Perceptions of Extension's Desirable Future and the Role of IT

A demonstration project studying the perceived futures for the Washington State Extension system was conducted as a way to investigate the role of IT in the core activities of the organization. Six forward-thinking leaders from Washington State Extension were interviewed using a hybrid methodology known as "Ethnographic Futures Research." Findings revealed include the themes of communication and mission and the domains of opportunity, including personnel, organizational structure, community engagement, and funding. Also discovered were composite descriptions of perceived barriers to desirable future conditions and areas of influence that can be leveraged to make an optimistic future more probable for Extension.