PPBS, the planning-programming-budgeting system, is creating controversy. What is it? What will it do? Is it good or bad for Extension? This and the article by Stauber that follows discuss PPBS from different viewpoints, giving the reader some perspective on these questions. Soem and Werner stress the advantages of using PPBS in the decision-making process-in choosing among alternatives for achieving specified goals. They discuss the system in relation to cost-benefit analysis and systems analysis and the components (planning, program structure, budget). Stauber says PPBS means a lot of hard work and hard choices for Extension. And Extension may not have the choices of adopting or not adopting it. As a policy making tool, he says PPBS links planning directly to budgeting.
Solem et al. (Sun,) studied this question.