Planning for impact: mapping and quantifying the benefits of public-sector geoscience
Channel: GeoscienceAustralia
Date: 03/09/2020

Speakers:  Dr Keith Sircombe, Dr John Söderbaum, Dr Ron Hackney, Joseph Moloney & Rani Austin.


Geoscience Australia is increasingly looking to quantify the impact and value of the scientific work that it undertakes.  Quantifying impact helps to demonstrate the return on investment from expenditure of government funds in applying geoscience to Australia's most important challenges. Recent analysis has quantified the economic and social benefits arising from precompetitive geoscience under Exploring for the Future, an Australian Government program led by Geoscience Australia that is dedicated to exploring Australia’s resource potential and boosting investment.

This analysis used the Impact Pathway approach to collect data and information that provides evidence of project and program impacts.  The analysis demonstrates that Exploring for the Future is likely to return hundreds of dollars to the Australian economy for every dollar spent on the program. Additional modelling using REMPLAN online analytical tools helps to quantify economic and employment benefits in regional Australia.  These approaches to impact assessment are also being adopted across Geoscience Australia in areas ranging from satellite Earth observation to earthquake and tsunami hazard and risk.

About  the Speakers:

Keith Sircombe was Program Coordinator for the first phase of the Exploring for the Future program.  Demonstrating the broader outcomes and impacts of the amazing science at this time has instigated a broader discussion around preparing the agency to better capture information about future outcomes.

John Söderbaum is the Director of the Science and Technology practice for ACIL Allen Consulting and a scientist with over 40 years of policy and program experience.  He works at the interface of the public, private and research sectors and believes collaboration between all these sectors is an important driver of innovation and productivity. Much of his work involves assessing the economic, social and environmental impact and value of research.

Ron Hackney is a Senior Geoscientist in the Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division. He is part of a diverse team delivering pre-competitive geoscience data and information, which is making an impact through increased industry interest in exploring new under-cover mineral provinces.

Joe Moloney is a Senior Commodity Specialist in the Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division. He has worked most of the past 10 years as an economist and is currently investigating the potential impact of pre-competitive geoscience on the broader economy and job creation.

Rani Austin is an evaluation and engagement specialist in the Place, Space and Communities Division at Geoscience Australia where she has led the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for two flagship programs, Positioning Australia and Digital Earth Australia. She draws on wide experience in the design and implementation of impact assessments and promotes the value of public engagement in science.