KPI Evaluation 2007

Summary

​A previous evaluation of the performance of the LPI communication programs was undertaken in 2005 using a comprehensive sampling approach and detailed questionnaire. The KPI 2006 & 2007 Survey's have been based on a revised methodology that concentrates on the assessment of LPI's Adoption & Capacity KPI's.
This involved quantifying the level of awareness that existed amongst livestock producers of MLA courses and programs, as well as the rate of adoption by producers of innovations and management practices being promoted within MLA learning activities.
MLA's annual On-Farm Adoption & Capacity KPI's were to:
1. Increase awareness of MLA's tools and information by 5% of targeted producers.
2. Increase the rate of trial of, or participation in, MLA's tools and information by 5% of targeted producers.
3. Encourage increased adoption of at least one key management practice by 5% of targeted producers.
The 2007 KPI survey stratifies responses from a sample of MLA's main producer segments of Northern Beef
Producers, Southern Beef Producers and Southern Sheep or Lamb Producers to a 90% confidence interval for each segment based on an overall sample of n=493. This was split into two segments to address the KPI's:
Tier 1 was constructed to evaluate program awareness amongst the general livestock producer population, it included n=206 producers randomly selected from FARMbase®, a database of over 80,000 livestock producers across Australia.
Tier 2 provides a measure of the level of adoption of management practices amongst MLA's extension program participants, in 2007 a sample of n=287 producers was obtained. This is a sample of producers who participated in extension programs since the last survey undertaken in July 2006 (including 3,418 attendees of EDGE, More Beef from Pastures, PIRDS, COP, Prime Time and Beef –Up courses). The Tier 2 sample in
2006 included a sample from the 3,080 course participants from July 2005 to June 2006, this survey also included a top-up sample from the 5,041 producers who participated in MLA programs prior to July 2005.
In 2007 the measure of producers adoption of, or changes to, management practice has been calculated using an aggregated sample which includes management change data obtained from the 2007 survey as well as the previous 2 survey intervals. This aggregated sample includes data obtained from 3 separate samples, these include the 2007 and 2006 sample as well as the sample of course participants who participated in MLA courses and programs prior to July 2005.
This aggregated sample provides a cumulative picture1 of management practice adoption amongst known course participants dating back to when MLA courses and programs commenced.
The contents of this report outlines the 2007 and combined 2005-2007 sample results, these are represented in detail in the two data files:MLA_KPI_2007_Tables_07.docMLA_KPI_2007_Combined_05-07.doc (for cumulative adoption figures)
The Tier 1 sample evaluated the level of course and program awareness amongst the wider producer population and the Tier 2 sample concentrated on evaluating the effectiveness of the courses and programs in creating management change amongst actual course participants.