This chapter examines how factors both internal and external to Cooperative Extension have influenced its commitment and capability to assess the quality and impact of its programs. The authors begin by documenting how the nature of Extension programming has changed dramatically in response to societal needs over the course of the organization's history. Because Extension's culture places great value on service to people, early attempts to measure organizational performance focused on the number of individuals reached and the quality of the interaction with those individuals. Over time, Extension educators began to turn their attention to program outcomes. But it wasn't until Extension was threatened with significant budget cuts that the organization responded with systemwide efforts to document the results of its programming. The authors conclude that so long as Extension educators consider program evaluation an obligation to be met rather than an opportunity to learn and grow, optimum levels of commitment and capability cannot be achieved. (Contains 1 note.)