A Survey of Education Program Needs for the Florida Association of Counties County Commissioner Training Program, 2002-2004
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A Survey of Education Program Needs for the Florida Association of Counties County Commissioner Training Program, 2002-2004

   

A Survey of Education Program Needs for the Florida Association of Counties County Commissioner Training Program, 2002-2004 1

Rodney L. Clouser2

The following is the executive summary of a much larger report, which is only available in pdf format. To access the complete report, please click here or go to (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FE/FE64100.pdf ).

Introduction

Florida Cooperative Extension has partnered with the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) and the Florida Counties Foundation (FCF) since 1998 in surveying Florida County Commissioners and County Administrators approximately every two years. The survey collects information regarding attendance at FAC-FCF sponsored events, willingness to pay for educational programs, worth of events and programs attended by commissioners and administrators, desired locations for educational activities and, most importantly, the type and amount of training needed by commissioners on various topics that would assist them as an elected policy maker.

The results of the 2002-04 survey are presented as an executive summary that follows. In addition, the survey questionnaire and PowerPoint presentation of results are being made available via a link for those who would like to view or print the entire document.

Executive Summary

2002-2004 County Commissioner and County Administrator Educational SurveyA survey of educational program needs for Florida County Commissioners and County Administrators was conducted by the Florida Counties Foundation (FCF) and Florida Cooperative Extension Service (FCES), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida during the spring of 2002. The intent of the survey was to solicit educational training needs to assist FCF in developing educational programs for 2002-2004. A total of 373 County Commissioners and 65 County Administrators were surveyed.

Response rates set a new record. By June 7, 2002, a total of 219 questionnaires were returned and included in this analysis. An additional 10 questionnaires have been received but were not included in the analysis. The number of responses received by June 7, 2002, represents a return rate of 50 percent. This return rate represents an increase of over 50 percent more responses returned than in any previous survey. The response rate is approximately four-fold larger than the first survey conducted by FCF. A summary of the survey results follows:

  1. Over four in ten commissioners and administrators attend the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) annual conference on a regular basis, and over seven in ten attend the conference regularly or periodically. Regular attendance at the annual conference is slightly higher from commissioners and administrators representing rural counties.

  2. The number of officials who attend the annual legislative conference is similar to the number who attends the annual conference. However, regular attendance at the annual legislative conference is about 15 percent higher from commissioners and administrators in rural counties than from urban counties.

  3. Over 67 percent of all respondents have attended an FCF educational program at some point in time. A significantly larger number of officials in rural counties (82 percent) compared to urban counties (55 percent) attended educational programs.

  4. Not only are rural officials more regular attendees at educational programs, but 50 percent attended two or more educational programs, compared to 40 percent of urban commissioners and administrators.

  5. Over 50 percent of county officials found FCF educational programs at least sometimes beneficial while less than five percent found them never to be beneficial.

  6. Overall, Friday was the most preferred day for training, followed closely by Tuesday. While preferences by urban officials were identical to the overall preference, rural commissioners and administrators top choices for training were Tuesday and Wednesday.

  7. Seven out of ten commissioners and administrators preferred programs lasting at least a half-day but no longer than a whole day. Slightly more officials preferred whole day programs.

  8. Tallahassee was the preferred choice for educational program location for rural counties and Orlando was the preferred choice for urban counties. Overall, Orlando was the top choice, followed by Tallahassee. If trainings were held in Orlando, Tallahassee, and in the Gainesville to Jacksonville corridor, they would cover the preferred location for over 75 percent of all county officials.

  9. Over 55 percent of commissioners and administrators preferred workshops that covered multiple education topics rather than single topics.

  10. Slightly over 60 percent of county officials would pay up to $125 to attend educational programs.

  11. The most important factor in determining attendance at workshops was the topic being covered, followed by program location and program date/time. Receiving certification credit was a more important determinant for rural officials than for urban officials regarding attendance but still ranked behind the three previously identified determinants.

  12. Over 70 percent of those responding agreed or strongly agreed that the voluntary County Commissioner Certification program should be continued.

  13. The top five training programs weighted by total points received were growth management, economic development, land use planning and zoning, grants, and environment/land/water issues. The only difference between rural and urban counties was that rural counties ranked grant training programs in the top five and urban counties ranked E-government topics as a top five training need. The lowest ranked training programs were sexual harassment, time/tress management, government in the sunshine, and county government form and function (in that order). All other training programs received a total vote within 20 percent of the top five training programs previously identified, except for charter government and home rule, which was approximately 30 percent lower than the highest rated topic.

  14. In terms of total votes received as a topic that was a "most important training" need, the overall rankings identified growth management, economic development, and budgeting as the top needs. The most important issues in rural counties were budgeting, economic development, grants, and alternative revenues. In urban counties, the top training needs were growth management, economic development, and budgeting.

  15. About 28 percent of survey respondents indicated they were CCC graduates.

  16. Of the CCC graduates, about 70 percent would attend an alumni event if organized.

  17. Of the CCC graduates, over 77 percent indicated they would participate in an advanced curriculum program.

  18. Over 70 percent of county officials responding to the survey had served eight years or less in their positions. One in four county officials has held his/her current position two years or less.

Summary

Participation and returns of surveys by county commissioners and county administrators are at high levels. Prior to the University of Florida Cooperative Extension becoming involved with the survey in 1998, the typical response rate was about 15 percent. The survey response rate increased to 32 percent in 1998, and increased to over 50 percent in 2002.

From an educational standpoint, the most important education needs of those serving as county commissioners or administrators are:

Footnotes

1. This is EDIS document FE641, a publication of the Food and Resource Economics Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Published June 2006. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Rodney L. Clouser, Professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.


Copyright Information

This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.