Management Skills of County Extension Administrators: Are They Sufficient to Do the Job?

Do county Extension administrators possess the management skills to be successful in their role? This study examined 127 county Extension administrators from 22 states who had participated in an Extension assessment center designed to assess 15 supervisory/management competencies deemed necessary for success as an Extension administrator. The study found that the participants possessed average to very good management skills as observed during the assessment center process and that they undertook professional development and implemented behavioral changes as a result of the insight and feedback they received from their experience in the assessment center.