Reef Water Quality
Protection Plan
Extension and Education Strategy
Update and Implementation Guide
June 2014
Contents
Executive summary
3
Key recommendations and actions
4
Purpose
6
Background
7
Scope
8
9
Extension and education roles
Targets
12
Building extension capacity
15
Collaboration—ReefNet Framework
16
Monitoring and evaluation system
19
Glossary of terms
20
Acronyms
21
This document has been developed for the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan 2013 by Dr Jeff Coutts of Coutts J&R
Pty Ltd with funding from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) under the guidance of the
Management Practices Advisory Group (MPAG).
Reviewer: Dr Jeff Coutts (Coutts J&R)
MPAG Working Group:Adam Knapp (Queensland Farmers’ Federation), Don Pollock (Terrain Natural Resource
Management), Matt Kealley (Canegrowers), Piers Harper (Fitzroy Basin Association),
Carla Wegscheidl (DAF)
MPAG Support:
Rachael Djamaludin (DAF), Jenny Daly (DAF)
© State of Queensland, 2014.
The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information.
The copyright in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY) licence.
Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the licence terms. You must keep
intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication.
For more information on this licence, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The Queensland Government shall not be liable for technical or other errors or
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or indirectly from using this information.
Image credits: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Tourism and Events Queensland.
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Extension and Education Strategy Update
2
Executive summary
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef
Plan) 2013 highlights the need to provide a
range of extension and education, incentives/
grants and Best Management Practice
programs to landholders to maximise adoption
of management practices and systems that
improve Great Barrier Reef water quality
while maintaining and enhancing business
performance and resilience. It emphasises that
a key to achieving this is through targeted and
coordinated delivery across these programs,
responding to regional priorities.
As a deliverable under Action 5, the Reef Plan
2013 Extension and Education Strategy Update
and Implementation Guide (Extension and
Education Strategy Update) aims to provide
a framework for the coordinated delivery of
extension and education, working in conjunction
with Best Management Practice and incentives/
grants programs to collectively achieve Reef
Plan land and catchment management targets.
It builds on the strong base of the original Reef
Plan Extension and Education Strategy (2010)
and takes into account changes in the extension
and education landscape, government policy
and funding, advances in scientific consensus
and industry initiatives. The original strategy
provides significant background and direction
that remains relevant and should be referred
to in conjunction with this update.
Core principles and goals of the Extension
and Education Strategy Update include:
• Maximising the effective integration of
extension and education, Best Management
Practice and grants programs through regional
and state level coordination.
• Improving water quality outcomes in the
context of a holistic approach to farm
management, which involves maximising
water quality outcomes whilst ensuring
productive and profitable agricultural
enterprises.
towards regional water quality targets can
be achieved.
• Facilitating management practice change
requires a mix of extension and education
activities.
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting capacity
gains and practice changes resulting from
extension and education activity in a consistent
format for Reef Plan reporting and to prioritise
and plan future delivery.
New or enhanced roles and processes identified
in the Extension and Education Strategy
Update include:
• Reef Plan Extension and Education
Regional Coordinator (Regional
coordinator) role to facilitate collaboration
and information sharing between Reef Plan
programs in priority areas1.
• Information/analytical support role
to capture the outcomes of extension and
education activity in Paddock to Reef program
reporting and feedback practice adoption
information to stakeholders for decision
making purposes.
• Group extension, on-farm development
and technical roles/methods need to be
strengthened in the mix of extension and
education activities.
• Capacity building in relevant extension
and technical skills for extension and
education deliverers.
• Monitoring, evaluation and reporting
framework based around capturing gains
in capacity and practice change in farm
management.
Implementation of these processes to improve
the targeted, coordinated delivery of Reef Plan
extension and education is detailed in the list
of key recommendations and actions and in
the respective sections of the Extension and
Education Strategy Update.
• Prioritising and targeting extension and
education effort where the most progress
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au 1 Priority areas as per the Scientific Consensus Statement www.reefplan.qld.gov.au
Extension and Education Strategy Update
3
Key recommendations and actions
Action/Activity
Responsibility
Notes
1. Update the audit of current Reef Plan related extension
and education programs, resources and positions
against the different roles and identify gaps—provide
to Management Practices Advisory Group (MPAG) and
organisations providing regional coordination.
Department of Agriculture
and Fisheries (DAF)
There is some good documentation
already and more information was
collected in this review.
2. Ensure that the mix of extension and education roles
fulfils the regional needs in relation to roles identified in
the strategy. This would be by means of reallocation,
negotiation and cross-organisational cooperation.
MPAG
3. Extra information/analytical support position for
extension and education information in Paddock
to Reef.
MPAG to negotiate with stakeholders
to see what is possible
This would assist MPAG members and
regional extension and education
deliverers to better understand and
coordinate priorities and progress.
4. Use SMART2 objectives when defining desired
outcomes of extension and education programs
within Reef regions.
Extension and education deliverers
This is already clear in some cases—
but may need to be modified in line
with aspirational Reef Plan targets.
5. Identifying priority sub-catchments and regional
locations for targeted water quality related practices
to guide extension targets and share with other
regional extension and education deliverers.
Natural Resource Management
(NRM) bodies
This would be a normal part of developing
Water Quality Improvement Plan priorities
which would inform NRM regional plans.
It would identify priorities for grant projects
and is also relevant to extension and
education beyond the grants program.
6. Target extension and education towards those
producers who most impact on the identified priorities
in the nominated catchments/regions.
Extension and education deliverers
This would include engaging those in
these priority areas who have previously
had limited interaction with extension
and education programs.
7. Identify current and potential providers of extension
capacity training/mentoring and what is available/offered
and compare to that described in the strategy as being
needed to maximise the effectiveness of the extension
and education effort.
