Appendices
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I. Transmittal Letter	II.  Outcomes and Outputs – Focus for the R&D Programs
III. RIRDC Sub-Accounts, 1998–1999 to 2001-02	IV. Consultations with Stakeholders
V.  Accountability Framework	VI. Corporate Charter
VII. RIRDC Research Managers	VIII.   RIRDC R&D Advisory Committees

 


I.  Transmittal Letter

30 May 2001 Senator the Honourable Judith Troeth Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Parliament House CANBERRA  ACT  2600 Dear Senator Troeth I am pleased to submit for your approval the enclosed Annual Operational Plan of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation for the financial year 2001–2002, as required under sections 25 and 26 of the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989. The Plan has been drawn from our overall research plan which runs to June 2002 and the industry specific plans have been drawn up for industries in Programs 1, 2 and 3. The key R&D features of the 2001–2002 Annual Operational Plan for each sub-program are summarised on pages 2 to 5. In accordance with legislative requirements, each of these seeks to link the industry outcomes with the strategies for achieving these outcomes and the principal outputs. The budget underpinning the Plan is on pages 7 to 12. Details on the individual industry sub-accounts are in Appendix III beginning on page 91. The Plan is premised on the Dried Fruits R&D Council becoming part of the Horticulture Australia Limited. You wrote to us on 11 May 2001 stressing the importance of the Government’s priorities for research and development. In most cases these priorities parallel those of industry and are core components of the Corporation wide agenda. But, in the Plan, we have provided a specific section on ‘Government Priorities and Community Benefits’ at pages 81 to 87. The highlights in this part of the Plan are not meant as a full listing but are indicative of our focus on the views of our principal stakeholder – the Commonwealth Government. One aspect of the Plan that I want to sharpen over the next twelve months is the linkages to the food industry. Your letter of 16 May 2001 on the development of a National Food Industry Strategy will provide an important opportunity for us to develop stronger partnerships with food industry participants in RIRDC related industries. We have them now but a sharper focus in our planning documentation would be a positive step  in my view. I submit our 2001?2002 Plan for your approval. Yours sincerely Prof Elizabeth Woods Chair

II. Outcomes and Outputs – Focus for the R&D Programs

In keeping with the Commonwealth Government’s accrual-based budget framework, RIRDC’s planning, operating and reporting framework is centred on delivering outputs that help to achieve clearly stated planned outcomes.

Key elements of the outcomes / outputs framework^[1]

Outcomes are the results, impacts or conse­quences of actions by RIRDC on the Australian community.^[2]

Outputs are the goods and services that RIRDC produces for external organisations or individuals.^[3]

Inputs are resources — in the form of people, expertise, materials, energy, facilities and funds — that RIRDC uses in activities to produce outputs.^[4]

Strategies are groupings of activities that produce the outputs required to achieve planned outcomes.

One of the advantages of this system is that RIRDC’s efforts are focused not on the goods and services it produces but on actual outcomes in the environment in which it operates.  In essence, RIRDC’s planned outcomes are things that will make a real difference to Australia’s rural industries and the natural resources on which they depend.

RIRDC’s planned outcomes reflect the Corporation’s strategic assessment of the economic, environmental and social factors challenging industry, governments, the community, research providers and R&D funding entities. The planned outcomes are consistent with RIRDC’s vision and mission, shown on page 1.

RIRDC’s planned outcome for its four R&D programs is:
 

A more profitable, dynamic and sustainable rural sector.

The outputs of RIRDC’s fifth program, under which management and accountability activities are focused on continuously improving its services, do not directly contribute to outcomes; rather they enhance inputs to the other four programs, as shown on page 14 of the Five Year Plan.

Factors in achievement of outcomes

Increased efficiencies have helped RIRDC to concentrate on high-priority activities in recent years and to contain total program support costs to 8 per cent of total budget.  Among them are the use of state-of-the-art information technology and continuous improvements to management processes within an ISO-certified quality management system.

However, RIRDC’s investment in R&D and its planning and management activities will not in itself guarantee that its planned outcomes are achieved.  Such achievement depends on the active involvement and support of RIRDC’s stakeholders — particularly the potential beneficiaries of research results.

Time lags and multiplicity of linkages between inputs, outputs and outcomes

It is important to recognise that outputs that occur during a particular year generally result from inputs of previous years.  In turn, almost all outcomes are achieved as a result of outputs of previous years.  The reason is that, by the very nature of R&D and extension activities, it takes time for investment and actions to produce an effect.  Actual time lags vary according to the activities involved.

Further, any given outcome is likely to be the product of a number of outputs, which in turn result from a diversity of inputs.

Review, planning and conduct of activities

RIRDC’s strategic assessment of the business environment is reflected in the Corporation’s funding targets for each R&D program, which are incorporated in the Annual Operational Plan.  Each year, RIRDC reviews its strategic assessment of the business environment.  The review may highlight significant or potential changes to the business environment that prompt RIRDC to adjust the balance — or to address gaps — in its R&D portfolio.  Consultation with RIRDC’s representative organisations is an important part of the review.

It is also important that RIRDC evaluates research outcomes to ensure maximum effectiveness of R&D expenditure. However, using funds for evaluation reduces the funds available for research, and a trade-off has to be made.  Rigorous retrospective evaluation of research programs provides valuable information and should be used to guide the design of future research programs.^[5]  To this end, RIRDC undertakes various degrees of evaluation of all completed projects to determine their benefit and to feed back into the planning and funding process.

Footnotes:

III.  RIRDC Sub-Accounts, 1998–1999 to 2001–2002

 

Table 1: Agroforestry Sub-Account	Table 2:   Buffalo Sub-Account Table
Table 3:   Chicken Meat Sub-Account	Table 4:   Deer Sub-Account
Table 5:   Eggs Sub-Account	Table 6:   Egg Industry Development Fund
Table 7: Fodder sub-account	Table 8:   Goat Fibre Sub-Account
Table 9:   Honeybee Sub-Account	Table 10: Horses Sub-Account
Table 11: Kangaroo sub-account	Table 12: Pasture Seed Sub-Account
Table 13: Rice Sub-Account	Table 14:   Tea Tree Oil Sub-Account

Table 1: Agroforestry Sub-Account

Table 2: Buffalo Sub-Account

Table 3: Chicken Meat Sub-Account

Table 4: Deer Sub-Account

Table 5: Egg Sub-Account

Table 6: Egg Industry Development Fund Sub-Account

Table 7: Fodder Sub-Account

Table 8: Goat Fibre Sub-Account

Table 9: Honeybee Sub-Account

Table 10: Horse Sub-Account

Table 11: Kangaroo Sub-Account

Table 12: Pasture Seeds Sub-Account

Table 13: Rice Sub-Account

Table 14: Tea Tree Oil Sub-Account