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Overview of Activities

Next Steps
The operating environment for RIRDC’s research and development and communications will continue to be challenging in the coming year. RIRDC’s planning will be influenced by a number of issues including:

• labour shortages in the rural sector
• diminishing research provider capacity
• continuing Government focus on regional program delivery
• changing consumer preferences and an increasing focus on production processes
• demand for research and development to support indigenous rural development
• emphasis on a bilateral approach for trade liberalisation
• drought, climate variability and climate change
•  access to water and energy

 In the coming year RIRDC will assess the potential for rural research and development covering:

•  regional development
•  peri-urban agriculture
•  biofuels
•  structural aspects of water reform
•  human capacity
•  climate change

Developing a New Corporate Plan 2007–12
RIRDC operates under a statutory five-year R&D plan. A number of changes in our operating environment and in the Corporation warrant the development of a new Corporate Plan.

Parliamentary Secretary Sussan Ley agreed on 31 July 2006 that the Corporation should develop a new plan for implementation in 2007–08. RIRDC will undertake a systematic review, scanning and consultation process to develop its new plan.

New investment framework
RIRDC will implement a new investment framework during 2006–07. The new framework will guide the allocation of resources for research and development to achieve RIRDC’s corporate and portfolio outcomes. The new framework will provide for greater flexibility in responding to opportunities or changed circumstances, will provide for performance-based, funded five-year plans and will make investment criteria explicit at corporate, portfolio, program and project levels.

Maximising knowledge outcomes
RIRDCisintheknowledgebusiness. Ourinvestmentscreatenewknowledgewhichisthe basis for innovation and productivity growth across rural industries and communities. The Corporation has a range of practices and procedures in place to create, identify, manage and make use of the intellectual property our investments generate, as well as communicating these findings and promoting adoption or commercialisation as appropriate. In 2006–07 the Corporation will undertake a review and development project to maximise outcomes from the knowledge that RIRDC’s investments create. Our intention is to bring together all of our knowledge management activities into a comprehensive and coherent approach that begins at the investment concept and flows through all of our research management activities to maximise delivery of benefits to our clients and stakeholders.

Adoption by design
RIRDC is introducing Adoption Principles to enhance and maximise adoption of its R&D investments. These principles are incorporated into the Corporation’s Research Priorities 2007–08 document and have been widely circulated to research providers for the next round of preliminary research proposals.

The principles describe a four-stage process:

• knowing and involving the target audience
• matching appropriate adoption strategies with the stages of adoption that the audience is involved in
• understanding the target population and how they communicate information
• matching the adoption strategy with the type of innovation (See pages 11–13 of RIRDC Research Priorities 2007–08)

Clarity – an integrated portfolio management database
Selected research providers and RIRDC R&D Advisory Committees are trialling an integrated portfolio management database called Clarityfor the forthcoming round of preliminary research proposals (PRPs). Extensive consultations have been under way since late 2005–06 and real-time trialling will commence in September 2006. Clarity will streamline RIRDC’s information management and provide the Corporation with a well-managed resource database.

Print on demand
RIRDC will be adopting a predominantly online method for publishing and publication sales in 2006–07. Discussions and planning for this started last financial year. Most of RIRDC’s 1500 publications are available for viewing and downloading from the RIRDC website already; however, print on demand will further increase the responsiveness and availability of our research reports for clients.
 

Reporting against the Corporate Plan
Summary of principal outputs contributing to outcomes

 

Reporting against the Corporate Plan
Summary of principal outputs contributing to outcomes

 

 

 

Australian Government Research Priorities
On 5 December 2002 the Prime Minister announced National Research Priorities. These link with the seven Rural Research and Development Priorities announced on 19 March 2003.

The Corporation actively addresses the Government’s priorities while also addressing the future research and development objectives of our industry partners. RIRDC recognises that public and private research benefits are not incompatible and the National Priorities

 

 

Outcomes and outputs measured against the Australian Government National and Rural Research Priorities for 2005–06

 

 

 
 

 
 

 

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