CMB Meeting March 9 2009

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    Content Management Board Meeting

    Monday March 9, 2009

    2:00 - 3:30 PM EDT

    Web Conference connect information: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/teammeeting/

    Agenda

    If eX had the ability to do this would it attract researchers to get involved in eXtension and expand your CoP?

    CoP Issues

    • Proposal for new question status in Ask an Expert: "This question is being worked on" - Ben MacNeill Get Satisfaction
    • Responding to questions that are obviously homework
    • Adding updated times to published FAQs? -John McQueen request about time stamping FAQs?

    Minutes

    Click the recording of CMB meeting to view meeting.

    Each CoP should take a look at this plan and see how you would fit in - review what agencies are offering and the objectives to see how you match up with different agencies. We want to match up CoPs with potential funding avenues with programs that CoPs can offer to meet those goals. Then develop a proposal for submission to agencies with help from Betty Johnson to show how a CoP can help solve the problem. Examples: health care allocated to family caregiving subject area, dept of energy and maybe housing has a top priority of weatherization so how can we teach folks how to do this for their homes and barns so home energy and ag energy CoPs might partner on a proposal, financial crisis is another topic for CoPs, money in the area for EDEN, rural development, etc. See where you fit so you can submit proposals for funds. The Financial Task force of eX wants to pull together a list to respond if asked. Timeline for doing this is located at the stimulus site - things are going to move quickly so please get back to us within the week to Craig Wood or Ashley Griffin
    • ACTION ITEM: Request was made to develop a working list that could be visible for all CoPs to review
    • Engaging researchers in eXtension - Rick Koelsch explained Animal Manure Management's thoughts on engaging researchers with a standardized template for which they could publish research briefs in eXtension but would also serve as a repository for such works to reduce dual reporting to outside agencies, etc.
    If eX had the ability to do this would it attract researchers to get involved in eXtension and expand your CoP? Discussion included: Kathy Flanders felt Fire Ants would not use this resource if developed however Karen J. and Consumer Horticulture, Elaine with Drinking Water, Pat Swanson with Personal Finance felt they would/could use such an application/process to capture research brief type materials and engage researchers.
    • ACTION ITEM: Rick K. is going to chair a sub-committee of to outline the possible format/fields of data/information to be provided as a standard for eXtension research briefs that also complements and meets standards for research reporting. Committee members are: Michael Wilson, Sue Hawkins, Pat Swanson or other FSFALL representative, Karen Jeannette and an appointed eXtension staff person.
    • A Concept for eXtension: For Youth, For Life - Tony Cook presented an overview of this draft document and solicited input and encouraged CoPS that were ready to deliver Youth Content to contact him so the Youth SET for Life CoP could help them do so. Would also like a point person from each CoP wanting to develop youth material to communicate with Youth SET for help. Tony is also going to send a formal email survey to CMB for document input in hopes to get an acceptance/approval by the CMB as a standard for youth development content goals/processes.
    • Inter-CoP Discussion "forum" about CoP issues. What works and what is efficient? CoP Network or other? - Sue Hawkins or John McQueen; Sue Hawkins talked about the current WebPaint Forum that was started to connect CoP members and leaders. Discussion of whether Get Satisfaction might also be a place for leadership to share ideas and help one another. Some CoP leaders did not know the CoP Network in Wet Paint existed.
    • ACTION ITEM: Add a link to the CoP Network from the CoP Wiki so leadership can become more aware of this as a resource and start to register and engage this community space. Further discussion yielded the importance to be involved in this platform in order to make it successful.
    • Revised CoP Profiles and Certification Process proposed for less duplication of effort - any comments/input? - Ashley Griffin explained that duplication of reporting materials in the CoP profiles(every 6 months) and the CoP Certification Document has been eliminated. eXtension is proposing that when a CoP Certification application is submitted that it also be accompanied by a CoP Profile. Discussion by Kathy Flanders indicated how this should really help CoPs and reviewers of Certification Applications since she had to go review their Profiles to get a handle of what was accomplished anyway. Kathy will review more closely and provide feedback if needed.
    • eXtension Partnership Policy - Partnership Policy - 3.5.2009 (PDF) - Betty Johnson discussed the status of the Partnership Policy emphasizing that this will be eXtension's guide for CoPs to engage and recognize partnerships with industry, other non-profits, etc. A Partner is different then a Sponsor and is given different recognition. Sponsors provide funds or approved gifts in-kind while Partnerships might someday become a Sponsor and have the ability to designate representative(s) as members of the CoP providing all contribution agreements are complete.
    • ACTION ITEM: As a professional development session: Betty was asked to provide a training session on Partners and Sponsors.
    • Proposal for new question status in Ask an Expert: "This question is being worked on" - /let_an_expert_indicate_they_are_working_on_a_question Get Satisfaction - Ben MacNeill led the discussion about enhancing communication in the Ask an Expert system whereby experts would "claim" an incoming qt for to answer and this would put a lock on the qt from others being able to answer it during that designated time frame. It was agreed that a 2 hour lock would be sufficient to pilot this new process since an expert could always reclaim it near or at the end of their 2 hours is they were still researching/composing an answer to the qt. Comments were more to the tune of leadership wishing they had a problem with experts answering questions out from under other experts. Other discussion around the lack of seeing the actual question in Ask an Expert Emails - Kathy Flanders and Jill Heemstra were opposed to omitting the actual question in the email reminders because they feel that this helps them better manage their time, based on the qt complexity, and prevents needless login to FAQ/AskanExpert if the qt turns out to be too complicated for quick response. Other discussion about the pros and cons of assigning qts to individuals but it was pointed out that if CoPs are interested in Question Pools for Ask an Expert then you can easily filter by subject and state to create an aggregated list. Deb Sellers was also adamant that routing incoming qts to individuals was critical and required for her in this process.
    • ACTION ITEM: A 2 hour lock on claimed qts will be used to implement this new communication in Ask an Expert and eXtension will notify the CMB about this change in Ask an Expert when it goes live.
    • Responding to questions that are obviously homework - Kevin Gamble discussed the concern that some experts are having with incoming questions sounding like student homework assignments. Although we don't want to create too many standard responses - is there a need for one that addresses these types of questions. Maybe experts should just answer with links and resources? Further discussion at upcoming CMB meetings. - ADD TO NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA
    • Adding updated times to published FAQs? -John McQueen request about time stamping FAQs? - ADD TO NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA
    • QUESTION: Sue Hawkins asked: Can we use Get Satisfaction instead of Wet Paint for a forum to connect CoP leadership? Ben replied that to this pt Get Satisfaction has been used as a tool to report, track and answer technical questions mainly focused on eXtension tools.