Capacity Building Resource Manual, July 2007

The Cooperative Venture Capacity Building (CVCB) has released a seminal publication resulting from the CVCB's work, the Capacity Building Resource Manual. 

The manual provides a framework for practitioners to develop, implement and evaluate capacity-building projects and activities, and includes case studies that illustrate how the framework can be put into practice, as well as background on the theory of capacity building.

“Capacity building processes are designed to help people in rural Australia understand their changing circumstances,” said CVCB Program Manager John McKenzie, who compiled the report.

“Effective capacity building maintains a focus on outcomes. It is an active learning process that is most effective when its outcomes are agreed,” he said.

The Capacity Building Resource Manual is available to download from the RIRDC website http://www.rirdc.gov.au/fullreports/hcc.html

For more details on the CVCB visit www.rirdc.gov.au/capacitybuilding or call (02) 6271 4100.

2007 Agriculture Policy Statement released, May 2007

A new set of Rural Research and Development Priorities have been released by Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of the 2007 Agriculture Policy Statement Future Harvest.

The Council of Rural Research & Development Corporations’ Chairs has welcomed the revised priorities as reflecting the current challenges being faced by Australian rural industries.

Chair of the Council, Terry Enright, believes the RDCs are already well advanced in investment in programs that reflect the 2007 research priorities.

“Natural Resource Management already attracts approximately 20% of the total RDC research investment. All of the RDCs have recently or are currently involved in NRM projects or programs with Land and Water Australia”, Mr Enright said.

“As well, the success of the jointly-funded $6million Managing Climate Variability Program has brought a national focus to climate risk management over its five year life, and greatly improved seasonal forecasts, giving confidence to many decision makers in rural industries.The explicit direction to fund further research in this area will no doubt produce further world-first innovation, and create lasting change for levy payers and the wider Australian community, “he said.

Access the full response from the CRRDCC here

Productivity Commission Final Report, 27 March 2007

The Council of Rural Research & Development Corporations' Chairs has responded to the Productivity Commission's final report into Public Support for Science and Innovation.

Terry Enright, Chair of the CRRDCC said “The Productivity Commission has recognised that there are grounds for significant public funding for rural R&D where there are spillover benefits to the wider community,” said Terry Enright, the chair of the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations’ Chairs.

“We believe this is the case with all of Australia’s 15 RDCs”.

A review by economic researchers ACIL Tasman of cost benefit analyses of 134 RDC projects undertaken between 2000 and 2007, found that while around $1 billion had been invested by the RDCs in these projects, this had generated net benefits of $5.5 billion to industry and at least $3 billion in wider social benefits.

Download full media release from Terry Enright here. 

Access the final report from the Productivity Commission here.

New Drought Portal, 28 November 2006

A new Drought Portal has been developed on the Rural RDC website to enable wider access to practical tools and research results on dealing with the effects of drought.

The Drought Portal has been divided into four main topics:

Climate Change

Water Use Efficiency

Pasture Management

Feeding Livestock

Much of the research conducted by individual Rural RDCs can be applied to other industries, and the objective of the Drought Portal is to enable access to this information.

Day of Action at Parliament House, 5 September 2006

September 5, 2006 was a significant day for the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporation Chairs.

A number of events were held at Parliament House in Canberra designed to communicate the benefits of the RDC model and the substantial commercial, environmental and social outcomes of Rural R&D to Australia.

A breakfast hosted by the Parliamentary Secretary the Hon Sussan Ley MP provided the forum for the launch of the RDC Booklet “The Benefits of Rural R&D” and this website.

A series of meetings during the day saw RDC representatives discussing the success of the model of matched industry and government funding with over 70 MPs and Senators from both sides of politics.

The day concluded with a Cocktail Event held in the magnificent Great Hall at Parliament House where displays from the RDCs demonstrated the diversity of research and development and the influence of R&D on Australia’s high quality food, wine and fibre.

More photos are available here.