Summary
Livestock Production Innovation’s (LPI) Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Survey’s are based on a research methodology that concentrates on the assessment of communication & research adoption performance indicators with a focus on key program streams including EDGEnetwork, Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS)/PIRDS, More Beef from Pasture (MBfP), Making More From Sheep (MMfS), Beef Up Forums, Evergraze and Cost of Production (COP) amongst the targeted producer groups of Northern Beef, Southern Beef and Sheep / Lamb.
This annual survey involves quantifying the level of MLA activity awareness that exists amongst a random sample of livestock producers of MLA activities (courses and programs), as well as an estimated rate of management practice change by producers using innovations and alternative management practices being promoted within the MLA communication and adoption programs.
In 2010 the primary KPI’s aim to achieve:
1. At least 80% of targeted producers* are aware of at least one MLA On-farm R&D communication / extension program (awareness), and that MLA members rate their value as at least 2 out of 3.
2. At least 10% of targeted producers* (representing at least 15% of the production base) have engaged and learned something of value to their business from at least one MLA On-farm R&D communication / extension learning activity or related information.
3. At least 50% of those producers (representing at least 7.5% of the production base) who have engaged with MLA On-farm R&D communication / extension learning activities or related information, change management practices as a result of their engagement (adoption).
*Producer population is defined by the % of total Northern Beef, Southern Beef and Sheep / Lamb meat producers respectively with Estimated Value of Agricultural Output (EVAO) >$5000 (source: ABS). The KPI survey sample includes only producers with an EVAO >$20,000.
The 2010 KPI survey has been undertaken amongst a sample of MLA’s targeted producer segments to a
90% confidence interval for each segment based on an overall sample of n=584.
The sample is split into 2 sample tiers to address the KPI’s:
Tier 1 has been constructed to evaluate program awareness amongst the general or overall livestock producer population, it included n=290 producers randomly selected from FARMbase, a database of over 80,000 targeted livestock producers across Australia.
Tier 2 provides an estimate of the level of practice change around the use of key management practices amongst MLA’s communication and research adoption program participants, the 2010 survey has obtained a sample of n=294 producers. This includes only producers who participated in programs since the last survey undertaken in July 2009, including attendees of EDGEnetwork (including GLM and MSA), MBfP, PDS/PIRDS, COP, MMfS, Beef Up Forums, Evergraze and other courses.
Both sample tiers include scale of production profiles for each producer segment based on industry population data provided by MLA. Based on the random sampling by enterprise size, each segment samples proportional representation reflects the population distribution for that segment. In most cases the scale of operation appears not to reflect awareness or change in management practice, however it does show that proportionally, more of the larger enterprises do tend to participate in MLA activities.
The contents of this report outline the findings of the 2010 survey as well as findings from recent KPI surveys undertaken from 2006-2009.
