Knowledge brokers

The Department of Agriculture and Food has introduced a new telephone service, which is available to primary producers and agricultural consultants seeking advice and information on agricultural issues. The single telephone number will provide easy access to a range of information, support and advice on agricultural issues, including crops, livestock and horticulture.

Using the latest technology, the Department of Agriculture and Food is making it convenient and easy for clients to contact the most relevant specialists within the Department. For the cost of a local call from anywhere in the Western Australia, AgLine will provide farmers and agricultural consultants with a single entry point into the Department, to speak with a professional and supportive person who will respond to their enquiry.

Dedicated specialists from across the Department will be available to answer your questions from 8:00am to 5:00pm weekdays, (except public holidays).

By completing a web form users can submit a question and chatto a librarian who will find high quality information. During a session, the librarian can "push" websites and other information directly to the user's computer while chatting. Librarian can also initiate a co-browse session with a user, which allows both parties to see the same screen. At the close of the session, users who have supplied an email address will receive a transcript of the session, including links to any web pages sent by the librarian.

Research services, information and tools supporting targeting, measurement and assessment of the multiple environmental, economic and social benefits of new forests. Modeling and forecasting of growth and carbon sequestrartion rates. Training in the use of FULLCAM full carbon accounting model and 3-PG2 Forest Growth models. Whole farm/estate modeling and planning.

The service has been setup by the Knowledge for Regional NRM team at Land & Water Australia and is run by a team from RM Consulting Group (RMCG) and Symbolix.

The advice must relate to selecting decision making approaches. This means that you can expect to receive written advice on potential methods to making the decision. These methods may range from generic decision approaches such as multi-criteria analysis and Bayesian networks through to specific and applied models and expert-based decision approaches.

Some examples of the types of questions worked on as part of the trial include:

• What are the different models available to estimate end of catchment salt loads under different management scenarios?
• We want to benchmark the ecological value of our estuaries, what methods are available to do that?
• We have a target to improve community awareness of minimum tillage benefits. How can we decide which actions will result in the best bang for buck?

Further detail on examples of recent advice provided by the service is available.

Exchange is a service provided by Greening Australia to exchange knowledge between people and organisations that manage Australia's native vegetation. Exchange links practical knowledge with research knowledge, and can provide you with the resources and contacts to help resolve your vegetation management techniques.

The Fire Knowledge Network is an initiative of the Bushfire CRC. The Network is a focal point for fire knowledge within Australia, New Zealand and globally. It brings together the broad spectrum of research, both within the CRC and from the many researchers in other organisations, local knowledge, and lessons from history.

Fire Knowledge Network consists of a number of components that connect fire research, information and experience, including:
• Centre for Lessons Learnt - learning from past experience
• Fire Reference and Research - leading national and international fire research
• Communities of Practice - collaboration and knowledge exchange
• Consultancy Services - innovation and adoption of knowledge transfer outcomes
• Web site to link the components together

Geoff is based at the North Central CMA, Victoria but also works across the Mallee, North Central, Goulburn Broken and North East Catchment Management Authorities in Victoria and through the Landscape Logic CERF Hub (www.landscapelogic.org.au) with NRM North, Cradle Coast NRM and NRM South in Tasmania.

Geoff is able to provide assistance with:

• Project development 
• Knowledge management and knowledge synthesis 
• Facilitation and extension 
• Helping researchers and catchment planners understand each others worlds 
• Community/agency access to NRM information (including spatial data)

Gotta question? is a free information provision service provided by Land & Water Australia's Knowledge for Regional NRM Programme. The service is specifically designed for NRM professionals employed in regional NRM bodies. The service is designed to:

• provide search assistance and access to information and knowledge for NRM professionals working in regional NRM bodies
• refer NRM professionals, where appropriate, to existing knowledge brokering services.

The objective of the service is to source existing material to address requests received by phone or via the online form included below. Responses to information requests will be provided within 10 working days of requests being lodged. If it is not possible for a response to be delivered within this timeframe the requestee will be contacted.

Gotta question? is not intended to respond to urgent requests for information. The response will typically include information such as:

• contact details for knowledge brokering services or relevant organisations
• links to published full text documents
• links to abstracts for highly relevant articles which are not freely available.

Forest & plantation management, thinning strategies, product targeting, log grading and valuing.  Timber product standards, grading, processing methodology and efficiency, cutting patterns, seasoning, further processing and marketing.  Quality control, certification and codes of practice.  Business development and advice.  Government grant applications and liaison.  Company profile available on request. 

• Create an innovation culture within organisations
• Use of new media tools (podcasting, blogging etc) for promoting research and knowledge, eg. LitFuse
• Review research strengths and capability
• Workshop facilitation and design
• Symposium and Conference organisation
• Database of research publications, eg. SA NRM Research Database
• NRM Scorecard
• Grant preparation