DAF in association with relevant
Registered Training Organisations
(RTOs) and other providers
Training does not have to be accredited.
Mentoring schemes should also
be considered.
8. Develop a guide and checklist for organisations and
individuals to systematically look at training needed for
the regional roles. Discuss and coordinate with trainers/
mentors to meet needs and fill gaps.
DAF in association with relevant
RTOs and other providers
Extension and education roles
MPAG
DAF
Other extension and education
deliverers
It is important to maintain on-farm trials
and demonstrations as well as producer
discussion groups as part of the mix.
Targets
Building extension capacity
Organisations with the Reef
Plan Extension and Education
Regional Coordinator (Regional
coordinator) role
Organisations with the Regional
coordinator role
9. Develop a list of key capacities for extension staff to be Extension and education deliverers
able to rate their own level of competence/confidence and
progress they make through training and mentoring.
This could be linked to current Training
Packages offered through RTOs as
well as through other providers.
The use of a standardised electronic skills
passport around these capacities could
assist in managing these training needs.
2 Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Time bound
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Extension and Education Strategy Update
4
State level coordination (MPAG)
10. The Terms of Reference and make-up of MPAG
reflects its role in overseeing the implementation of the
strategy update and in facilitating the coordination of
extension and education across the Reef catchments
and links to grants and Best Management Practice/Farm
Management System programs.
MPAG
Terms of Reference should be reviewed
regularly (annually) to reflect any
changes to Reef Plan and extension and
education provision.
11. Instigate an annual facilitated reflection on progress
over the year, the influence that MPAG has had and any
issues, needs and a way forward.
MPAG
This is different to a regular MPAG meeting.
It is a structured reflection, externally
facilitated to allow learning to emerge and
continual improvement of the effectiveness
of MPAG.
12. Develop guidelines for regional coordination and
negotiate between stakeholders as to which organisation
might take responsibility and undertake the Regional
coordinator role—as well as any cross-organisational
support that may be needed.
DAF
The way regional coordination is achieved
will vary from region to region, building
upon existing coordination mechanisms.
This may be a rolling role—with one
organisation taking responsibility for a time
period and moving to another. The critical
thing is to have a firm commitment within
each Reef region.
13. Establishing and maintaining an on-line Calendar
of Events, training and service providers, and resources
in a regional context.
Organisations with the Regional
coordinator role
This may be done on a cross-regional basis
with the ability to search by region.
14. Facilitate regional industry-based meetings to identify
areas for extension and education collaboration and
cooperation and share resources and information. This
includes support for relevant Best Management Practice/
Farm Management System needs and links to grants
programs. Undertake an annual reflection on different
approaches used, what worked, what didn’t, issues
identified and changes needed.
Extension and education deliverers
This may already be happening in some
industries and regions and/or it may need
to be initiated or broadened. It will vary
from region to region.
Regional level coordination
MPAG
Organisations with the Regional
coordinator role
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting
15. Develop a Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
Framework in conjunction with other stakeholders for
Paddock to Reef reporting on the outcomes of extension
and education activities. This may include a suggested
guide for monitoring and evaluation data collection.
It should include a simplified format for providing a
summary of relevant regional information to MPAG.
16. Use the Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
Framework to provide regional information to MPAG
on the type of extension activities, progress against
targets, gaps, needs and issues and use this in the
annual facilitated reflection process.
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au DAF
MPAG
Extension and education deliverers
Organisations with the Regional
coordinator role
The aim is to guide the way progress
and issues around extension and
education and collaboration is collected,
collated and shared to assist with
decision‑making. This information is
needed for Paddock to Reef reporting
and could also be used to discuss
effectiveness of extension and education
programs and help in planning
future delivery.
The intention is for extension and education
deliverers to provide a summary of regional
extension and education delivery and
outcomes to regional stakeholders and
MPAG. It is not to duplicate reporting
requirements, rather to ensure a summary
of reported information sent to MPAG.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
5
Purpose
The purpose of the Reef Plan 2013
Extension and Education Strategy Update
and Implementation guide (Extension and
Education Strategy Update) is to provide a
framework for the delivery and coordination
of extension and education to maximise the
uptake of management practices and systems
that maximise water quality improvements for
the Great Barrier Reef while maintaining and
enhancing resilience, business performance
and environmental outcomes.
This Extension and Education Strategy
Update provides a framework for a common
understanding of the role and practice of
education and extension for this purpose
and to facilitate cooperation and collaboration
between stakeholders to maximise Reef Plan
outcomes within available resources.
It updates the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
Extension and Education Strategy 20103 (2010
Extension and Education Strategy) and provides
guidance on its implementation.
This document builds on the strong base of the
original strategy and takes into account changes
in the extension and education landscape,
government policy and funding, advances in
scientific consensus and industry initiatives. The
original strategy provides significant background
and direction that remains relevant and should
be referred to in conjunction with this update.
3
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Stockwell B (2010) Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
Extension and Education Strategy 2020 Focus on best
practice. Queensland Government
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au
Extension and Education Strategy Update
6
Background
2010 Extension and
Education Strategy
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef
Plan) was first introduced in 2003 to address
the quality of water entering the Great Barrier
Reef from adjacent catchments, primarily aimed
at non-point source pollutants from broad‑scale
agricultural land uses. A revised version of
Reef Plan, endorsed in 2009, identified a need
for continued action to provide coordinated
extension and education services to landholders
to increase the uptake of land management
practices to improve Reef water quality. Under
Reef Plan 2009, there was a specific action
which aimed to review and reset the strategic
framework for extension and education in order
to accelerate the adoption of land management
practices that maximise Reef water quality
improvements. A review was conducted in
2009 into extension and education services
throughout the Great Barrier Reef catchments
and, based on this, the Reef Plan Extension
and Education Strategy 2010 was developed
and endorsed.
