Enhancing the Uptake of R&D on Farm

Mandi McLeodSilvanus Consulting Ltd

The Million Dollar Question

• WHY are farmers not implementing current Research and Development?

Acid Test• Whether people use it – – for reference– for influence– for change

• research should be– available– accessible, – useable

through a range of means in order to increase the impact of research

DFID's Research Strategy on Research Uptake

Research

• Public or Private• Need or Nice• Accessibility• Extendibility

Private

• Deliver to specific needs• Business and financially orientated• Do or die• Play in the ‘real’ world?• Fee for service

Public

• Perceive farmer needs?• Farmer levy • Govt. responsibilities• One size fits all• Quantitative science is Sexy• Qualititative science, soft• Free = no value

Asking the RIGHT questions

• Is the RESEARCH wrong or the Extension delivery at fault?

• Do we REALLY know what farmers actually want?

• Do farmers REALLY know what they want?

• Can they articulate this to us?• What did it deliver? Evaluation

Challenges

• Needs Assessments “horribly outdated” Al Scholz

• Disconnect between knowledge perception and reality

• Deconstruct before Reconstruct• NZ dairy farmers ‘know more about

mastitis than any professional’ • Research NIMBY

Challenges Continued

• Regional differences (extension skills, communication/education)

• Perceived quality and consistency of information and advice

• ‘Information need’ tiers: Farm owners; managers/operators; staff; professionals

Target Market

• WHO is our target market?• The Average Farmer– “One Breast; One Testicle and wears a skirt

some of the time”

• Value for money vs. politically correct• 20/80 rule – school analogy– 20% Proactive for information– 80% not motivated

• 40% survivors; reactively learn• 40% drop-outs

Segmentation

• Farmers less homogenous than 15 years ago

• Segmented– Age– Scale– Specialization– Ownership structure– Ethnicity

Different Strokes for Different Folks

• Perishable skills vs. Non-perishable• Emphasis on operational skills not

strategic management• Business Continuation?• Learning Styles• English as a first language

Push vs. Pull

• We know what you need• Expert Adviser vs. Process Consultant– Expert Adviso solves problems based on

expert knowledge– “process consultant” managing the

process and accesses the family’s collective wisdom through facilitation to deal with the transition. Gregg McCann

Some Solutions• Identify Farmer Needs First!– Determine WHO before the WHAT and HOW– Determine demonstrated knowledge vs.

actual best practice– Gently de-bunk myths before overlay new

information– Process before expert

• Extension and evaluation strategy concurrent with research planning

• Evaluate demonstrated change not just bums and reactions

Some Solutions

• Lets not be PC! Put the money where the biggest bang will be!

• Credibility of information source and delivery

• Language of learner• Reading age 12• CHARGE for it• Listen to farmers – not just with our

ears, but with our eyes