TERMS OF REFERENCE

Producer on farm impact of the EDGEnetwork®

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) manages a suite of specialised EDGEnetwork® (EDGE) training workshops that have been developed and targeted primarily to northern Australian beef producers to improve beef production and enterprise profitability and sustainability. These workshops have been used for more than a decade to lift the awareness of MLA and collaborator–funded research and development outcomes and to accelerate the adoption of best management practices.

Five workshops fall under EDGE. These are: Nutrition, Breeding, Grazing land management, Business and Grazing Fundamentals. The course material has undergone significant review and technical updating over the past four years. EDGE is currently the main avenue for face to face delivery of MLA R&D project outcomes, for producers to adopt into their management practices in the north.

In the past three financial years (2014/15 to 2016/17) 57 workshops (691 participants), have been delivered across Queensland, Northern Territory and northern Western Australia. Business EDGE is the only EDGE workshop delivered nationally. MLA approved private and public service providers deliver the workshops as a commercial product under an MLA EDGE Delivery Deed.

Current monitoring and evaluation relies on participant feedback via workshop evaluation forms. These forms indicate in the previous three financial years participant satisfaction has been 9.2/10, value of the workshop 9/10 and improvement in skills and knowledge 9/10. 94% of participants indicate they plan to make changes to their business as a result of attending an EDGE workshop.

REASON FOR THIS WORK

MLA is seeking a suitably experienced service provider to evaluate and report on the extent of the development of producer skills, attitude, knowledge and aspirations and actual practice change from EDGE participants over the past three financial years and the impact this is having primarily on farm in the beef industry in Queensland, NT and northern W.A. The report will be used for reporting purposes and inform the future delivery of EDGE.

OBJECTIVES

A report which communicates the impact participation in EDGE is having primarily on producer’s productivity and profitability in the beef industry in Queensland, NT and northern W.A. and recommendations in relation to the future delivery of EDGE.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals are required to address each selection criteria. The proposal should be no longer than three pages (this needs to be strictly adhered to). Please advise your availability to commence this work.

SELECTION CRITERIA

•  Tertiary qualifications in any discipline related to the business of agricultural.

•  A detailed understanding of the business principles that drive profitable agriculture. Those with experience and understanding of extensive grazing systems will be favourably viewed.

•  At least ten years of post-graduate experience in agricultural extension programs and projects, specialising in:

o  Monitoring and evaluation processes and use of tools to deliver meaningful on ground impact results. Including the use of (but not exhaustive) return on investment, focus groups, case studies, telephone surveys.

o  Demonstrated ability to present complex monitoring and evaluation results and make program/ project recommendations relevant to those findings.

TIMEFRAME AND CONTRACTING

Funding is available now to commence this work.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The project service provider will report to the MLA GrassFed Beef Innovation and Adoption Manager

PAYMENT

Payment will be made upon successful completion of milestones and the final report.

FURTHER INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION

For further information please contact: Jane Wightman, Innovation and Adoption Manager – Grass Fed Beef / 07 3620 5232 / 0416 189 775 /

Expressions of interest should be submitted electronically to by 5 pm on 6 December 2017.