Two-page document developed by Jeff Coutts and the DCAP project on ‘What constitutes Practice Change’. It is intended to be useful in articulating the different practice change levels, definitions of practice change and provide helpful examples in the M&E context of the DCAP project.
Handbook of Social Impact Assessment and Management
This carefully conceived Handbook presents a state-of-the-art discussion of the field of social impact assessment (SIA), highlighting contemporary understandings and emerging issues in this continually evolving area of research and practice. Experienced SIA practitioners from around the world share their learnings and advice on a comprehensive range of issues faced in social performance practice.
2023 CSIRO collaboration award win
We were really pleased to see the Climate Services for Agriculture program that we work on with CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and FarmLink receive the 2023 CSIRO Collaboration Medal. Over the last few years, the collaboration and teamwork between the different organisations has been one of the program’s key success factors. It’s a really good demonstration of the importance and benefits of fostering a positive project team culture, regardless of where people may be based. And just so you can see what it looks like, we’ve included a photo of Jeff’s award.
Jeff Coutts is a co-author of a chapter in the recently on-line published book: “Rural Development for Sustainable Social-ecological Systems: Putting Communities First”.
Abstract: This chapter presents a brief but critical account of trends in agricultural extension practices in Australia. Agricultural extension practices have changed significantly over the past five decades. Structural changes in agriculture, new types of agricultural technologies, tight public budgets, efforts to decentralise government and emerging information and communication technologies (ICT) have led to pluralistic advisory services. Earlier research has described the history of agricultural extension until 2010 in Australia. Using a ‘practice perspective’, this paper focuses on the practices of practitioners in agricultural extension. The chapter starts with a discussion of what extension refers to in Australia. This is followed by a brief outline of the history of agricultural extension in Australia providing insight into the diversity of current extension practices. Then the key methodological approaches that inform current extension practices are described, namely approaches that focus on (1) adoption and diffusion; (2) interactions and learning; and (3) agricultural innovation systems and systems innovation. The paper concludes with a discussion of new developments in extension practices as well as opportunities to strengthen and re-invigorate the study of extension.
Link to the journal article: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-34225-7_4
International workshop for education and advisory actors of rural areas, the agricultural and environmental sector, including the home and food economy
The networks International Academy for Rural Advisory Services (IALB), European Forum for Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (EUFRAS) and South Eastern Europe Advisory Service Network (SEASN) as well as the Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG) are organising an international workshop for education and advisory actors of rural areas, the agricultural and environmental sector, including the home and food economy, in Dresden from 10 to 14 September 2023. The theme is: The role of education and extension in the transformation process of agriculture – in the context of climate change, ensuring nutrition and societal demands.
Registration is from July 2023: https://www.ialb.sachsen.de/