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New
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will be answered. IntroductionIn the current world many organizations are resorting to the trend to volunteerism to meet the needs of their many service programs. The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) is also following this trend by encouraging the formation of Master Gardener groups. Master Gardeners form a network of highly qualified and concerned people who are capable of implementing a wide range of activities useful to their community creating a pool of extraordinary talents and abilities. In order for the program to be most effective it is imperative that this potential resource for meeting goals be understood and properly managed. In making the decision whether to establish a Master Gardener Program, not only must the time and effort necessary to begin and maintain the program be considered but also, more importantly, how the manpower from the program will be utilized. To consider Master Gardener volunteers as just cheap labor, useful in handling the less demanding parts of Cooperative Extension’s workload is inappropriate. Master Gardeners are trained to help with the work of the Cooperative Extension office, yet they are not employees. They have great potential that must be used in the best possible ways. When a Master Gardener is recruited or enrolls, The CES obtains horticultural skills in addition to any number of other abilities such as: teaching, public speaking, managing, designing, analyzing, human relations, mass communication, and other disciplines. Here are some suggestions for beginning, maintaining and managing a successful Master Gardener program. The Master Gardener program is an educational activity offered by the local Master Gardener group in cooperation with the CES. It is designed to increase the availability of horticultural information and improve the quality of life with horticultural projects. These goals are implemented through the training and use of local volunteers, known as Master Gardeners. They conduct projects, answer telephone requests for horticultural information, and design and implement community improvement projects as well as coordinate their own and other Master Gardener programs. The objectives of the Master Gardener Programs are to:
Master Gardener Title Defined Individuals trained and certified by the Master Gardener program earn the title, Master Gardener. Trainees receive a minimum of 40 hours of instruction, pass all examinations with a score of 75% or higher, and volunteer 40 hours of service to earn the title. (The number of hours may vary in various counties depending on the local groups policies.) In order to retain Master Gardener certification, individuals are required to participate in 12 or more hours of additional training and provide an additional 40 hours of volunteer service each year. (In Albuquerque, twenty of those hours must be served on the Hotline for the first five years in the program unless other arrangements are made with the Board of the local organization because of special considerations.). The title of Master Gardener is valid only when the volunteer is participating in a Master Gardener program. When individuals cease active participation in such a program, their designation as a New Mexico Master Gardener becomes void. When to Use the New Mexico Master Gardener Title Graduates of the Master Gardener Program should not display credentials or give the appearance of being a Master Gardener if they are working for a place of business unless that location is designated as a Master Gardener educational activity location by the local group. Master Gardeners must not use the title in any form of advertisement. This is a public service program to provide research-based information, and the Master Gardener title is to be used only when doing unpaid volunteer work in the program. When Master Gardeners speak before groups on horticultural subjects it is (not*) permissible for them to accept unsolicited reimbursements or gifts. *This depends upon local policy. Usually in New Mexico it is NOT permissible. Pesticide Recommendations by Master Gardeners When making recommendations that include the use of pesticides, Master Gardeners must follow the current recommendations found in the various publications available from the CES, if more than one product is listed as satisfactory, each product should be recommended. Cultural problems that are not specifically covered by Extension recommendations may be handled by suggesting non-pesticide treatments that an experienced Master Gardener considers appropriate. Implying endorsement of any product or place of business is discriminatory and therefore forbidden. Questions concerning commercial production of crops and their pests are to be referred to the local county Cooperative Extension office. The New Mexico Master Gardener Manual and NMSU logo usage. Certified Master Gardeners and trainees may purchase the New Mexico Master Gardener Manual from their local group or from the CES. Non-Master Gardeners can purchase manuals from the CES. Local organizations may present graduation certificates and name tags with the NMSU logo on them to their graduates. NMSU logo shall NOT be used in any way without the approval of the County Cooperative Extension Office. Value of Master Gardener Training For professional and vocational horticulturists, Master Gardener training provides valuable education and meaningful experiences that may be included as qualifications for employment or for maintaining competence. Amateur horticulturists and those seeking up-to-date horticultural information can advance their gardening expertise, as well as gain considerable self-satisfaction. The volunteer aspect of the Master Gardener program allows individuals to dedicate their time and talents to enhancing, improving and beautifying their local community using the science and art of horticulture. There are two groups of people immediately involved in a Master Gardener program: CES employees and volunteers who enroll in the program. The program is a course available to those willing to serve the public as volunteers but other recipients may be included in the training under certain conditions. That is a matter for the local group to decide. Funds from charging for classes may be used to raise money for the benefit of the program. This requires that the group be formally organized. Do you have?
