In Extension, we talk about programs a great deal--AND we assume that we are all talking about the same thing. That may not be the case. Some people may call a field tour a program; others may call it an activity. For Extension educational work, Israel, Harder, & Brodeur (2015) define a program as "a comprehensive set of activities that includes an educational component that is intended to bring about a sequence of outcomes among targeted clients." Review their fact sheet, What is an Extension Program? for an introduction to Extension programs. Program Life Cycles Programs have life cycles. Trochim et al (2016) in The Guide to the Systems Evaluation Protocol identify four main life-cycle stages that a program moves through (and sometimes back and forth in the cycle): 1. Initiation: The program is just getting started and may be in a pilot phase. Major changes are generally taking place as trial and error occur. 2. Development: The program is implemented successfully and minor revisions occur. 3. Stability: The program is producing consistent results and the curriculum and protocols are in place. 4. Dissemination: The program is being adopted at multiple locations and within different contexts.
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