To produce effective accountability documents, you will need to collect information, comments and quotes from clients, and evaluation of your program as it is going on. First, when you are planning to put together an accountability report or news release, keep in mind the distinction between reportin g and interpreting . That is certainly factual, but it doesn't take the next step into interpretation. To return to Susie, in an interpretive document, you would say, Susie Brown placed first in the district 4-H food show, a competition which tested not only her food preparation skills, but also her knowledge of nutrition and food safety and her ability to express herself. Susie prepared a custard pie, and she impressed the judges with her understanding of the importance of limiting sugars and eggs in a healthy diet as well as her explanation of measures to prevent food-borne illness due to salmonella.
Interpretation requires going beyond the basic facts or statistics of a program or event.
That information is important, but it is more a measure of our response to a need than evidence of the real result. 2. reporting the Extension response. 3. interpreting the result. You might devote one paragraph to each of these facets of an event or program, or you might cover them all in a single paragraph, depending on how many programs or events you need to address in a single document. The need will include information on the local concerns, problems, or issues that made this program a priority for your county.