Livestock Productivity Partnership (LPP) program review

Summary

The Livestock Productivity Partnership (LPP) is a collaborative research and development (R&D) partnership aimed at boosting livestock productivity and developing new R&D capacity.

The current LPP partners have expressed interest in extending their partnership beyond the initial 5-year period, revising, and expanding on the scope of the program and attracting new partners. In turn, an external review team was engaged to conduct a review of LPP performance and progress to date, with the aim of informing the extension process.

The key findings of the review indicate that the current LPP project outcomes are likely to be achieved and makes six key recommendations for improved governance and operation of the LPP. In addition, the review suggests opportunities for improving the LPP monitoring and evaluation processes and future adoption approaches.

Objectives

The main objectives of this project were to conduct:

• a performance review of the LPP 
• a review of the LPP measurement and evaluation (M&E) strategy
• a assessment of the LPP Path2Impact.

Key findings

• LPP program achievements:
  • Program milestones are being delivered on time and to standard with the partnership’s design led thinking principles, resulting in fit for purpose producer engagement.
  • LPP project managers have been proactive in identifying opportunities for adjusting the original scope of research activities and many additional benefits (e.g. capacity and capability building through student and young scientist development, better research outcomes from collaboration) have been identified through the LPP model.
• Opportunities for improvement:
  • Governance and operations: The need to systematically review emerging risks and opportunities has increased over time as the LPP committee operations and strategic direction has evolved. Furthermore, there are opportunities for improvement through bettering the objectivity and transparency of the project selection process, clarification of the LPP coordinator role, enhancing LPP communication plan and reducing the project contracting timeline.
  • Monitoring, evaluation & adoption: the level of adoption of R&D outputs by region needs to increase from the current rate of 8% to around 45% to ensure the 5% reduction in CoP target is met in real terms by 2030. Although outside of the scope of the current LPP the current adoption rate will see just a 1% decrease in CoP by 2030.

Benefits to industry

A key objective of the LPP program is to develop and demonstrate region and system specific R&D outputs aimed at reducing the cost of production ($/kg liveweight) (CoP) in commercial grazing enterprises within target regions by at least 5% in real terms.

Through an in-depth review into RD&A investments across the program, the impact of these investments and the effectiveness of industry collaborations can be critiqued to ensure maximum return to industry. The review has successfully provided priority actions aimed at ensuring the R&D impacts will carry through to industry in real terms and identified value in extending the partnership to another phase.  

MLA action

The LPP review key recommendations to be reviewed and actioned by the LPP management committee. This will then inform adoption and extension activities of the current LPP and assist in the development of LPP2.

Future research

The extension of the partnership to another phase is warranted and may be required to enable many of the LPP research outputs to be adopted by industry. Building on the lessons and successes of LPP, as identified through this review, the successor program planning phase requires adequate time to define new goals, objectives and KPIs, and to plan implementation.

That planning phase should involve input from other players with the right mix of skills and close engagement with key industry stakeholders, along with thorough exploration of additional funding sources.