1. Doing more with less - the challenges
and changing landscape of research,
development and extension
Angus Hobson
Manager, Communication & Research Adoption (on-farm)
Meat and Livestock Australia

2. Overview
Why we’re in business
“Game on” for National RD&E
Towards a national extension /
adoption framework
Weighing-up the options
Summary

3. Why we’re in business
~60,000 commercial scale producers
• 47,000 are MLA members
~40,000 beef holdings
• 1% run 25% of herd
• 13% run 65% of herd
~29,000 sheepmeat holdings
• 8% run 28% of the flock
• 35% run 68% of the flock
~8,000 goat (meat) producers
• 10% generate 90% of product
Beef
Sheep
Goats

4. Why we’re in business
~60,000 commercial scale producers
• 47,000 are MLA members
~40,000 beef holdings
• 1% run 25% of herd
• 13% run 65% of herd
~29,000 sheepmeat holdings
• 8% run 28% of the flock
• 35% run 68% of the flock
~8,000 goat (meat) producers
• 10% generate 90% of product
Beef
Sheep
Goats
• Diverse range of needs, skills, systems,
priorities, interests and motivations
• Involved in relatively complex systems
• Limited resources ($, people) to work
• A multitude of “distractions”

5. Why we’re in business
~60,000 commercial scale producers
• 47,000 are MLA members
~40,000 beef holdings
• 1% run 25% of herd
• 13% run 65% of herd
~29,000 sheepmeat holdings
• 8% run 28% of the flock
• 35% run 68% of the flock
~8,000 goat (meat) producers
• 10% generate 90% of product
Beef
Sheep
Goats
• Diverse range of needs, skills, systems,
priorities, interests and apathy
• Involved in relatively complex systems
• Limited resources ($, people) to work
• A multitude of “distractions”40
45
50
55
Average farmer age
Observed Predicted
1971
1991
2011
2031
100,000
200,000
300,000
Total farmer population
Age(yrs)
FARMER AGE AND POPULATION
Trend in annual total rainfall, 1970-2007
(mm/10yrs)
Source: BoM (2008)
AVERAGE FARM DEBT
98-99
06-07
0
200
400
600
800
1000
A$'000 (2007-08 dollars)
southern beef farms
northern beef farms
slaughter lamb farms
2002
2008
0
50
100
150
200
250 Index 2001-02 = 100
fertiliser
chemicals
fuel / lubricant
interest rates
fodder and feeds
INPUT COSTS INDEX
BROADACRE TERMS OF TRADE AND TFP

6. “Game on” for National RD&E
CAPACITY &
CAPABILITY
for the long-term
CONTEXT &
CO-ORDINATION
in RD&E application
COLLABORATION & CO-INVESTMENT
in delivering R&D to industry

7. “Game on” for National RD&E
CAPACITY &
CAPABILITY
building for the long-term
CONTEXT &
CO-ORDINATION
in RD&E application
COLLABORATION & CO-INVESTMENT
in delivering R&D to industry
 RD&E efficacy and efficiency
under unprecedented scrutiny
 Collaboration and co-investment
are pre-requisites
 Co-ordination underpins success
 Capability and capacity require
balanced supply and demand
 RDCs can provide an integral
leadership role

8. A new way of doing business
“WHAT INDUSTRY
INTENDS TO DO”
“COLLABORATIVE RD&E
TO HELP IT HAPPEN”
Bridging industry needs and “RD&E Inc”

9. COMMUNICATION & RESEARCH ADOPTION PROGRAMS
MISP
NATIONAL RD&E
STRATEGIES
NABRC SAMRC
RBRCs
SAMRC
Committees
NORTHERN
BEEF
SHEEP-
MEAT
SOUTHERN
BEEF
GOATS
PEAK
COUNCILS
SFOs
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT R&D PRIORITIES
A new way of doing business
AGENCY REPRESENTATION
INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION

10. Towards a national extension / adoption framework
RIGHT
PRODUCERS
RIGHT
INFORMATION
RIGHT
SOLUTION
RIGHT
TIME
 Standardised monitoring and
evaluation
 Segmentation, needs analysis and
targeted engagement
 Collaborative, integrated and
contextualised delivery
 Appropriation of support resources
 “Fit-for-purpose” delivery and
delivery capacity
 Underpinned by guiding principles
for co-investment

11. AWARENESS
(CATEGORY A)
KASA
(CATEGORY B)
PRACTICE
CHANGE
(CATEGORY C)
REGIONAL/STATENATIONAL/SECTORLOCAL
COMMUNICATIO
N (PASSIVE)
GROUP
ENGAGEMENT
(ACTIVE)
GROUP
ENGAGEMENT
(APPLIED)
NUMBER OF
PRODUCERS
TARGETTED
$ PER
PRODUCER
TARGETTED
RELATIVE
ENGAGEMENT FOCUS APPROACH KPIs
AWARENESS IN
TARGET MARKET
SEGMENT/S
• PARTICPATION
RATES
• KASA CHANGE/S
• PARTICIPANT
APPLICATION OF
PRACTICE/S
• IMPACT CHANGES
FORMAT
• MAGAZINES
• FORUMS
• EXPOS
WORKSHOPS &
TRAINING
PRODUCER R&D
SITES
FREE
RELATIVE
USER COST
A national extension / adoption framework
FEE FOR
SERVICE

