Dr Jeff Coutts - Chat #2
Evaluating extension – ‘why you should fund my (next) project’
Tuesday 8 September, 2020 at 12noon AEST
In this interactive presentation, Jeff will explore several questions
- ‘Why should an investor (whether government, Rural Development Corporation or other body) invest in Extension?
- ‘How do we demonstrate that the investment was a good decision?’
- ‘How can you show that your project – or your role – has been one of the best investments such organisations could make?’
The workshop will also explore
- Different (practical) ways in which extension is evaluated
- What new elements have been added over recent years, such as approaches to ‘co-evaluation’ (better involving the range of stakeholders in an agricultural innovation system)
- What we have learned about evaluating from a ‘distance’ (in the time of social distancing restrictions)
Dr Jeff Coutts: a passionate supporter of APEN from its conception in 1993 when he organised the first International Extension Conference held at the Gold Coast in Queensland when the idea of an Extension Network was raised, he was recognised for his continuing involvement as an inaugural inductee of Life Membership in 2018.
In 2001, Jeff became frustrated at how extension was viewed and valued and so, he left his role as the Director of the Rural Extension Centre at UQ Gatton to start his own consulting company to focus on extension evaluation. Jeff, almost 20 years later, has continued to work in pushing the boundaries of evaluation so that extension can continue to improve and develop, and its value better understood.
Jeff brings together what he has learned about the effective ways to evaluate extension, how to capture learnings and the ways to present impact.