The 2010 strategy provided the overarching
principles for coordinating and delivering
extension and education services to achieve
best practice land management and contribute
towards Reef Plan targets. The goal of this
strategy was to outline the priorities for
extension and education services to achieve
the management practice targets, to halt
and reverse declining water quality from
rural catchments, and be recognised for its
efficiency and connectivity. The 2010 strategy
distinguished between the water quality targets
and management practice targets—with the
underlying link that changes in the latter would
positively impact on the former. In essence,
extension and education can only focus on
changing practices. The 2010 strategy was
implemented via a pilot project in 2011–2012
and has been rolled out more broadly since.
Reef Plan 2013
In 2013 a new Reef Plan4 was released and
new actions have been identified for the next
five years, with a focus on working more
closely with industry through extension,
incentives and Best Management Practice
programs to accelerate the uptake of improved
practices. This approach will include a much
more coordinated and integrated effort at the
regional level. Extension is explicitly mentioned
as one of the key voluntary adoption methods
needed to proactively engage landholders
and engender change towards practices and
systems that achieve cost effective reductions
in pollutant loss. By working in conjunction with
complementary Best Management Practice
and incentives/grants programs, extension will
contribute to achieving the land and catchment
management targets by 2018:
• 90 percent of sugarcane, horticulture,
cropping and grazing lands are managed
using best management practice systems
(soil, nutrients and pesticides) in priority areas
• minimum of 70 per cent late season
dry season groundcover on grazing lands
• the extent of riparian vegetation is increased
• there is no net loss of the extent, and an
improvement in the ecological processes
and environmental values, of natural wetlands.
These targets were calculated to contribute
to these water quality targets (by 2018):
• at least a 50 per cent reduction in
anthropogenic end-of-catchment dissolved
inorganic nitrogen loads in priority areas
• at least a 20 per cent reduction in
anthropogenic end-of-catchment loads
of sediment and particulate nutrients
in priority areas
• at least a 60 per cent reduction
in end‑of‑catchment pesticide loads
in priority areas.
4 www.reefplan.qld.gov.au
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Extension and Education Strategy Update
7
Update of Extension and
Education Strategy
In responding to this challenge, Action 5
of Reef Plan 2013 aims to deliver targeted
and coordinated extension, Best Management
Practice and incentive activities to maximise
uptake of management practices and systems.
This Extension and Education Strategy Update
is a deliverable under Action 5 of Reef Plan 2013
and takes into account changes in the extension
and education landscape, government policy and
funding, advances in scientific consensus and
industry initiatives. It is the result of a review of the
original 2010 Extension and Education Strategy.
It was initiated by the Queensland Department
of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and undertaken
under the guidance of the Management
Practice Advisory Group (MPAG) in 2014.
The pilot project implementing the 2010 strategy
concluded that the principles in the strategy
were sound and provided a good framework for
enhancing extension delivery and coordination.
This document provides recommendations for
implementing the 2010 strategy principles in light
of changes in the Reef Plan landscape.
Scope
Reef Plan extension and education refers to
the range of extension and education programs,
projects and activities delivered in the six
Queensland Great Barrier Reef regions (Cape
York, Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday,
Fitzroy and Burnett Mary) that directly or
indirectly target practice change in agricultural
enterprises that will contribute to improved water
quality outcomes. This includes extension and
education delivery by government (DAF), the
relevant Natural Resource Management bodies,
industry and environmental non-government
organisations with funding coming from a
range of sources including the Australian and
Queensland governments, industry producer
levies and private sources. The major programs
under the Reef Plan extension and education
umbrella at the time of this Extension and
Education Strategy Update are:
• the Australian Government funded Reef Water
Quality Grants Programme (with an integrated
extension approach) managed by Natural
Resource Management bodies
• DAF Reef Water Quality Extension projects
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au • Industry Best Management Practice (BMP)
(SmartCane, Grazing, Grains, Banana), Farm
Management Systems (FMS) (Growcom)
and Dairying Better ‘n’ Better (Queensland
Dairyfarmers’ Organisation) programs.
There are other organisations, programs and
activities that provide extension or education that
contribute towards Reef Plan outcomes.
Extension and education therefore complements
—and is a key component of—other government
and industry initiatives (including Reef Water
Quality Grants and Best Management Practice
frameworks) to continually improve farming
practices to maximise water quality outcomes
for the Great Barrier Reef. Extension and
education provides awareness, understanding,
engagement and facilitation to assist co‑learning,
develop capacity and support effective practice
change in a sustainable way. New initiatives
including the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability
Plan and Reef Trust will also contain extension and
education components and have flagged the need
to bring programs and activities together to ensure
greater coordination, efficiency and effectiveness.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
8
This document focuses on the extension and
education component of programs addressing
farm practices while recognising the interplay
between extension and education, grants,
Best Management Practice/Farm Management
System approaches in facilitating practice
change. It does not seek to advise how
grants or Best Management Practice/Farm
Management System programs should be
administered but does address coordination/
collaboration of the extension and education
components directed towards management
practice change to maximise their collective
effectiveness. Given that extension and
education programs are being funded and
delivered through a range of programs and
organisations with their own objectives,
approaches, milestones and resource
commitments, this Extension and Education
Strategy Update guides how the extension and
education components can best collaborate,
be better targeted and undertake those activities
for the best outcomes for Great Barrier Reef
water quality. The aim is to maximise the
effective integration of these approaches through
regional and state level coordination.
The Extension and Education Strategy Update
is concerned with improving water quality
outcomes in the context of a holistic approach
to enabling best management farming practices
on farms and properties in the Reef catchments.
