Delivery of the SIBI Communications Plan. Successful implementation of the SIBI Communications Plan. Further, the Operational Plan 2014-2015 also outlines what milestones and deliverables the project has agreed to fulfil. These are replicated in the following two tables. While Table 4 is relevant only to the 2014-2015 financial year, it provides a valuable insight into the specific and ongoing activities that will require to be reported on for the life of the project. Table 3 Major milestones of the project for the life of the project Main Activities / Milestone Milestone Date Genetics resource flock established. 31 December 2014 ASBVs strategy developed and implemented. 31 December 2015 LTEM course developed and delivery commenced for mixed farming enterprises. 31 December 2015 Potential partners in China and the Middle East are identified and engaged to participate in dedicated value chains. 30 June 2016 Appointment of SBC leader, industry development and business staff. 30 June 2016 New premium sheep meat product developed. 31 December 2016 China Plate pilot Report is finalised. 31 December 2016 Agrifood Business Skills courses, study tours and cultural awareness programs developed and delivered to value chain participants. 30 June 2017 Development and delivery of Lifetime Ewe Management (LTEM) and a strategy to increase the adoption of Australian Breeding Values June 2017 Installation of contemporary labour saving and electronic sheep management technologies at Katanning Research Facility. 31 December 2017 Industry Web-portal developed and operational. 31 December 2017 SBC Business Plan developed in partnership with industry. 30 June 2018 Development of four new value chains for premium WA sheep meat products, breeding and slaughter ready stock. 30 June 2018 Final report. 31 December 2018 Table 4 Evaluation-relevant milestones of the project 2014-2015 Description Completion date Development of WA LTEM manual for grain and sheep producers and deliverer training/retraining February 2015 Communication plan developed February 2015
Measurement of adoption Goal 1: Dedicated value chains Key Evaluation Questions: To what extent did SIBI contribute to increased value of WA sheep meat? To what extent did SIBI contribute to the development of four new supply chains? Target audience Desired impact Baseline measure as at 2014/2015 Target measure 2018 Collection methodology Leader and date of collection Processors To incorporate understanding of new value chains into their business model That processors value access to sheep meat information via an online system Adopt and communicate specification requirements, timing, etc (that relate to product requirements) for new products Offer an attractive system for producers to supply high quality sheep meat To view industry interns as valuable to the industry and their organisations To invest in interns and provide an appropriate training environment Future value chain opportunities currently not known or understood Online system not available New products currently unavailable List of product lines and average prices available to be included in Evaluation Plan M2 5 and 6: No sheep industry interns currently exist to value 1. Target measure to be determined by August 2016 (dependant on what new chains look like) 2. a) Processors regularly access online system b) Processors rate system higher than 5/10 for value 3. Processor publications produced 4. a) At least 1 consignment delivered to each new market b) List of product lines to have increased c) Producers receiving premium prices for products delivered to new value chains 5 and 6: Four new specialists (ex-interns) employed in sheep meat industry (A) For 1: Targeted semi-structured interview of processors with qualitative results (B) For 2a: Web access data (C) For 2b: Short survey linked to online system for users of system (D) For 3 and 4a, b and c: Collation and audit of information by processors (KEQ2) (E) For 5 and 6: Targeted interview of industry (processors) with qualitative results (A) Jacob Initial interview Dec 2016. Further surveys to June 2018. (B) and (C) Kimbal Curtis Monthly downloads and random pop-up surveys Dec 2017 to Dec 18 (D) Robin Jacob Market audit Oct 2018 (E) Mandy Curnow Toward end of each interns contract
Target audience Desired impact Baseline measure as at 2014/2015 Target measure 2018 Collection methodology Leader and date of collection Ram breeders To provide ASBVs on more rams 49% rams sold with (from 2014 WA producer survey) 50% rams sold with ASBVs (G) General survey of all WA producers (G) Anne Jones March 2018 Producers Participate in new WA LTEM course Understand the key principles associated with improved reproduction and management Set three achievable targets particularly in areas around feed assessment and feed budgeting Improve stocking rate, lamb survival and marking rates by pregnancy scanning and managing ewes appropriately To use genetic information (ASBV and indexes) when selecting rams and ram sources To incorporate behaviours that grow their business To have more confidence in the industry Zero participants 2, 3, 4 and 5: 9% of WA producers condition score or weigh ewes regularly to assess health 40% of producers pregnancy scan, including 14% that scan for litter size Current marking rate for Merinos is 90%, 95% for meat and maternal 4% of producers have detailed knowledge of ASBVs 6. Relevant business skills to be determined Relevant confidence measures to be determined 1. 600 new participants 2. 95% of participants with improved understanding of principles 3. 95% of participants set targets. 65% of participants make improvement on targets 4. Ave SR, LS and MR of participants improve by 12%. WA producers improve by 5% 5. 80% of X RamSelect participants use ASBVs 6. Specific anticipated change to be determined 7. to be determined (I) For 1: Comms Log, advised by trainers (F) For 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6: entry, exit and surveys of training participants (G) For 4, 5, 6 and 7: general survey of all WA producers (KEQ 1, 2) (I) Anne Jones, Jonathan England June 2015 – July 18 (F) Anne Jones workshop entry surveys June 2015 – June 2017; exit surveys June 2016 – 2018 (G) Anne Jones March 2018
