Topics Map > Policies
Topics Map > Programming Policy & Guidance > 3.2 Planning & Reporting > Plan of Work
Planning & Reporting - Policy
All colleagues involved in educational programming are required to report on their work. Reporting allows Extension to be accountable to those who provide our funds. Under the Policy section below colleagues can find important information around what is expected of them in terms of reporting requirements and deadlines.
Policy Title
Planning & Reporting Requirements for Educational Programming, Research and Outreach
Approval Authority
Data Governance Steering Committee:
- JulieAnn Stawicki (Interim Associate Dean)
- Patrick Robinson (Associate Dean)
- Matt Hanson (Assistant Dean)
- Matthew Call (Director, Communications & Stakeholder Engagement)
- Greg Johll (Director, Educational Technology Services)
- Dominic Ledesma (Interim Director, Office of Access, Inclusion & Compliance)
- Christian Schmieder (Data Governance Leader & Committee Facilitator)
Policy Manager
Christian Schmieder (Data Governance Leader)
Policy Contact
- Data Services Specialist [general policy inquiries/questions]
- Joel Drevlow, joel.drevlow@wisc.edu
- Data Governance Leader [policy changes/updates]
- Christian Schmieder, christian.schmieder@wisc.edu
Rationale/Purpose
Planning and reporting requirements are set to ensure timely and accurate reporting to a wide array of stakeholders regarding the work Extension colleagues do. The Planning & Reporting Portal is the means by which Extension educators report on this work.
Definitions
Definitions of specific reported records can be found in the Planning & Reporting Portal under “Help & Information”.
Scope
Planning and reporting requirements apply to all extension employees involved in educational programming.
Policy
Colleagues Required to Report on Their Work
All colleagues involved in educational programming are required to report on their work.
Records Colleagues are Required to Report
- Activity Records
- Contains: Abstract Sentence, Outcome Statement, Expanding Access Information
- Participation Records
- Community/Outreach Events & Media Outreach Records
- Partnering Organization & Supported Businesses Records
- Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Images
- Testimonials
- A Plan of Work (Optional--though highly encouraged)
General Reporting Deadlines
Due Monthly:
- Activity Records
- Participation Records
- Community Outreach Events & Media Outreach
- Partnering Organizations & Supported Businesses Records
- Images
- Testimonials
Due Annually:
- Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Plan of Work
- Colleagues in programming roles are expected to write a plan of work, though there may be different expectations for individuals who are fully supported by external grant funding (i.e., FoodWIse)
General Guidelines:
- Please update existing activity records rather than re-writing them each month.
- If you have no updates/new data in a given month, please do not enter duplicates. It is OK to not have reportable updates, but we encourage you to assess whether you have updates or new information on a monthly basis.
- Please enter each Partnering Organization and Supported Business only once per calendar year to avoid duplicates.
- Your affiliated Extension Program, Program Manager, or Associate Dean may provide you with a policy that may modify these institutional requirements.
Reporting Plans of Work
Plans of work are written by colleagues in programming roles (educators and specialists).
Reporting for New Colleagues
- All new colleagues should be tracking their participation and entering that data as they begin to complete educational contacts.
- Colleagues with less than 6 months of experience do not have to complete the narrative components (Local Activity & Expanding Access).
- A plan of work is due after 6 (or more) months of employment, after you have participated in the Plan of Work training sessions at on-boarding.
Reporting Requirements for CALS Specialists
- As of 2021 specialists will submit at least one plan of work and one activity record, with continued encouragement to file sufficient reports to capture your programming.
- Plans of work will inform forward-looking efforts of the program planning process and will provide opportunities to make connections between the work of specialists and county educators.
- The program managers will take a greater role in reporting outcomes and impacts.
- Example plans of work can be found in the Extension Planning and Reporting Portal by searching by keyword or name.
Related Division of Extension or UW-Madison Documents
Effective Date
February 15, 2021