Sustainable Feedbase Comms coordinator

Summary

The purpose of the Sustainable Feedbase Resources Communication Coordinator role was to work with Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) Sustainable Feedbase Resources (SFR) team to develop and implement internal communications strategies for research, development and adoption (RD&A) activities within the team’s portfolio.

For this role, a project team, comprised of Macquarie Franklin and Hot Tin Roof Communications consultants, was selected through a competitive tender process.

This role commenced in February 2016 and encompassed a range of tasks relating to the role objectives:

• improve internal communications within and between the SFR portfolio programs and projects;
• support MLA to showcase the opportunities created by SFR RD&A to improve the productivity and sustainable natural resource management of the feedbase resource; and
• through assisting MLA to enhance awareness of SFR RD&A outcomes and tools, encourage cattle and sheep producers in Australia to improve their productivity through implementation of improved practices.

The results from implementing the SFR Communications Coordinator have enabled progress towards the objectives of the role.

To improve internal communications within and between the SFR portfolio programs and projects, a feedbase RD&A database and newsletter (Feedbase Focus) were developed and four newsletters were circulated, with positive results. In addition, two national activities were run during 2016 (PRS producer workshop in Melbourne (June 2016) FIP and the symposium in Adelaide (November 2016)) and focus groups (or round table discussions) for PRS/FIP projects were run for each state in 2017.

In order to support MLA to showcase the opportunities created by SFR RD&A, to improve the productivity and sustainable natural resource management of the feedbase resource, 29 feedbase story briefs were supplied to the MLA Communications Team between February 2016 and October 2017, with 70% published to date. Some stories written specifically for Feedbase Focus were also distributed through Friday Feedback.

The SFR Communications Coordinator has also provided technical input to the development of a number of extension product and resource packages for red meat producers, advisors and researchers.

Many other tasks have been completed and assisted in raising the profile of the SFR portfolio and the outputs from research investments.