Measurement of projects to support achievement of goals 1 and 2 Target audience Desired impact Baseline measure as at 2014/2015 Target measure 2018 Collection methodology Date of collection Producers To implement labour saving or quality control technology that allows them to increase their flock value, profitability, flock size or turnoff From 2014 producer survey: 8% using automatic drafting equipment, 4% are using electronic ear tags, 2% are using a paddock based ‘Walk over weighing’ system and 1% use Pedigree Matchmaker New levels to be determined by December 2015 (F) Entry and exit surveys backed up by WA producer survey (G) (F) June 2015 to July 2018 (G) March 2018 Agribusiness To promote the value of implementing electronic flock management technologies 73%, 32%, 66% and 45% of agribusiness is willing or already advising clients to use automatic drafting equipment, electronic ear tags, paddock based ‘Walk over weighing’ system and Pedigree Matchmaker respectively New levels to be determined by December 2015 (M) Agribusiness survey (M) Anne Jones, Mandy Curnow July 2018 Research and development organisations To integrate the new information on hard to measure traits (eg Lean Meat Yield and Eating Quality) into their activities New research unavailable Positive key messages relating to this research published in the MLA annual report (O) Audit of MLA Annual Reports (O) Ken Hart, Anne Jones November 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 SILC To actively communication the needs of the industry to DAFWA To feel confident that issues affecting the industry are being addressed by R, D and E organisations To feedback to industry on progress of R, D and E organisations activities such that confidence in the industry is increased Communication methods and means of verification to be determined Target measures to be determined by December 2015 (G) WA producer survey (M) Agribusiness survey SILC survey? (G) 2018 (M) Anne Jones, Mandy Curnow July 2018
Evaluation activities As indicated in the previous section, there are many evaluation activities required to assess the success of this project. Details of the evaluation activities in the ‘Collection Methodology’ and ‘Collection Date’ columns in the previous chapter are collated here for ease of management. Activity code Activity title Activity description Date of collection Leader A Processor interviews Informal, semi-structured interviews conducted by activity leader to collect information how processors are interacting with the new supply chains. This evaluation activity covers processors understanding of and capacity to be involved in the new value chains. The initial interview will be conducted in December 2016 to capture information from the pilot project with V&V Walsh. Further interviews will be conducted with other processors as they come on board the project. Initial interview: December 2016 Further interviews by June 2018 Robin Jacob B Online information tracking (use) Collection of data on the usage of the online information system over time including unique number of visitors and unique number of visits Monthly downloads Dec 2017 to Dec 18 Kimbal Curtis C Online information system (value) Short survey of online information system users in the form of a pop-up box linked to the system triggered to come up on users screens after visiting the site Monthly downloads Dec 2017 to Dec 18 Kimbal Curtis D New value chain audit Review information supplied by processors and document new value chain information: specifically what new sheep meat product lines and prices are available for producers to supply to. Contrast this information against previously available product lines and comparative prices offered. Market audit Oct 2018 Robin Jacob E Value of interns To measure the value that industry place on industry interns. This will be done by conducting semi-structured interviews with the host organisations (eg processors, producers) and other relevant industry organisations (eg grower groups) and rating the perceived value of each intern against a list of criteria. Toward end of each interns contract Curnow F and exit surveys Short surveys undertaken by producers at the beginning and end of each training event to determine the direct impact of the training on their KASA. Influence of industry (eg grower groups and consultants) on participation in training also tracked through this mechanism. February 2015 to July 2018 Activity leaders & Anne Jones G Producer survey General survey of all WA producers to gauge the impact on producers behaviours caused by the range of extension activities undertaken by the project Survey conducted March 2018 Anne Jones