Evaluation of the SGS Harvest Year

Summary

A Harvest Year in 2001/2002 for the national Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) R&D Program, which had run for the previous 5 years, was a new concept in R&D implementation. The Harvest Year had the following objectives:

To have mixed teams of producers and researchers working to rapidly analyse and interpret the results and experiences from SGS research sites.
To develop proven products (best-bets, principles, benchmarks and practical tools) that producers can use with confidence to customise grazing systems that optimise profit and provide a sustainable future for their individual properties.
To continue the activities of the 11 SGS regional committees to provide ongoing information and support to producers improving their grazing systems.
To continue the delivery to producers of other SGS products such as PROGRAZE, National Farm Walk and Prograzier.
To continue some elements of the SGS National Experiment.
To dramatically speed up scientific publications from SGS, and the identification of issues for either local demonstration or for further research.
Provide input to the planning of any programs or activities to follow SGS.
Hassall & Associates Pty Ltd were contracted in June 2002 by MLA to conduct an evaluation of the SGS Harvest Year. The evaluation methodology involved the following four activities:

Personal consultation with a large proportion of the scientists, producers, consultants and others involved in the Harvest Year.
Completion of a structured survey of Harvest Year participants.
Completion of a benefit cost analysis; and
Design and completion of a formal evaluation framework.