The holistic approach is about maximising water
quality outcomes whilst ensuring productive
and profitable agricultural enterprises. As such,
changing practices requires an understanding
of the value proposition and implications of the
changes for the producer. The Extension and
Education Strategy Update acknowledges that
there are a number of government, industry and
other organisations working towards these same
outcomes. The aim is to provide a framework for
a common understanding of the role and practice
of extension and education and to facilitate
cooperation and collaboration to maximise
outcomes within available resources.
Extension and education roles
Definitions
Extension and education relate directly
to enabling voluntary change—as opposed
to change imposed by legislation or regulation
or brought about by providing grants/co-funding.
As policy instruments, they are best used in
conjunction with other approaches. Extension
and education can assist producers to be aware
of applicable regulation and available grant
opportunities and assist them in complying
or applying in the change process.
Education is the process of developing
awareness and understanding of the
need to change (regulatory imperatives
or opportunities to improve profitability,
enterprise sustainability and/or contribute
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au to community environmental objectives) and
includes activities such as formal training,
agricultural economic advice, compliance
assistance and incentives advice.
Extension is turning this awareness and
understanding into action and involves assisting
producers to develop the needed capacity and
skills and to evaluate, trial, adopt, integrate,
review and innovate to best implement changes
in their enterprise context.
A Reef Plan education and extension role is one
that is specifically directed towards improving
water quality outcomes in the Great Barrier Reef
catchments in the context of a holistic approach
to improved management practices.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
9
Extension and education roles
• Learning/discussion group facilitation
The 2010 Extension and Education Strategy
described a series of extension and education
methods that are required to achieve the
management practice targets of Reef Plan.
Given the piloting of the strategy and the
changes and initiatives that have occurred
since 2010, the current extension and education
roles or methods (with more than one role often
undertaken by the same individual) needed in
the Reef Plan domain include:
• On-farm development
• Best Management Practice (BMP)/
Farm Management System (FMS)/grant
program facilitation
encouraging producers to participate in BMP/
FMS/grants, facilitating the process and
providing information and links to extension
and/or education support.
• Training/education
workshop facilitation and delivery of training
programs (with or without accreditation)
supporting BMP/FMS, grant projects and/or
skills and understanding in targeted practices.
• Group extension delivery
running shed meetings and/or one-off group
extension activities around specific topics
or needs, also using webinars/social media
to engage producers [Best practice coach
in 2010 strategy].
Awareness
Interest
Comparison
Testing
Ignorance
Rejection
Adoption
Figure 1: Stages of the adoption process5
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au working with new or established on-going
farmer groups who meet regularly to learn
from each other and explore options for
their enterprises [Best practice trainer in
2010 strategy].
overseeing on-farm trials, demonstrations
and associated farm walks and field days
to develop understanding and trust in practice
recommendations and adaptation based
on local farming systems [Technical extension
officer/trainer in 2010 strategy].
• Technical advice/mentoring
one-on-one support for individual action
such as development of nutrient management
plans, looking at financial implications of
changes or product sales support.
• Information support
providing technical and economic
information in hard copy or via the web,
through mass media and/or via tools
and decision‑support systems.
• Communication
ensuring that producers and other stakeholders
are aware of needs, where to access
information, support and assistance and being
kept up to date with activities and outcomes.
• Economic support
providing the basis for understanding
the economic implications of management
practice changes.
The argument is that each of these roles plays
an important and complementary task to the
other roles. The distinction needs to be made
between awareness raising (use of media,
newsletters, web sites, webinars, field days,
talks at shed meetings), developing skills and
understanding (workshops, training days,
e-learning) and close engagement to facilitate
learning, problem solving, trialling and adoption
(learning groups, one-one visits, mentoring,
interactive social media). Figure 1 shows the
importance of going beyond awareness to
provide opportunity for comparing (practicality
5
Botha N and Coutts J (2006) Extension and Consultancy—
current thinking. Primary Industry Management Journal
New Zealand
Extension and Education Strategy Update
10
and the value proposition) and adapting
to specific farm contexts.
Supporting grower groups who wish to trial
and learn from each other is a critical part
of the extension and education effort to gain
on-farm perspectives and ownership from the
producer community. This is consistent with
the recognition that producers’ experience,
and farm knowledge is important in the process
of facilitating positive changes in on-farm
management and practices.
Different organisations may be providing different
roles—hence the importance of collaboration
and coordination. For example, Best Management
Program/Farm Management System/grant
program facilitators use these programs to assist
producers in identifying opportunities for farm
improvement. Once identified, there may be
a need to seek assistance and training from
technical advisors and/or trainer educators from
other organisations.
Gaps and additional
roles needed
A gap evident in the review and identified in
the rolling out of the pilot was that of dedicated
regional coordination. Some good coordination
is happening in some industry programs
and within some catchments. To ensure the
effective on‑going coordination of extension
and education activities across reef catchments,
this type of role is central:
• Reef Plan Extension and Education
Regional Coordinator (Regional
coordinator) role—a role with a mandate
and responsibility to facilitate collaboration
between programs with an extension and
education function (including grants and Best
Management Practice/Farm Management
System programs) and sharing of information
within and across industries within a Great
Barrier Reef region.
Ideally, this would be a dedicated position within
the priority areas 6. This will have to be negotiated
with stakeholders on a region by region basis
to reflect different regional needs, capacity and
resources available. It may mean broadening
the role of staff currently facilitating collaboration
at a project level, reallocation of current roles or
modifying existing roles to incorporate this role
as a key component. The role could sit within
government, a Natural Resource Management
body or industry and could be jointly funded.
It is important the role is recognised and
supported by the organisations in the region.