12. AWARENESS
(CATEGORY A)
KASA
(CATEGORY B)
PRACTICE
CHANGE
(CATEGORY C)
REGIONAL/STATENATIONAL/SECTORLOCAL
COMMUNICATIO
N (PASSIVE)
GROUP
ENGAGEMENT
(ACTIVE)
GROUP
ENGAGEMENT
(APPLIED)
NUMBER OF
PRODUCERS
TARGETTED
$ PER
PRODUCER
TARGETTED
RELATIVE
ENGAGEMENT FOCUS APPROACH KPIs
AWARENESS IN
TARGET MARKET
SEGMENT/S
• PARTICPATION
RATES
• KASA CHANGE/S
• PARTICIPANT
APPLICATION OF
PRACTICE/S
• IMPACT CHANGES
FORMAT
• MAGAZINES
• FORUMS
• EXPOS
WORKSHOPS &
TRAINING
PRODUCER R&D
SITES
FREE
RELATIVE
USER COST
A national extension / adoption framework
FEE FOR
SERVICE
INCREASINGPRIVATE/
ENTERPRISEBENEFIT

13. AWARENESS
(CATEGORY A)
KASA
(CATEGORY B)
PRACTICE
CHANGE
(CATEGORY C)
REGIONAL/STATENATIONAL/SECTORLOCAL
COMMUNICATIO
N (PASSIVE)
GROUP
ENGAGEMENT
(ACTIVE)
GROUP
ENGAGEMENT
(APPLIED)
NUMBER OF
PRODUCERS
TARGETTED
$ PER
PRODUCER
TARGETTED
RELATIVE
ENGAGEMENT FOCUS APPROACH KPIs
AWARENESS IN
TARGET MARKET
SEGMENT/S
• PARTICPATION
RATES
• KASA CHANGE/S
• PARTICIPANT
APPLICATION OF
PRACTICE/S
• IMPACT CHANGES
FORMAT
• MAGAZINES
• FORUMS
• EXPOS
WORKSHOPS &
TRAINING
PRODUCER R&D
SITES
FREE
RELATIVE
USER COST
A national extension / adoption framework
FEE FOR
SERVICE
RDCs
DPIs
Private Sector

14. BENEFITS
 Sustainable long-term extension
capacity
***
 Competitiveness (and quality) in
extension
**
 Cost-efficiency / leverage in
extension investment
**
 Alignment of / consistency in
extension services
***
 Clear accountability for
extension delivery
***
RISKS
 Average cost of extension may
increase
**
 Loss / lessening of
independence in extension
*
 Inconsistencies in DPI
adoption of principles
*
 “Paying twice” perceptions **
 Not doing something ****
A national extension / adoption frameworkWeighing up the options

15. Summary
 It’s “game on” for increasing RD&E investment efficacy and
efficiency
 The need - and window - to improve the extension landscape exists
 National RD&E Strategies provide the mechanism
 Co-investment principles will help it happen
 “Cultural change” required to foster consistency & recognition of
value in fee-for-service activities
 MLA / RDCs can play a lead role
 Fostering and brokering private sector activity
 Bridging industry priorities and RD&E capacity/capability
 National co-ordination and succession of RD&E resources

16. QUESTIONS

17. A template for resource deployment
• Public-good activities remain a primary responsibility for the public sector
• Industry-good activities co-funded by industry bodies and the public sector
• Private-good activities (increasingly) undertaken on a user-pays basis
PUBLIC GOOD INDUSTRY GOOD PRIVATE GOOD
FREE USER-PAYS
RDCs
Public sector
Private sector

18. Extension co-investment principles
WHAT THEY ARE
DESIGNED TO DO
WHAT THEY AREN’T
DESIGNED TO DO
Underpin long-term extension capacity Provide an exit excuse for DPIs
Better leverage total extension
investment
Provide an exit excuse for RDCs
Co-ordinate and align extension
providers and their investment
Facilitate cost-shifting between RD&E
agencies
Promote consistency and accountability Offer a “free ride” to the private sector
Underpin integrated (RDC-DPI-private)
delivery
Prescribe one-size-fits-all extension
approach
Position industry in readiness
Foster competitiveness & quality, and
appreciation of services
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19. PRODUCER SEGMENTATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Innovators
(2.5%)
Early
Adopters
(13.5%)
Early Majority
(34%)
Late Majority
(34%)
Late /
non-adopters (16%)
= ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT = PASSIVE ENGAGEMENT
LEAD USER
PROGRAM
FOCUS: GENERATION AND
VALIDATION OF NEW
INNOVATIONS
MAJORITY MARKET PROGRAMS
(MBfP, MMfS, GIG, etc)
FOCUS: DEMONSTRATION, COMMERCIALISATION AND
ADOPTION OF VALIDATED RESEARCH
LOW / MINIMAL
ENGAGEMENT
FOCUS: GENERAL
COMMUNICATIONS