Ahh, the Yorkshire dales
Having just come back from a good six weeks holiday in Europe, I thought it time to update my blog with another overseas instalment. Having had this business for almost a decade, I thought we were entitled to long service leave like anyone else - hence a full six weeks to allow the brain to wind down fully. Fortunately for me, Amy was there to hold the fort and so I could (almost) ignore the email traffic while travelling (its remarkable how much wireless access is available out there!).
Read the full post | Tags: Holiday, Europe, Evaluation
Convergence – a moment with my father
In the extension arena, we often talk about managing change. We talk about capacity and resilience and making changes to improve our own lives and our communities. It’s not just about taking the latest technology and applying it – but to have thoughtfully learned from our experiences and training and weighing up what to apply across our social, economic, environmental landscape.
Read the full post | Tags: Convergance, Keith Coutts
Fiji
Having finally set foot on Fiji – I thought I would revert back to my international theme for this update! Even though I had lived and worked in Papua New Guinea (see my earlier blog) and had projects in Asia, I longed for the opportunity to do something in the Pacific Islands. Many years ago, I had to choose between a poultry-based job in Fiji – and one in PNG. I chose PNG but often wondered where life would have taken me and my family had I chosen differently.
Read the full post | Tags: Blog, Fiji, ACIAR
Survey Workshops
One of the factors that has prompted us to launch our specialised rural survey service has been the survey workshops that I developed with Kerry Bell – a whiz with numbers and statistics! Kerry and I had been co-running the University of Queensland’s ‘Evaluation of Projects and Programs’ Masters course for a number of years.
Read the full post | Tags: Jeff Coutts, Survey Workshops, Rural Survey Services
Tassie
It's not exactly 'overseas', but Tasmania is separated from mainland Australia by Bass Straight! So maybe it 'almost' fits the travel theme of previous blogs.
Read the full post | Tags: Tasmania, Cradle Coast, Stronger Learning Pathways, 8x5 wool profitability project
South America
I seem to have started a theme about experiences in other countries – and as I am freshly back from a holiday in South America, I thought I would continue the theme. Robyn and I teamed up with a group of mainly Toowoomba-ites, and marshaled by our common travel agent (Wendy), headed off to South America just after Easter. We had not been there before and it was all a bit of a mystery to me.
Read the full post | Tags: Travel, South America
Memories of Papua New Guinea
One place that I have enjoyed going to over the years is Papua New Guinea. My first experience there was as a very young Australian Volunteer when my wife Robyn and I went to Hagita High School and Plantation in 1976 near Alatou in Milne Bay Province. I managed a copra and cattle plantation and Robyn taught at the Catholic High School. This was just after independence and it was great to experience the hope and confidence of this new nation. One claim to fame - at least for Robyn - was making the outfits for the school brass band to welcome the Queen on a visit to Alotau.
Read the full post | Tags: Papua New Guinea, Hagita, Mt Hagen, SciCom
Purpose of this Blog
In this new website, I was keen to have a place where I could provide an update on my latest experiences and thinking when it came to evaluation, extension or development issues - an opportunity for a bit of free thought. Although the blog doesn't allow direct comment as such, feel free to use the contact page to email me any feeedback or thoughts that have been triggered by my entries.
Read the full post | Tags: purpose, experience, Sandy