Key responsibilities for the role would include:
• Being aware of the different extension and
education needs and mechanisms (regional
targets, high risk sub-catchments, priority
pollutants and management practice
changes required) of the region in relation
to management practices that impact on
water quality outcomes—and the different
organisations and activities working in
this area.
• Working with the providers of extension
and education (including Best Management
Practice/Farm Management System/grant
programs including providers who are working
on relevant projects which are outside of
the scope of Reef Plan) to map activities
and seek opportunities for collaboration
and cooperation—as well as identifying gaps
and future opportunities.
• Coordinating opportunities for identified
training and capacity building needs for
producers and delivery staff across different
organisations and regional boundaries.
• Collating regional information and providing
it to extension and education deliverers,
industry and MPAG on education and extension
activities in priority areas, reported impacts
(use of grants, capacity and practice changes)
using standardised data sets and supporting
existing Paddock to Reef reporting, and gaps
and issues that need to be addressed.
• Providing input into regional calendars,
facilitating annual reflection of industry
programs and providing other coordination
support as able.
6Priority areas as per the 2013 Scientific Consensus
Statement www.reefplan.qld.gov.au
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Extension and Education Strategy Update
11
This role and that of the state-level regional
coordinating body (MPAG) would be much
assisted by having stronger access to the
information generated through the Paddock
to Reef program to provide the information/
analytical support needed for regional and state
planning and decision-making. This may require
jointly supporting an extra position/support in the
Paddock to Reef team through re-allocation of
current funding. This extra capacity would assist
in collecting relevant information for Paddock
to Reef reporting by working with the Regional
coordinators to ensure outcomes from extension
and education activity are captured as well as
feeding relevant information on practice adoption
back to Regional coordinators and MPAG so
they can use it for decision making.
MPAG would then be in a position to better
highlight progress, gaps and needs and
negotiate with organisations to work better
together to address those issues.
Targets
Investment in extension and education programs
and activities is based on the notion that the
investment will yield:
1. a higher rate of adoption in targeted practices
than would have occurred without the
intervention
2. a greater geographical and demographic
spread of adoption—accessing individuals and
localities that may otherwise have not engaged
3. a better application of adopted practices—
outcomes being more effective than they
100%
Increased
reach and
peak
Increased effectiveness
of application and
benefits arising
50%
Increased
rate of
uptake
Coutts J&R 2013
0%
1 Year
10 Years
20 Years
Figure 2: Gains from investment in extension and
education over and above ‘business as usual’
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au might have been without the extension and
education support.
This is demonstrated in Figure 2 which shows
the gains that can be achieved by effective
investment in extension and education over
and above ‘business as usual’. The left vertical
axis is the percentage of producers to whom a
change is relevant and the horizontal axis refers
to the time period over which change occurs.
There is also the added value of including
feedback from extension engagement into
catchment modelling to better inform planning
and directing future extension investment
towards higher priority areas—a benefit
to industry and the science community.
Extension and education impact directly
on capacity and practice change. The targeted
practices are based on research, science and
experience which determine the correlation
between these practices and desired
outcomes—such as improvements in water
quality. Because of this, extension and education
targets should be described in terms of the
extent of targeted practice changes which
contribute to the higher level Reef Plan water
quality targets.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
12
Reef Plan
management targets
Extension, education, grants and Best
Management Practices/Farm Management
System work together to facilitate practice
change. Each adds value to the others. Change
is also a step by step process and, as such, the
Reef Plan management practice targets (page 7)
should be seen as aspirational targets guiding
the extension and education objectives, activities
and reporting. As more detailed monitoring and
evaluation data are gathered, then priorities can
be identified and targets modified. Some regions
have already established regional targets or are in
the process of establishing/refining targets.
Regional targets
Allocation of extension resources and effort
should be guided by the priority regions and
industries identified in the 2013 Scientific
Consensus Statement7 (and modified as
updates become available). Regional priorities
should be based on at-risk areas identified
in Natural Resource Management Regional
Plans (i.e. through Water Quality Improvement
Plans) developed through the Natural Resource
Management bodies in consultation with their
stakeholders—taking into account the latest
science as it pertains to their catchments.
Practice targets should be negotiated based
on need and capacity of the extension and
education services to deliver. They should be
based on the priority needs, how these are
being covered in the range of existing programs,
gaps identified and strategies to address
them. Regional targets should be developed
together with the major Reef Plan extension
delivery programs or organisations operating
in the region (in the context of their own specific
contracted targets, informed by data from
Paddock to Reef and program commitments)
and inform the development/target setting
of Natural Resource Management plans or as a
source of credible evidence.
7 w ww.reefplan.qld.gov.au
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au They should be couched as ‘SMART’8 objectives
for each industry targeted in the format of
engagement/improved capacity (numbers and
area), adoption and water quality outcomes
(example only):
Over the next (three years) Reef Plan extension
and education objectives in (the cane industry)
in this region are to:
• develop awareness of needs and opportunities
across the 500 enterprises in the targeted area
• increase understanding and skills covering
(100 enterprises, 5000 hectares of cane
lands/tonnes of cane) in the high risk
sub‑catchments of (identified catchments)
• work with (30 enterprises, 2000 hectares)
resulting in one or more changes in the
targeted practices of (specific practice areas
in line with the targets)
• leading to an expected benefit of (increased
productivity/profitability of XX amount;
reduction in pollutant load/improvement in
water quality of XX amount) in the (nominated
sub-catchment).
This would also inform the reporting of progress
by the different deliverers at a regional/
catchment level and feed into the Paddock
to Reef monitoring, modelling and Report Cards.
