The Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management ......Introduction and background 4 Outlook...

Business Plan | 2009–2014

The Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management

Our Passion CENRM is committed to knowledge development and sharing about the scientifi c, economic and social dimensions of natural resource management.

Our FocusCENRM has a broad base in education and research, and a particular focus on the interactions between people and natural resources to inform sustainable management.

Our ResourcesCENRM is a regional Centre of The University of Western Australia and gains additional resources through competitive funding for the provision of services.

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Introduction and background 4

Outlook 5

Our Plan 7

CENRM Resources 8

Key Roles – Education 10

Key Roles – Research 11

Key Roles – Services 12

Process – Core 13

Process - Enabling 14 Delivery - Stakeholder 15 Delivery - Communications 16 Finance - Networks 17Finance - Business Model 18Challenges 19 Glossary 19

Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management

Contents

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CENRM is a Centre of Excellence, based in Albany, southern Western Australia. It is an operational part of The University of Western Australia within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, but has drawn knowledge and advice from members of its Board who represent a range of organisations with strong regional operations and commitments.

Since the establishment of CENRM in 2001 it has demonstrated an ability to rapidly mobilise resources to develop as a highly responsive regional organisation. It has utilised its collaborative interface with diverse partners and stakeholders to share knowledge and build relationships and capacity across a range of natural resource management activities.

CENRM has demonstrated its significant regional value in the core activities of education, research, services and communications. CENRM has grown though its strategic focus, its willingness to proactively engage with partners, its diligent management of resources, and its energy in seeking new resources. CENRM communications have developed its regional, state and national profile and identity. Through the CENRM partnership in the International Water Centre its international profile is being extended.

The CENRM team contribute to all of its activities, and have been significant in meeting demands in all core areas. CENRM has developed a BSc in Restoration Ecology and built a research team, including postgraduate students, to develop activities in a range of NRM research areas that meet the demands of its stakeholders. These include, but are not limited to: catchment and water management, use of degraded lands and waters, interactions between human activity and NRM, and NRM policy and economics.

As a regionally based group, CENRM service activities allow it to maintain networks in national NRM activities, and importantly, to work with regional organisations on matters where evidence based science is important to their policy and operations. In this way, CENRM demonstrates its value, its flexibility and collective commitment to regions.

This Plan, and its development, has permitted CENRM to share and consider the full range of its operations and activities. This is done at a time when a global financial crisis is causing most governments and organisations to closely examine resources and needs. This will mean some uncertainty, but CENRM has demonstrated its ability to be agile. Thus while this Plan will provide guidance for CENRM and its stakeholders, we will remain vigilant in continuing to develop opportunities within and for regional Australia.

In conclusion, CENRM would like to thank all existing stakeholders for their commitment to our success and for their willingness to contribute to the continued growth and success of CENRM.

PM Davies, Director

Introduction and background

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This Plan will be active for the next five years (2009 – 2014).

During that time we will expect to see demands for NRM continue to escalate based on impacts of past activities, and new challenges being presented through ongoing population pressures and associated resource development and utilisation.

NRM and the relationship people have to the environment is central to the processes of understanding and evaluating the economic, environmental and social futures that will arise from human activities. CENRM understands the complexities of working in this environment which is characterised by a diversity of stakeholders, timelines that are often generational, and complex ownership or stewardship arrangements.

The current and projected economic conditions during the early phase of this Plan (2009 – 2012) will be challenging. It will be an imperative of CENRM to stay as flexible as possible during this time by optimising its role as part of The University of Western Australia, and by continuing to offer opportunities for local communities as well as prospective research, industry and regional partners. In this way, the demand for CENRM services will be ensured and its capabilities will continue to grow.

Many of CENRM’s public and private stakeholders will be making strategic decisions to define their future during this time, and CENRM is well positioned to provide inputs to these processes, and be proactive in providing supportive services.

The University of Western Australia is currently planning changes to its entire undergraduate program that will occur during the lifetime of this Plan. CENRM will participate in this process, through the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and champion key opportunities for regional engagement in the new undergraduate program.

The history of development in Australia has demonstrated a strong focus on, and migration towards major urban centres. The University of Western Australia and CENRM have demonstrated clearly the value of opportunities associated with a commitment to regional Australia. This Plan provides a pathway for further development of that commitment through:

• Educational outcomes,

• Scientific inquiry and research,

• Services and applied research,

• Continuous communications of CENRM activities, and

• Sound development and management of CENRM.


Outlook

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Through both direct expenditure and the outcomes from that expenditure, the benefits from CENRM activities will accrue across a range of scales (Fig 1). Albany and the Great Southern will be key beneficiaries of direct expenditure as the main areas for personnel location and activities, but the current and projected scope of CENRM activities will see further national and international participation and benefit.

