The National Water Survey Needs Assessment Program

Abstract

LGIs) developing regional and multistate, integrated research and extension projects to address the water resource educational needs of their clientele on a larger scale than state-by-state.The development of large-scale AREERA-funded programs called for a new paradigm for identifying urgent water resource issues and designing and managing multi-state water resource programs. Traditionally, many scientists, policy makers, and educators at LGIs have used a standard approach of identifying critical water resource issues through their day-to-day contact with state agencies and clientele. However, some programs developed in this way have been found not to be effective, producing little to show in the way of behavioral change (Mahler et al., 2005). Largescale AREERA-funded programs required new methods for examining similarities and differences in public concerns and informational needs among the states and regions.Consequently, early in the national AREERA-funded water program (section 406), state extension water program coordinators recognized the need to develop a needs assessment tool to identify the public's understanding, attitudes, and behaviors regarding various water resource issues on a state-by-state and regional basis. The needs assessment project originally focused on the states in the Pacific Northwest Region, then extended it, region by region, to states across the United States.The objectives of this national needs assessment survey project were (1) to develop a survey tool that could be used to collect baseline information about public attitudes, aptitudes, and actions taken toward water resource issues on a state-by-state or regional basis; (2) to use the survey to collect the baseline information andThe National Water Survey Needs Assessment Program Robert L. Mahler,* Michael D. Smolen, Tatiana Borisova, Diane E. Boellstorff, Damian C. Adams, and Nicola W. Sochacka ABSTRACT Water quality and availability are identified as priority areas for outreach and educational programs in many U.S. regions. This project offers a needs assessment tool (survey) that could be used on a state-by-state, regional, or national basis to analyze public attitudes, opinions, and behaviors as related to water resource issues. The information collected through the needs assessment can be used to identify objectives, strategies, and delivery modes for extension programs, and to evaluate the programs. The goal was to implement the needs assessment survey at 5-year intervals to: (1) measure changes in public priorities; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs; and (3) reprioritize, as necessary, the educational goals. A needs assessment survey template was developed and piloted in the Pacific Northwest. During 2001-2010, surveys were conducted in 41 states and six Pacific Island entities. Almost 11,000 surveys were returned completed for a response rate of 44.5%. Five-year follow-up surveys have been completed in five states to date. The results of these surveys have been used to prioritize extension water prog...

Identifying the Needs of Opinion Leaders to Encourage Widespread Adoption of Water Conservation and Protection

“…The survey instrument included elements from several existing instruments including the Canadian water attitudes survey from the Royal Bank of Canada's Blue Water Project (Patterson, 2012), the National Water Survey Needs Assessment Program (Mahler et al, 2013), and the Government Style Questionnaire (Green-Demer, Blanchard, Pelletier, & Beland, 1994). As part of a larger study, five sections of the instrument were relevant to this research study: the identification of water issue opinion leaders, their level of engagement in water conservation practices, the organizations they would go to for more information, the subject matter areas they were most interested in learning about, and how they would like to receive that information.…”

An Experimental Test of the Effects of Survey Sponsorship on Internet and Mail Survey Response

“…While the importance of water issues may vary by state, a prior public opinion survey on water resources obtained response rates of 64 percent in Nebraska (in 2006) and 52 percent in Washington (in 2002) using similar methods (Mahler et al 2013), suggesting that residents of both states are genuinely interested in water issues. Even if water is more important in one state than another, our randomization of sample members to treatment groups allowed us to effectively test the effects of sponsorship on response rates.…”

Preferred Water Resource Information Sources and Learning Opportunities in the Pacific Northwest

“…The National Water Survey Needs Assessment Program was first developed in 2001 as an assessment tool (survey) to analyze public opinions, attitudes, and behaviors toward water resource issues (Mahler et al, 2013). To date, this national project co‐sponsored by USDA–NIFA and LGIs have collected more than 500,000 base line data points from citizens residing in 41 states and 6 entities associated with the United States (American Samoa, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands).…”