Figure 3 (page 14) illustrates how regional/
catchment targets can be used to identify
priorities for extension and education delivery
and the range of delivery programs (extension
and education, Best Management Practice,
grants etc.) contributing to practice change and
progress towards regional and Reef Plan targets.
8 Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Time bound
Extension and Education Strategy Update
13
Targeting practices
and producers
Specific practice targets for Reef Plan extension
and education should be based on the Reef
Water Quality Risk Framework (currently
available for grazing and cane) developed
through the Paddock to Reef program. They
should be prioritised based on those practices
relevant to the industry and region/catchment
with the objective to move practices from the
moderate to high risk categories to the low to
very low risk categories.
This framework is based on the 2013 Scientific
Consensus Statement and has been mapped
to the Grazing Best Management Practices
program, SmartCane Best Management
Practices program and ABCD frameworks.
Until the Water Quality Risk Framework has
been developed for horticulture, targets should
be based on moving practices identified as
impacting on water quality in the Growcom
Farm Management System and other Best
Management Practice programs from below
industry standard to industry standard
and above.
The issue is not one of targeting the ‘middle
60 per cent’ (producers who do not regularly
participate in extension and education programs)
as such, but rather targeting those producers
who most impact on the identified priorities in
the nominated catchments/regions—regardless
of their former level of interaction with extension
and education programs. This would include
engaging those in priority areas who have
had limited interaction with extension and
education programs.
Information used to
identify extension and
education priorities,
gaps, opportunities
Extension
and education
Best
Management
Practice/Farm
Management
System
Paddock to Reef
Grants
Capacity
gains
Practice
changes
Re gion a l L e v el
Regional/catchment targets
(i.e. Water Quality
Improvement Plans,
Natural Resource
Management plans)
Reef Plan land
and catchment
management
targets
Reef Plan water
quality targets
S t at e Lev el
Figure 3: Progress towards Reef Plan targets
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Extension and Education Strategy Update
14
Building extension capacity
It is noted that there is market failure (a lack
of resources and staff allocation in the
non‑government sector) in the core roles of:
• group extension deliverer
• learning group facilitator
• on-farm development practitioner
• technical adviser/mentors.
Although there are a range of private and
industry extension providers, changing industry
structures and government priorities means
there are fewer extension deliverers actively
engaged in facilitating learning/discussion
groups (different from shed meetings and
workshops) and undertaking on-farm trials and
demonstrations where water quality outcomes
are a focus (along with productivity). The
importance of these pro-active on-farm oriented
activities in facilitating management practice
change means they need to be strengthened
as a key part of the extension/education mix
of activities.
For this reason, DAF staff will continue to be
critical in the short to medium term in providing
input into pro-active extension activity with a
focus on water quality outcomes—especially
in the area of group and on-farm development
activities under Reef Plan. To allow private
providers and industry extension groups to
increasingly take on this role, training and
resources will need to be provided in the
future to allow (extra) staff to provide this focus
in addition to other industry and producer
demands. There are already precedents where
Natural Resource Management bodies have
contracted private and industry bodies to
undertake such extension activities and where
government has provided funds for positions
within other organisations.
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au There is an issue of on-going capacity building
in both relevant extension and technical skills
for people undertaking extension roles under
Reef Plan. Key capacities to be supported
and developed include:
• Planning and undertaking extension
and education programs and activities—
including underlying theory and practice
of delivery and working with demand-driven
extension approaches.
• Understanding the practices that impact
on Reef water quality (for example as included
in the Reef Water Quality Risk Framework
used by the Paddock to Reef program)
and the implications for prioritising extension
and reporting practice change resulting
from extension.
• Understanding the science behind the
practices and the technical and economic
implications of changes at farm and industry
levels and the implications for working
with producers.
• Having the technical agronomic knowledge
and skills to provide training and support
in the priority practice areas.
• Training, facilitation and mentoring skills—
how best to work with groups and individuals
to enable them to best learn, contribute and
apply learning to their own enterprise.
• Use of new technologies such as webinars,
on-line videos, apps and other tools to
assist producers (and advisers) in accessing
information, record keeping and applying
it in their context [use of new technology
(and understanding of it) is also needed by
producers and extension/education needs
to be able to provide this support as well].
• Monitoring and evaluation planning,
implementation and reporting.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
15
Providers of skills in these areas should
be identified and opportunities provided to
extension and education staff to develop these
skills. As noted earlier, the proposed Regional
coordinator role would be instrumental in
identifying needs and facilitating opportunities
for such training. Given that some organisations
already provide some of this training and
mentoring to their own staff, there is an
opportunity to expand such training to make
it (more) open to staff from other organisations.
A guide to key capacities and providers should
be developed and circulated to organisations
providing extension and education services and
roles. This should include a list of key capacities
for extension staff to be able to rate their own
level of competence/confidence and progress
they make through training and mentoring.
Collaboration—ReefNet Framework
Background—ReefNet
ReefNet was described in the 2010 Extension
and Education Strategy as an enhanced
networked government model for coordinating
and delivering extension and education services
under Reef Plan. It envisaged a systematic
linking from grower clusters to district server
hubs to regional router hubs/industry Reef
portals that was coordinated by a Reef-wide
domain coordinator.
There was a strong emphasis on collaboration
and networking at all levels, between
organisations, sectors, with a ReefNet model
to guide this. It was based around champions
at the local level to facilitate sharing at individual
and group level with an enhanced role for
Natural Resource Management groups in
bringing together service delivery representatives
in a hub to maximise coordination of effort.
Links would be made between the different
industry and issue groups and committees to
guide the overall effort.
