BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE

The two general purposes of this study were to determine how the members of the Boards of County Commissioners in Idaho perceived the programs and activities of the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension Service in their counties; and to determine how knowledgeable they were of the Extension agents and their educational activities, the information available, the methods of delivery, clientele groups and the financial pattern of the county Extension operations.

A total of 57 county commissioners responded to the survey from 42 counties in Idaho having Extension Service offices. The mail questionnaire was utilized to measure the dimensions of statements and questions concerning the importance of various organizational and educational program aspects of Extension in its role as an educational body. A sample audience of Extension agents were surveyed, with eleven responding to certain comparative questions.

Over fifty percent of the county commissioners indicated they perceived the major role of Extension to be that of helping people solve problems, and to provide information. The survey revealed that nearly 85 percent of the commissioners used their own observations or contact with the county agricultural agent as their source of influence or information about Extension. Almost 95 percent of the commissioners were satisfied with the relationship between themselves and the agents; while only a little more than fifty percent of the agents indicated they were satisfied with this relationship. Nearly eighty percent of the commissioners perceived the Extension staff to be the right size, with only two percent indicating it was too small.

Funding was perceived to be equitable, with only three percent of the commissioners indicating the taxpayers would be willing to fund this at a higher level. The commissioners indicated that very little time should be spent with the large commercial farmer or those working off the farm more than fifty percent of the time. They ranked involvement of the staff with the 4-H youth, and the average size farm as being of greater importance.

The commissioners, in evaluating certain Extension program elements, noted the most important to be those of the agent's participation in community affairs and advising farm groups. The Extension staff did not respond the same, as they indicated their most important activity was to provide information to the farmer, with advising farm groups and participating in community affairs ranking third and sixth respectively in importance.

The response of the county commissioners to questions about the Extension staff indicated they were relatively satisfied with most of the information and delivery methods. They indicated available information was current and met individual needs. The commissioners were not as familiar with the work of the 4-H agent and the home economist in the county as they were with the agricultural agent. The commissioners indicated that information about crops and soils would be the most important agricultural topic for which they would request information, and food, nutrition and preservation as the most important topics about which they would need information from the home economist.