Summary

This project will develop a Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (MER) framework to support the delivery of Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) projects across AgriFutures Australia’s Emerging Industries Program. The purpose of the MER framework is to provide AgriFutures program managers and delivery providers with a resource to inform project design and validate performance achievement throughout project delivery. Implementation of the MER framework will enable questions such as ‘is it good?’, ‘was it worth it?’ and ‘what can we do now?’ to be answered systematically for Emerging Industries projects/programs.

 

The MER framework design will accommodate a diverse range of projects and delivery capabilities that charactertise the Emerging Industries’ program, influenced by factors including funding value, researcher capacity, delivery timeframe and industry engagement. As such, the MER framework will be developed through an iterative and consultative process, that is informed by learnings and feedback gathered through piloting a preliminary framework across two existing Emerging Industries projects.

 

To support successful implementation of the MER framework, the development process will focus on building capability with relevant AgriFutures staff and program providers to support ownership and a clear value proposition. Capacity building will be guided by the intrinsic drivers influencing potential users and adapting development processes to suit existing levels of understanding. This approach is informed by our experience working across RDCs in the delivery of MER services.

The project delivery draws on the project team’s applied experience in the design, management and implementation of monitoring, evaluation and reporting frameworks for RDCs.

Program

New and Emerging Industries

Research Organisation

Ag Econ

Objective Summary

The objectives of this project are to:

• Deliver a Master MER framework to support the delivery performance measurement of RD&E projects across the AgriFutures Australia Emerging Industries Program.
• Pilot a preliminary version of the MER framework across two Emerging Industries projects to test, refine and validate the framework.
• Support the implementation of the MER framework with the AgriFutures Emerging Industries program management team.
• Align the Emerging Industries MER framework to other relevant AgriFutures reporting material where possible.

The intended end-of-project outcome is to improve the knowledge, attitudes and capability of AgriFutures Australia’s Emerging Industries program staff and delivery personnel to support performance-orientated monitoring, evaluation and reporting.