The ReefNet model does not yet operate
in a comprehensive fashion. There is currently no
effective platform or network operating across all
programs and organisations involved in providing
extension and education in the Great Barrier
Reef catchments. The Queensland Department
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 2010
Extension and Education Strategy pilot sought to
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au implement improved collaborative platforms in the
pilot regions with mixed success. It proposed
a modification to the model based on existing
industry groups at district and catchment levels,
linking to regional commodity groups and a
multi-commodity group which then linked to a
Reef-wide advisory group. It emphasised the
value of a network structure that was flexible
and tailored to local industry nuances and
current projects. New groups were needed
only where there were gaps and broadening the
role of existing groups where possible was the
preferred option. One recommendation was
to have a dedicated facilitator and operating
budget. The Management Practices Advisory
Group was seen as the logical statewide group
that could have a key role in coordinating Reef
Plan extension and education activity.
Regional level
There are a range of collaborative platforms
operating within industries under the Reef Plan
umbrella. The Australian Government Reef
Water Quality Grants Programme has technical
and selection panels drawn from a range of
stakeholders as well as contracts with other
organisations to deliver on the grants and
associated extension program. Industry and
government have come together to fund and
deliver on Best Management Practice/Farm
Management System programs.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
16
There are regional committees addressing
technical issues in the sugar industry. There are
some examples of committees at a regional level
taking a broader industry view. There are gaps
between extension delivery programs that need
to be addressed while avoiding duplication and
maximising synergies.
The Reef Plan Extension and Education
Regional Coordinator role is one way to fill this
need. This role would assist in facilitating the
planning process and working with programs
and organisations to collaboratively address and
report on the targets in the priority Great Barrier
Reef catchments. This role would need to be
negotiated on a region by region basis, taking
into account regional differences in delivery
models, resources and capacity.
Depending on how this role was undertaken
(dedicated position/person, modified job
description of existing staff), this function
might be undertaken within DAF, a Natural
Resource Management body or an industry
group. Guidelines would be developed around
the setting of targets, extent of buy-in by the
deliverers, evidence of collaborative activities
and increased synergies, and reporting
of progress. The emphasis should be on
industry‑based collaborative meetings at
regional or catchment level—with the state
coordinating group taking a more multiindustry focus.
• Regular meetings around Best
Management Practice/Farm Management
System programs: These meetings should
be led by the organisation responsible for
delivery in the region and include industry,
Reef Water Quality Grants Programme regional
representatives, DAF extension deliverers and
others with a potential role in supporting the
program through training or other extension
support. The focus should be on progress to
date, identified needs and matching activities
to needs. This could inform reporting to the
Paddock to Reef program and MPAG.
• Annual regional reporting and reflection
workshop: This workshop should include
producer representatives and extension
and education delivery teams from the
different programs and industries. They
should be structured around learning across
organisations and programs—what worked,
what did not, where the needs are and what
we can do better together. External facilitation
is an advantage.
• Online Reef Plan extension and education
calendar of events, directory of training
and service providers and list of/links to
resources: This should be regionally relevant
and searchable by industry and topic—and
include links to programs. It could also provide
an opportunity for on‑line discussion and
sharing of ideas. This could build on—or be
informed by—existing calendars.
Processes to address collaboration and
information sharing within this context are:
• Using the Natural Resource Management
regional planning and reporting process
to bring together delivery organisations
to more effectively address water quality
outcomes: This is described in the previous
section and aims to bring extension and
education deliverers, Best Management
Practice/Farm Management System and
grants facilitators in the catchment together
to agree on needs, priorities and targets and
plan how they will meet these targets together.
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Extension and Education Strategy Update
17
State/cross-catchment level
There are a range of collaborative platforms
at cross-regional, state and national levels which
provide a framework for strategic direction
setting. One of the key responsibilities for MPAG
is providing a support role for the Reef Plan
Extension and Education Strategy (under Action
4 and 5 of Reef Plan, which encompasses
Best Management Practices, extension and
education and grants). This function clearly
identifies its role and contribution to the overall
activities and water quality objectives in Great
Barrier Reef regions.
To fulfil this role, the state level coordination
group requires a number of elements:
1. Appropriate membership: To be able
to provide advice on strategic direction,
MPAG requires membership from the main
funders and deliverers of extension and
education (multi-industry) including those
who are responsible for outcomes and can
impact on resource allocation and priorities.
The Paddock to Reef team should also be
represented to provide updates and results
from across the Great Barrier Reef regions.
2. Focus on management practices that
also address water quality outcomes:
Ensure there are adequate, well-resourced
and staffed proactive extension and
education activities directed at achieving
practice change in priority regions, industries
and practices. The aim is to ensure this
policy instrument fully fulfils its niche
and potential.
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au 3. Information: To be able to provide strategic
guidance, MPAG will require structured
and collated information about extension
and education priority industries, regions,
sub-catchments and practices; extension
and education regional targets; programs
working towards these targets and the
available resources and staffing—and the
gaps; extent of collaboration and synergies;
progress made and barriers and needs being
identified in delivery and adoption. Paddock
to Reef information would also inform MPAG.
4. Resources: By identifying gaps and needs,
MPAG will be able to provide evidence-based
reasons to advise on the priorities, allocation
of resources and activities undertaken by
member organisations.
5. Direct linkages with the regions: As well
as having organisational representatives of
funders and delivering organisations, MPAG
needs direct links to the regional activities.
This would come from having the role/part
role of Reef Plan Extension and Education
Regional Coordinator.
6. Review and reflection: An annual review
and reflection should be undertaken with the
MPAG members to look at impact they have
had, progress and gaps in the extension and
education system, and to plan ahead.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
18
Monitoring and evaluation system
In the targets section (page 13), this strategy
emphasises the need for regional targets to
be set against priority practices that impact on
water quality. These would provide a basis for
evaluating and reporting on progress to funders
and the Paddock to Reef program. To enable
ease of collation of data between industries and
regions—and effective reporting to the Paddock
to Reef program and MPAG—a consistent
monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework
will be needed. The Paddock to Reef information
support role could work with Regional
coordinators to ensure the necessary data is
collected. Regional coordinators could use this
data to assist with regional decision making and
provide regional information on extension and
education delivery and outcomes to MPAG.
