• Increases public awareness of the value of AES and CES
• Expands the AES and CES network beyond national boundaries

Constraints

• Restricted by its status as a federal agency, accountable to the Executive Branch, Congress and federal law
• Limited advocacy role
• Limited ability to commit the system
• Conservative in action, heavily dependent on legal interpretation
• Limited ability to conduct rigorous evaluations of organizational effectiveness
• Inconsistent program leadership across functions and funding streams
• Reticent to communicate, approaching knowledge as power and seeking to maintain control by withholding information, both internally and externally
• Lacks authority of a line agency to mobilize resources; success is related to CES and AES
• Fewer staff with land grant experience and knowledge of the system
• Inadequate resources (funding, people, other) to meet the many needs that exist
• Ineffective use of communication technologies
• Lack of clarity in defining roles of National Program Leaders

Additional Constraints:

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