If the answers to the above questions are yes, then consider contacting some of those people and suggest that you or they have a Master Gardener class. Who will be the instructors? Teaching the courses may be done entirely by NMSU, or by qualified people from the community, nearby colleges, Extension specialists or a mixture of these people and agents. As the program progresses, Master Gardeners from previous years can help teach, advise and direct the trainees as they start the program. Because of the popularity of the program many Master Gardener programs have too many applicants and are compelled to screen applicants. Screening processes are useful, and people that are unsuitable should not be admitted to the program. Still, each group of trainees will be different. One group may include many extroverts who are aggressive in running public programs; the next may be filled with quieter types who are better at planning, writing and other behind-the-scenes work. Fortunately nearly all Master Gardener programs experience a veteran return with volunteers who have already completed their commitment and keep coming back year after year. These people give continuity and stability to the organization. There are a variety of ways to handle screening. Person-to-person interviews are good and in some programs veteran Master Gardeners are involved or direct this process. Application forms with appropriate questions are another method used in some groups. It is helpful to include the criteria for selection in the application form as this will eliminate many of the applications from people who are clearly not qualified. Because New Mexico presents some very different environments for the gardener some groups require applicants to have lived and gardened here for a minimum of three years before being accepted into the program. Examples of applications and interview materials are included in the Appendix C. A recent California study revealed that the horticultural subject matter in the Master Gardener training is one of the primary reasons volunteers come into the program. The training has a long history of being comprehensive and of high quality. Since it is impossible to commit Extension specialists to all individual training programs, agents are encouraged to use local professionals when organizing training programs. Area colleges as well as retired or non-working experts in horticulture (this could include highly qualified Master Gardeners) are often a source of trainers for some of the subject matter. Because of the size of New Mexico and limited resources of the New Mexico CES, it is useful to conduct multi-county Master Gardener program so that two or three groups of Master Gardeners can be trained simultaneously. The following subjects are usually covered during the training: Each program should plan their curriculum to include the topics below plus other materials that are of interest to the participants. Suggested Master Gardener Training Outline General Concepts Specifics The Master Gardener
Program The topics within each section are not arranged in any particular order. It is important, however, to conduct classes in the first section before beginning the second section as instructors assume trainees already know the basic principles. Other courses may be added when deemed appropriate by agents or coordinators in any locality. Classes can be taught as lectures, workshops, tours or a combination of these techniques. Courses are usually offered once or twice each week, during the day. The trainees often prefer hands-on activities. The New Mexico Master Gardener Manual is available for use as a text and resource for Master Gardener training. It consists of more than 650 pages illustrated with hundreds of drawings in a loose-leaf binder format. Every Extension office should have a manual for review. It is also available online at this site and at the NMSU web site. Additional materials may be used from the Internet as need dictates. It is beneficial to look at adult education theory to provide good training experiences. Since adults are independent they resent being placed in learning situations where they are treated as children. Encourage them to determine their own learning needs and take part in planning and evaluating the learning experience. Advanced Master Gardener programs are often self-directed. If there is any doubt about what they want or think they need to learn, simply ask them. Training programs benefit from the comments and criticisms of the participants. Because of their experience, adult groups benefit from sharing knowledge and live in the present. Encourage discussion and demonstration when appropriate and integrate time for this in the overall program. They are eager to use their training and education so emphasize a problem-solving approach whenever possible. Pre-job training and on-the-job training are both used in the Master Gardener program. The horticultural training is obviously part of the pre-job training as is the orientation and any training on how to answer phones and how to handle the public or the Master Gardener clients. On-the-job training is supplied when a veteran Master Gardener is sent to the plant clinic with the novices or when they are asked to work on the Hot-line.. Other on-the-job training can take place with the use of a newsletter and/or the Internet. Information on current pest problems can continue the education of the volunteers as they work with identifying these problems. An appropriate setting is very important in a training situation. The negative effect of certain factors may, in fact, be more important than their positive effect. That is, everyone takes restrooms for granted. However, try having a meeting in a place without restrooms and see what happens to the mood and attention of the audience. Just because there were no comments about how handy it was to have notepads and pencils on the table does not mean such details were not a contribution to a successful meeting or training session. People will not hesitate to mention what is wrong with a situation (too noisy, too warm) but are often unaware of the positive effects of some details (available parking, good