What we do
Coutts J&R provides you with industry leading expertise and tools to collect, interpret and effectively use information to make the best decisions for your project and program. Our expertise is in undertaking reviews, establishing evaluation frameworks, planning and undertaking monitoring and evaluation activities (or mentoring your staff as they undertake the process) and measuring and reporting on impact. Our challenge is to make sure that you have the information you need to make the most informed decisions and meet your reporting requirements.
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Monitoring, Evaluation & Reviews
| M&E planning & frameworks | |
| Program & project evaluations | |
| M&E management & support | |
| Reviews | |
| Benefit Cost Analysis |
Data Management & Reporting
| Planning and managing data collation | |
| YourDATA development and support | |
| Data analysis and reporting |
Communication Evaluation
| Evaluation plans for communication programs | |
| Defining objectives and KPIs | |
| Reviews of communication programs |
News Updates
- Jeff Coutts is a co-author of a chapter in the recently on-line published book: “Rural Development for Sustainable Social-ecological Systems: Putting Communities First”.
Abstract: This chapter presents a brief but critical account of trends in agricultural extension practices in Australia. Agricultural extension practices have changed significantly over the past five decades. Structural changes in agriculture, new types of agricultural technologies, tight public budgets, efforts to decentralise government and emerging information and communication technologies (ICT) have led to pluralistic advisory services. Earlier research has described the history of agricultural extension until 2010 in Australia. Using a ‘practice perspective’, this paper focuses on the practices of practitioners in agricultural extension. The chapter starts with a discussion of what extension refers to in Australia. This is followed by a brief outline of the history of agricultural extension in Australia providing insight into the diversity of current extension practices. Then the key methodological approaches that inform current extension practices are described, namely approaches that focus on (1) adoption and diffusion; (2) interactions and learning; and (3) agricultural innovation systems and systems innovation. The paper concludes with a discussion of new developments in extension practices as well as opportunities to strengthen and re-invigorate the study of extension.
Link to the journal article: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-34225-7_4
- International workshop for education and advisory actors of rural areas, the agricultural and environmental sector, including the home and food economy
The networks International Academy for Rural Advisory Services (IALB), European Forum for Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (EUFRAS) and South Eastern Europe Advisory Service Network (SEASN) as well as the Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG) are organising an international workshop for education and advisory actors of rural areas, the agricultural and environmental sector, including the home and food economy, in Dresden from 10 to 14 September 2023. The theme is: The role of education and extension in the transformation process of agriculture – in the context of climate change, ensuring nutrition and societal demands.
Registration is from July 2023: https://www.ialb.sachsen.de/
- Agriculture Graduate Placement Program Coordinator Role
Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Agriculture Graduate Placement Program Coordinator to join their team. The primary responsibility of this position is to place graduates and new entrants into host organisations within the agricultural sector – more details can be found here.
Latest Post
- Jeff’s 2023 December Update
November this year was the Australasian Pacific Extension Network (APEN) conference held in Tasmania and organised by John James and a conference committee. It was 30 years ago in 1993 that I was responsible for organising an international extension conference at the Gold Coast for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI).
That ‘first’ conference resulted from a few of us in QDPI who had the opportunity to study extension at post-graduate level – at government expense – in other countries. We wanted to share what we had learned and to reignite interest and skills in what extension could do differently. The logic was for us to learn what was working in other countries and bring back this knowledge to Queensland (this also happened in the more technical study areas). It came at a time when government extension was going through a bit of a crisis and rethink – there was a focus on government dealing with market failure – not providing a ‘free advisory service to farmers’. I was also involved in developing the extension strategy for QDPI which guided it during the 90s.
Back to the Tasmanian conference. There were well over 250 attendees – many early in their careers and many who were not involved in APEN or attended such a conference before. The other exciting aspect was the number of private and industry extension people there – extension is no longer a government dominated arena. APEN came out of that first conference in 1993 and has been a force in developing extension practice and support now for 30 years. It was a very well run and energetic event with very high ratings from participant when they responded to the value of the conference for them. This energy and interest generated now needs to be supported and built upon.
While extension’s eulogy was being read 30 years ago the conference success underpinned the current vital importance of people in the equation when it comes to supporting learning and implementing change in the face of increasingly complex situations facing the agricultural sector in Australia and beyond. A project that overlapped with the conference – we held a workshop around this at the conference – is developing an extension skills matrix, designed for the breadth of extension work and in looking ahead to the challenges facing those involved in agriculture. In a brainstorming session looking ahead to new skills needed for extension, among many others, participants raised the need for: Virtual reality skills and use of equipment; and Embracing AI and other innovations and bringing others along (i.e. not left behind). Such technology is not seen as a replacement for extension – but in strengthening what extension can do to support those in agriculture.
I doubt if I will be around to see what is happening in extension in 30 years’ time – but I am confident that the need will still be there and the flame will be carried forward by the younger cohort of extension professionals.
