Practice Change Research

Purpose

The Practice Change Research group provides advice to government, industry and community on factors related to landowners in rural Victoria that influence the achievement of social, economic and environmental outcomes.

The team consists of about 25 social research staff based in Bendigo, Tatura, Rutherglen and Melbourne. The group integrates an understanding of rural Victoria with a knowledge of social science to provide novel solutions to complex problems in agriculture and natural resource management.

Structure

The Practice Change Research group sits with the Capacity Building and Evaluation Units in the Practice Change Platform within Practice Change Portfolio (PCP). PCP is the service delivery division of the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

The Practice Change Research group has links with over 700 scientific and extension DPI staff based at 72 locations around Victoria. Practice Change Research also works with a broad range of partners and collaborators from other government departments and agencies, the community and the private sector.

Research Areas

The team focuses on 4 key research areas –

1. Economic, social and land use trends in rural Victoria and their implications

Our current focus is on understanding the three emerging social landscapes in rural Victoria – amenity, production and transition landscapes – and their implications for government services.

2. Adoption of innovations

The focus in this area is on identifying factors that influence the adoption of agricultural innovations by farmers, in particular those innovations providing resource benefits.

3. Implementation of agricultural and natural resource management policy

Here we focus on identifying factors related to landholders’ and organisations’ responses to policies with a current interest in market-based mechanisms.

4. Governance and strategic management of networks

In this area we are developing approaches to operating in a networked environment.

Contact Details

David Campbell
Director, Service Design Branch
Farm Services Victoria
Phone: +61 (0) 3 9210 9208
Email: david.campbell@dpi.vic.gov.au

Department of Primary Industries
621 Burwood Highway
Knoxfield, 3180
Victoria
Australia