directions) and fail to mention them. Deal with physical surroundings from the beginning by providing clear directions to the meeting place in announcements. Before the appointed time for the meeting, be sure there are enough chairs and check the quality of lighting; the audience should be able to take notes and to see slides, blackboard, etc. Acoustics are important so have a public address system available and control outside noise. In winter provide coat racks. If extension cords are needed, have them at the meeting site. Nametags are essential for large groups and useful, especially at initial meetings. Once the meeting time arrives, be aware of room temperature and ventilation. Even the best speaker will have a difficult time holding the attention of an audience that is falling asleep or shivering. When the physical environment is right, look to the human environment. Welcome people, including VIP’s and put them at ease, involve the audience through democratic leadership and give them an opportunity to voice opinion. Since time is valuable, start and end meetings as stated in announcements and invitations. Managing the Master Gardening Program Although the greatest concern about starting and continuing a Master Gardener program is the training, of equal importance is the management of the program. The horticultural training must be of good quality, and if it is, the volunteers will value their training and be motivated to join the program. But when the purpose of the program is considered, management is of equal importance, for only through management can that training and knowledge be used to meet the needs of the community. Some of the most successful Master Gardener programs rely exclusively on volunteer management and leadership. At the beginning of the program in 1981 Albuquerque Area Master Gardeners established an administrative Board of Directors who did the planning, the directing and carrying out of the program. This group later adopted a Constitution and By-Laws similar to what appears later in this document. The Boards presence allowed the program to continue even though frequently there was no Extension Agent in the County Office. Management by the volunteers is an important goal for the program since it meets the needs of both agents and volunteers. The primary goal of the program is to increase manpower and if volunteer management consumes the agent’s time, he/she has not made any progress. Volunteers benefit from self-management by becoming an integral part of the program instead of merely cheap help. Being the program manager can be a very satisfying position for the right volunteer. While volunteers should coordinate and manage other volunteers, an Extension agent should be available when needed for advice so that the program meets the objectives and does what it is designed to do. People are basically self-directed and creative at work if they are motivated. Volunteers are already motivated and need only have a clear idea of the goals. Establish specific jobs and supply job descriptions and much of the planning that is important for the program’s success is accomplished. We know that Master Gardeners have a strong interest in gardening and enough free time to commit themselves to the training and the volunteer hours. Other than that, what brings them to the program and what do they want from it? To answer those questions it is necessary to look at human motivation as it applies to work, for volunteers do work. Each of us has various levels of need, these are:
This explains why the unemployed poor are not interested in becoming volunteers even though they may have time to do the work. In fact, volunteers are people who have probably satisfied the first three levels of need and so are seeking to build esteem or reach self-actualization. Those needs are more complex than the ones they have already fulfilled on their own and the Master Gardener program must make an effort to satisfy those needs with appropriate jobs. This is why it is important to have real jobs for the Master Gardeners and not merely time fillers. The satisfaction from a job worth doing and well done is essential. Work motives are often related to three needs: achievement, power and affiliation. These motives display themselves in behavior and can be identified so that appropriate jobs are supplied to meet those needs. The goal of an achievement-motivated person is success in a situation that requires excellence and improved performance. Achievement-motivated people enjoy the freedom of guiding their own work and setting their own goals. They consistently produce work of high quality and accomplish what they set out to do. They challenge themselves but do not set out to do the impossible. The achiever often will show signs of strong organizational ability, a willingness to complete a job without further supervision and a desire for feedback on job performance. Power-motivated individuals want to influence others. They are very concerned about their position and reputation. These people are free with advice and want to see others follow their direction. Their personalities are usually aggressive, and they are often opinionated. The power-motivated individual will lean toward structures that are quite organized, have a rather carefully spelled out organizational power structure and a high regard for status and prestige within the organization. This person is likely to be assertive (if not aggressive) in behavior and will try to gain power through leadership and/or persuasion. Affiliation-motivated people need to be with other people who enjoy their company. These people are friendly and caring and want very much to be liked. They work best with other workers and they prefer management to be friendly rather than authoritative. The affiliator will exhibit an open, friendly manner and deep concern for people as individuals. They have a real need to have personal relationships with other workers and supervisors who also display these characteristics. Assigning Jobs to Fulfill Motivation After they receive the training the volunteer work is what the program has to offer the Master Gardener; therefore, good job placement