Facilitation Services in support of the MLA Natural Resource Management Learning Group: Towards an agreed key indicators and evaluation framework for natural resources management programs and proje...

Summary

​On 15 February 2006, Lewis Atkinson, Manager Innovation Strategy and Adoption, convened the first meeting of the MLA NRM Learning Group. This select team of internal experts agreed to develop an evaluation framework for natural resources management in the meat and livestock industry, with specific emphasis on MLA business.
​In the previous 12 to 18 months, MLA research into existing frameworks found that whilst there was a lot of data being collected and analysed at all levels, an integrated NRM framework did not exist.  Monitoring, managing and being able to articulate reductions in the environmental impacts of meat and livestock production across the whole supply chain is an increasingly critical area for this industry.
The MLA realised that it was strategically positioned to take a leadership role in the industry for the benefit of its members.
Rather than adopting the usual approach to research projects where external consultants are engaged to deliver solutions, Lewis chose to draw on the expertise within the MLA to build on an existing internal capability.  He constituted a cross-functional team in which each member contributed their individual knowledge and expertise across the range of issues in natural resource management (NRM).  The objective was to develop an agreed evaluation framework with an holistic approach.  It was hoped that the pooling of such a range of expertise, across the various research sectors as well as communications and marketing, would mean that critical learning about one another's perspectives could occur. 
Larraine J Larri, of Renshaw-Hitchen and Associates, was engaged as the facilitator for the group.  Her role was to implement Lewis Atkinson's objective by providing the structure and process for a series of six meetings.
This report is a summary of the critical learning that occurred throughout the project.  it is also a review of the degree to which the project achieved its facilitation objectives which were:
To provide facilitation to an internal learning group that supports the group to:Address the Task – i.e. to develop and pilot an agreed evaluation framework for natural resources management in meat and livestockAddress the Process – i.e. to develop individual and group capability as a 'Learning Group'