**Summary of PAS#1 Sessions**

**(FLIP CHARTS)**

1.  How to work with limited and part-time staff

    -   The key was prioritizing the time

    -   Using interns and volunteers, look into Americorps and Vista,
        loaned executives can be useful,

    -   Shuffling off the administrative work

    -   Use of technology: e-mail, faxes, web, teleconference,
        videoconferences

    -   Have term limits for board members

    -   Do an assessment of board, volunteers, and stakeholds: find the
        hidden passion

    -   Share resources with related organizations

    -   Look at how other organizations with limited staff operate

    -   Membership Fees

    -   Provide contract services to state

    -   Ask for participation from stakeholders

2.  Improving NRDP's effectiveness at the National Level

    -   Problems

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1.  Office of Undersecretary to send clear message about goals,
    responsibilities, and including a statement about NRDCs having
    independence.

2.  Have several small meetings with the undersecretary with stories
    about things that are successful to provide info about what is
    happening. Meet as much as possible around the country.

3.  Communication with the partnership: need a commitment from the NPO
    to strengthen communications within the partnership. Eleveate
    communication on priority list.

4.  Defining our message: the farm bill, the mission statement, and
    identifying a congressional champion that will espouse this mission.
    Establish a working group on the message that can be articulated in
    different ways to varying constituencies.

5.  The system as articulated in the farm bill does not exist. Needs to
    be moved forward. Meeting between the partnership and the NRDCC and
    undersecretary. Also, simultaneously use the congressional caucus to
    move the message forward.

6.  Measures and Outcomes: establish a group to formulate guidelines for
    proper reporting. Use the success stories database more widely
    available and presentable. Perhaps organize them so can be found
    more easily. Perhaps manipulate the web to achieve this. Identify
    beneficiaries of activities and organize them into collaboration to
    support council's work.

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3.  NRDC Farm Bill and Accountability System

    -   What people wanted was concise and clear list of what funders
        are after.

    -   Want to be able to translate the work of the council into a way
        that is readily recognizable.

    -   Challenges people see:

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1.  Implementation of bill

2.  The lack of a steering committee

3.  Finding resources to let the PRA have an advocacy function

4.  Use funds to market what you do.

-   Opportunities

1.  Gives a framework that enhances the credibility of people who want
    to be persuaded.

2.  Use recording to give credit to people that are doing an outstanding
    job

3.  Inventory of high level contacts that can help the SRDCs

4.  Gives more flexibility for the inclusion of parners wihin federal
    agencies.

5.  Having a structure in law

6.  Congress as a partner to keep SRDCs from being co-opted.

7.  Annual reports to congress are a good way to promote what SRDCs do.

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4.  Building Council Effectiveness in the Policy Arena

-   Large differences in state councils: some very involved in policy
    and others not

-   Those that were involved in policy

1.  Had credibility

2.  A policy group that looked at issues

3.  Evaluation and follow-up of policies

4.  Most state level policies, how transfer to national level?

5.  Educated the players in the rural development field

6.  Facilitated a process

-   Questions for Policy-making

1.  What arena can SRDCs safely operate in?

2.  What is the make-up of the board.

3.  Avoid single-issue people for the board.

4.  What are drawbacks of getting involved in a piece of legislation?

5.  The focus was on state and local policy, but many federal policies
    should be changed. This is where the national office becomes
    valuable.

6.  Need to give bills the correct policy, so we know that it is more
    than agriculture.