makes sense. If the work satisfies these people, they will be an asset to the program and will return to continue working. To successfully place volunteers in the most suitable positions, you must know them. Design the Master Gardener application forms to begin this process. Promoting active participation from the beginning is also a great help. There are small jobs that clearly need to be done at the very first training session; setting up audiovisual equipment, distributing handouts or merely calling the group back from a break encourages participation. These first jobs might be handled through a volunteer system. By taking an active part, no matter how small, at the very first lecture, trainees will learn that their role is not a passive one. As training progresses the agent or coordinator should schedule ample time to get to know the volunteers, especially if there is some time before or after sessions for general social mixing. With the three motivational types in mind, the administrator needs to identify personality types and then match them with appropriate jobs. Sometimes little thought has gone into designing jobs for Master Gardeners. It is clear from the number of phone calls to the office requesting gardening information that the program is useful and with that, and only that in mind, people are trained and then sent to the phones. Unfortunately, this wastes the diverse talents of the volunteers and neglects the development of innovative projects. Innovative projects develop when budding scientists reveal themselves at plant clinics, and this leads to an office lab to identify plant problems. Master Gardeners staying late to discuss the details and latest findings on plant developments can lead to the establishment of a speakers’ bureau, which in turn leads to more and more specialization on the part of the Master Gardener experts. These are, after all, talented amateurs who can be as good or better than professionals; they simply do not make a living from their knowledge. It is difficult to list specific jobs for each motivational type because the skills and talents of each person vary. While it may seem that putting out the newsletter may be just the thing for the achievement-motivated person, that won’t work if all the achievement-motivated people would rather take a beating than write a single word. A manager must consider the talents, skills, motives and personalities in matching jobs with the people. In designing and redesigning jobs, assess the jobs to determine their motivational content. If no on wants to do a certain job, there is probably something wrong with the job. Keep in mind that the job itself may be the reward for the volunteer. Perhaps the best way of designing jobs is to ask the volunteers what projects they want to do and let them do the planning. Making the project fit the objectives then becomes the administrator’s responsibility. For example, if one of the objectives is education (and it always should be) adding research possibilities to a ho-hum brawn using position makes it fit the criteria. Jobs can be changed by enlargement, enrichment or simplification. Increasing the number and variety of tasks done enlarges a job. Two or three meaningless tasks however, do not equal a single meaningful one. Job enrichment refers to delegating functions that have been considered as managerial. Include the worker in planning and evaluation as well. The work itself helps enrich the job experience. Job enrichment can occur at any level of responsibility. Simplification involves combining tasks or even eliminating some. To simplify a job, look for any task that appears to be busy work and get rid of it.. To satisfy the needs of volunteers and use their assets to meet goals, the program must be managed as efficiently as possible. Planning began when job descriptions were created. Master Gardeners should be included in making plans and setting the goals of the enterprise. Volunteers must gain satisfaction from their jobs in the program. They should receive as much satisfaction as can be designed into the program. They are valuable unpaid workers and CES representatives. Organizing involves deciding how to get the job done and that requires delegating. That is one of the most difficult parts of management. It is probable that some Master Gardener programs have never come into existence because of the unwillingness of some people to delegate. This is expressed in the attitude of some agents that there is far too much work involved in a Master Gardener program to make it feasible and no one except the agent can do the necessary work. The greatest stumbling block to delegating is in the manager’s mind. People with this problem are typically overworked and feel that no one else can possibly do the important jobs in the organization as well as they themselves can . If this becomes the case, remember:
If you decide to delegate remember the following points:
Staffing is determining who is going to do the job. Directing involves allowing the workers to accomplish their tasks. Put some effort into good job placement and then display confidence in the ability of the volunteers to do their jobs. Working with Volunteers Volunteers are somewhat like employees. They must be hired (accepted into the program), trained (horticultural information as well as orientation), welcomed into the work place (given a place to work and explain procedures), put to work (given a job description and set up to do the job) and “paid” (the job and the appreciation by CES, co-workers and the public is the payment and must be appropriate). It is important not to neglect the working conditions. These include desk space, available phone, references, clerical and computer equipment and a coat rack but also policy and administration, supervision and relationships with other staff. Explain policies and administration of the New Mexico CES to the volunteers before they begin working. Working conditions are often overlooked when dealing with volunteers. Volunteers are valuable, doubly valuable since they save a great deal of money, and as valuable workers, they deserve proper workspace. Awards Most Master Gardener programs recognize