How Do You Write A Good EARS Report?

EARS is our electronic data base for collecting, storing and retrieving program impacts by the NDSU Extension Service. The EARS system is also used as a communication tool among faculty, staff and community partners to share programs that are making a difference in North Dakota.

EARS reports should answer:

"What difference are you making?"
"What have you done to make the difference?"
"Did you do what you said you would do?"
"What are the economic, social or environmental impacts?"

EARS reports should focus on quantified outcomes/impacts in terms of knowledge gained, practice changed, attitude changed, dollars saved, etc. Case studies or testimonials are also effective methods for describing impact of program. Note: percent of audience impacted and types of activities used to create impact can be used to supplement the report.

Remember, it's not the most words, but the right words.

Impact reports are about:

• A short paragraph defining the ISSUE being addressed by this program
• Program objectives (stated in terms of learner outcomes)
• Collaborative efforts with community based partners/research faculty/specialists
• Extension's role
• Audience type targeted (working poor, youth, adult volunteers, producers, paraprofessionals, professionals, etc.)
• Number of components/activities designed to meet the objectives associated with this program (for example: media briefs, newsletter articles, workshops/programs, focus groups, etc.)
• Evaluation Measures to report:

• Number of participants impacted.
• Reactions of participants.
• Knowledge gained; opinion changed; skills improved.
• Adoption of practices.
• Social, economic, and/or environmental impacts.
• Problems/issues solved or impacted.

Length: 2 pages, maximum

If you cannot answer the "So What?" or "Who Cares?" questions, then you haven't written a good EARS report.

This EARS system was implemented because the citizens of North Dakota, various funding partners, county supervisors, state legislators and U.S. senators and congressmen are asking us to be more accountable. They want to know what their investment in Extension is doing for them, their families and their communities. For example, the public wants to know more than 34% of participants will make a change in their behavior or practice. They want to know what behavior or what practice was changed and more about the social, economic and/or environmental impact of the change.

The EARS system has made retrieval of relevant data possible on a short time line. With faculty and staff reporting program impacts regularly, our EARS database is current and reflects the work of the NDSU Extension Service. The amount of time saved by faculty/staff and the data management team when preparing factsheets, news releases, publications accountability reports for local, state, and federal entities has been significant. We are all accountable to clientele, local officials, legislators, etc., who have access to the EARS system through the Internet. We have found the database is one of the easiest ways to share both the differences the NDSU Extension Service is making and to create targeted impact reports.