This framework should be based around
capturing gains in capacity and practice change
in farm/land management practices that
contribute to improved water quality outcomes.
This includes those identified in the Reef Water
Quality Risk Framework (or horticulture Best
Management Practice/Farm Management
System programs where these are not yet
mapped to the Framework) and targeted in
regional industry programs in relation to industry
and regional priorities. It should link these gains
to number of enterprises, hectares and subcatchments involved, and highlight gaps, needs
and issues. Key headings would include:
• extension and education activities undertaken
in region/catchment during period
• collaborative actions undertaken
• extent of engagement through collective
activities—by industry, number of enterprises,
hectares, location (sub-catchments) and
practices as per the Reef Water Quality Risk
Framework (or industry equivalent)
• evidence of capacity change (increased
understanding, skills, intention to implement
new practices)
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au • reporting of extent and types of practice
change—against Reef Water Quality Risk
Framework (or industry equivalent) supported
by documented changes, narratives and
case studies
• issues, gaps and needs—what are helping/
hindering changes, where the gaps are and
what is needed to better support change
through education and extension.
The aim is to capture the extent of movement
from higher to lower water quality risk practices
in each priority sub-catchment over time.
Baselines of these practices are being captured
through the Paddock to Reef program and
through industry Best Management Practice/
Farm Management System programs but also
may need to be supplemented by targeted
practice surveys.
The intention is not to develop a data
management tool across industries and regions,
but to capture a summary of the information
being collected for Paddock to Reef reporting
from the different programs and projects
operating in each region, in a simplified format.
The key is consistency in which the information
is provided.
The organisations within the regions with the
responsibility for the Regional coordinator role
would be best placed to:
• collate this regional information across the
various deliverers in their region
• evaluate outcomes against nominated practice
targets by region, sub-catchment and industry
in hectares
• adjust this information to account for overlap
between reporting programs.
This information will assist with Paddock
to Reef reporting as well as providing the basis
for information sharing with and decision making
by MPAG.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
19
Glossary of terms
ABCD framework—a management practice
framework used for reporting practice changes
under the Paddock to Reef program. These
are generally developed for each industry
and used by regional Natural Resource
Management groups.
Banana Best Management Practice
(BMP)—the best management practices program
for the banana industry, led by the Australian
Banana Growers Council and DAF.
Dairying Better ‘n’ Better—the management
practice program for the dairy industry led by
the Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation.
Education—the process of developing
awareness and understanding of the need
to change (regulatory imperatives or opportunities
to improve profitability, enterprise sustainability
and/or contribute to community environmental
objectives) and includes activities such as formal
training, agricultural economic advice, compliance
assistance and incentives advice.
Extension—the process of turning this
awareness and understanding into action
involving assisting producers to develop the
needed capacity and skills and to evaluate, trial,
adopt, integrate, review and innovate to best
implement changes in their enterprise context.
Extension and Education Strategy—the
original 2010 Extension and Education Strategy
was developed to provide the overarching
principles for the coordination and delivery
of extension and education services to achieve
best practice land management and contribute
towards Reef Plan targets.
Grains Best Management Practice (BMP)—
the best management practices program for
the grains industry, led by AgForce Queensland,
Fitzroy Basin Association and DAF.
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Grazing Best Management Practice (BMP)—
the best management practices program for
the beef industry, led by AgForce Queensland,
Fitzroy Basin Association and DAF.
Growcom Farm Management System
(FMS)—the farm management systems program
for horticulture.
Holistic approach—maximising water quality
outcomes whilst ensuring productive and
profitable agricultural enterprises.
Paddock to Reef program—the Reef
Plan integrated monitoring, modelling
and reporting program.
Management Practices Advisory Group
(MPAG)—a multi-stakeholder Reef Plan advisory
group providing advice on increasing the
adoption of management practices to progress
Reef Plan targets.
Natural Resource Management (NRM)
plan—plans developed by regional Natural
Resource Management groups outlining key
natural resources in their region, threats and
abatement measures.
ReefNet—a concept proposed in the 2010
Extension and Education Strategy as an
enhanced networked government model
for the coordinated delivery of extension
and education services under Reef Plan.
Reef Plan—a joint commitment of the Australian
and Queensland governments designed to
improve the quality of water in the Great Barrier
Reef though improved land management
in reef catchments.
Reef Water Quality Risk Framework—
a framework that has been developed for
the sugarcane and grazing industries listing
practices in terms of risk to Reef water quality
(low, medium, high risk etc.). This framework
is used for reporting management practice
adoption through the Paddock to Reef program.
Extension and Education Strategy Update
20
SmartCane Best Management Practice
(BMP)—the best management practices
program for the sugarcane industry,
led by the CANEGROWERS organisation.
Water Quality Improvement Plans
(WQIP)—plans developed by regional Natural
Resource Management groups to identify water
quality issues and prioritise future investment
and/or effort.
Acronyms
BMP
Best Management Practice
DAF
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
FMS
Farm Management System
GBR
Great Barrier Reef
MPAG
Management Practices Advisory Group
NRM
Natural Resource Management
RTO
Registered Training Organisation
SMART
Descriibes performance measures:
Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Time bound
WQIP
Water Quality Improvement Plan
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au Extension and Education Strategy Update
21
Extension and Education Strategy Update
DPC4056
www.reefplan.qld.gov.au