volunteers for their contributions with an Awards event. Representatives from local government may be invited to participate in the festivities and show their appreciation for the volunteers’ efforts. Nametags bearing the NMSU logo are presented to Master Gardeners so that they will feel more a part of the organization. Certificates of completion are presented. Special certificates for giving time beyond the required amount might be presented as well. Additional awards may be designed by the organizations for such things as Lifetime Master Gardener, Founding Member or Honored Member. Plaques are also possible for service hours or positions. While many Master Gardeners appreciate certificates, pins and luncheons, others appreciate different forms of recognition. Sometimes the best recognition they can receive is more responsible and meaningful work or what amounts to a promotion. Understanding the personal motivation of volunteers can lead to appropriate rewards. If evaluation is considered only a lot of paper work, then there is no sense in doing it. However, evaluation is the chief tool of management, and the manager who seeks to manage and direct the organization to better and more significant goals needs to use this tool. This is often overlooked because they are too busy to think of planning. When plans are made and implemented through setting of concrete goals, job assignment and a lot of volunteer work, it only makes sense to evaluate and find out if anything happened and if it did, was it planned. By planning the evaluation procedure at the beginning when goals are set, data can be gathered while the program is in action. If the goal is to put out $100,000 worth of horticultural information to the public, then the volunteers need an efficient and relatively easy system to gather data while they are giving out the information. If volunteers are included in the planning and goal setting, the evaluation will make sense and they will not feel they are being asked to do meaningless and boring paperwork. Evaluation not only reveals a program’s success, but it furnishes evidence that the program is valuable. In explaining the program to the community or to volunteers, hard figures that reveal the amount of money saved by the citizens, the number of people seeking and receiving service or the special population served, present a convincing case for continuation and support. Future planning can benefit greatly from evaluations of previous programs too. Evaluations should be meaningful and timely. Measure the ways your goals were achieved. A suggestion box is one very simple evaluation method. Some events need to have rapid reporting back and others should be assessed after a given time (i.e., 6 to 12 months).
The Master Gardener
program has been proven beneficial to CES offices again and again,
and good management practices have been an important factor. If volunteers are
useful employees, it is only logical that they be treated as valuable people by
being sensitive not only to them and to their needs but to the quality of work
they are asked to perform.
The idea of a Master Gardener Association is confusing to some Master Gardeners. Some feel that since they are working with Cooperative Extension, it is the state’s role to provide the Association. Others feel that an association would separate them. One of the primary reasons for an Association is financial independence. Extension wants the best for its volunteers but many times can’t provide funding. A Master Gardener Program does not need a large amount to be effective. However, Cooperative Extension offices often cannot provide even the small amounts necessary for projects and sometimes policy prevents them from soliciting the money from the community. An Association is free to raise money needed by whatever means that are appropriate. Some examples might include raising plants to be sold, holding a flea market at class time, or donating unsolicited money received from speaking engagements. Master Gardeners may also like to have money to finance fun activities. Since they are avid gardeners and become friends by working together, they often like to organize tours to gardens, buy gardening books and organize other activities that require funding, such as publishing a book. Master Gardeners considering an Association need to first determine the type of organization they want. Informal Associations are loosely structured, with no formal rules and are primarily social. Formal Associations may be partnerships by agreement and require articles of Association and By-Laws. Corporations require articles of Incorporation and By-Laws. Non-profit groups may wish to get a 501-c3 designation from the government so formal documents must be filed with the appropriate state offices. A benefit of incorporation is the limitation of liability. This is important if one is doing projects that expose the group to some accident risks. Being able to accept tax-deductible contributions is another benefit and is important if funds are needed to finance projects. Disadvantages are that it is expensive and complicated to create and maintain the corporate structure; the requirements of the law must be strictly observed. Obtain legal counsel before attempting to incorporate and be sure the group understands the responsibility of the act. If you intend to become community activists, with attendant risks, you probably need the protection of a formal organization so that you can raise money and limit liability. For new groups the best advice is to start small. Be informal first, get to know each other and establish an organizational identity. If and when you choose formality, realize that you will be dealing with government bureaucracy. That is not always easy and may require professional guidance. The New Mexico CES will recognize New Mexico Master Gardener Associations, which adhere to the following guidelines:
Adapted By R. Bronson, October 20, 2001 from the Texas Master Gardener Management Guide. Revised in part July 28, 2003. Please let me know what changes you feel should be made to this document by sending email to webmaster.
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