Extension Releases New Strategic Positioning Plan
Cooperative Extension (Extension), the community outreach arm for the U of A, recently released a new Strategic Positioning Plan to help guide decision-making and priorities in the coming years. The plan, described on Extension’s website as “a forward-looking framework rooted in community insight, research, and decades of trusted partnerships,” was developed through a deliberate and inclusive process, beginning with an economic impact report and the 2022 statewide needs assessment, with results published in 2023 summarizing survey responses from over 3,000 Arizonans. Community input was expanded through listening sessions with more than 350 stakeholders and 40 interviews.
These efforts highlighted community concerns about a wide range of topics including, notably, a variety of water issues such as water conservation, drinking water quality, drought planning, and water-efficient agriculture. Extension’s strategic positioning webpages feature the WRRC as the first of four units listed under “finding solutions” for “climate resilience.” We are proud to support our Extension colleagues statewide in working toward solutions for Arizona’s water future.
A letter from Ed Martin, Associate Vice-President and Director of Cooperative Extension, to Extension staff noted, “This is not a static plan. It is a living framework. It will evolve with shifting conditions within the university and around our state, country and world. We will refine it as needed, reaffirm it as appropriate, and revise it as Arizona continues to change. Our reach and impact are profound, affecting people, economies and the environment far beyond Arizona. This plan will help us shape that impact.”