Goals can be articulated that are congruent with areas of interest and expertise of the Extension professional, the staff, and volunteers, or that address particular needs of a county. Once the goals are articulated, the professionals, paid staff, and volunteers can evaluate and prioritize them. There are usually more worthwhile goals than hours to accomplish them. Deciding which goals are worth pursuing needs to be a collective decision. The creation of specific goals can keep staff from stretching themselves in too many directions.
Programs are methods by which the goals determined in part two are reached.
Therefore, the third phase of the planning process is to identify existing programs and create new programming to help achieve the goals. It is during this phase decisions to discontinue old programs can be made. Even pet projects should be evaluated to see if they meet specific goals or are simply there because of tradition. Remember that it is easier to suggest a program than it is to do all the work necessary to see it to fruition. Not all good ideas have to be implemented in any given year.