Figure 1: Benefits accruing from CENRM investment in its operations

CENRM activities will contribute economic, environmental and social benefits. CENRM will ensure that it uses both quantitative and qualitative measurements to demonstrate the value of its activities. The results of monitoring and evaluation will be shared with all stakeholders as this Plan is implemented and delivers results.

Who gains value from CENRM success?

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This Plan builds on the success of CENRM as it has operated since 2001. It addresses the whole CENRM business system so that CENRM and its stakeholders can continue to identify and contribute to its effectiveness and efficiency.

The Plan is built around the four elements of the CENRM business (Fig 2).

CENRM Process

Key Roles

Delivery

Finance

Figure 2: The four elements of the CENRM business

Each area of business (Key roles, Processes, Delivery and Finance) is described and addressed with reference to the experience gained in operations of CENRM from 2001-09, projected operations over the lifetime of this Plan, and associated target actions.

The Actions will provide the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Management team of CENRM and its Advisory Committee with the basis to evaluate:

• The progress of CENRM

• Areas of risk and changing risk

• The CENRM commitment to, and delivery for, its stakeholders

• Priority setting processes

• Needs and expectations of staff

While Actions are addressed at an activity level, most will have impacts on the management and commitment of staff to flexibility, and a focus on resource needs and acquisition.


Our Plan

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The University of Western Australia and external funding resources provide a general operating base in the range of $3-5 million per annum. This funding is dependent on a number of competitive criteria. It is sufficient for this Plan to reflect that all CENRM staff are committed to the process of continuous development and relevance to stakeholders to ensure that funding meets or exceeds the requirements of CENRM to operate at its present level.

CENRM has an established team, mostly operating from Albany, but with other staff and key collaborators operating in other parts of Western Australia (e.g. Kimberley region) or nationally. In Albany, CENRM has office, laboratory, lecture and administration facilities, while UWA has a much broader base of resources in Perth that complement activities. CENRM offers a supportive environment for visitors to participate in or extend its regional activities.

The CENRM team has senior academics, postdoctoral researchers, postgraduates and technical and administrative personnel. Approximately 25 people, with a range of tenure arrangements, contribute to CENRM operations. CENRM regards this as an operational target around which it seeks further resources when developing and undertaking new initiatives.

CENRM Resources

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The CENRM Plan addresses nine activity areas associated with our key roles, processes, delivery and finance (Fig 3).

CENRM Process

Enabling

Core

Key Roles

Research

Education

Communi- cations

Services

Stakeholder

Delivery

Finance

Business model

Networks

Figure 3: Scope and activities of CENRM

CENRM activities

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EducationHow CENRM provides value to students and the community through its people and activities.

Experience CENRM has provided an opportunity for regional participation in The University of Western Australia for either some or all of a degree program, and as a base for postgraduate training with access to diverse NRM resources.

CENRM offers undergraduate (BSc) and postgraduate training (Masters & PhD). Community education & training, customer education, and web based information have all contributed to CENRM offerings and experience.

Projected activities

CENRM has unique experience which places it well in considering opportunities with proposed changes to the UWA degree program in the “across degree” areas of communications, broadening subjects and community service.

As part of the UWA change process known as the Future Framework, the current degree offered through CENRM (Bachelor of Science, Restoration Ecology) will be reviewed.

As part of the International Water Centre (IWC), an Australian collaborative project managed from Queensland, CENRM will provide inputs and regional training for Masters students (mainly international) at Albany.

Through its diverse research profile, CENRM will continue to offer attractive avenues, support and encouragement for postgraduate studies.

Actions 1. Contribute to the development and delivery of subjects that have potential as broadening subjects or part of broadening subjects. These units are to be available to all undergraduate students at UWA under current proposed changes.

2. Develop and deliver a program of undergraduate and postgraduate offerings that use staff experience and expertise in NRM and regional development, within the UWA Future Framework process.

3. Create opportunities that are attractive to postgraduate students.

Key Roles Research

Education

Services

Key Roles

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ResearchHow CENRM designs its core offerings by developing and sharing knowledge about NRM.

Experience CENRM established its program based on a number of research themes designed to address catchment and water management, use of degraded lands and waters, interaction between human activity and coastal and estuarine environments, extractive technologies (associated with sandalwood) and natural resource management policy and economics.


CENRM has demonstrated that it is flexible and adaptive with its research targets. As such it is appropriate to be more general in its approach to research relating to NRM. Targets will be defined by a balance of CENRM objectives, operations and staffing combined with the ability to identify and attract collaborators and partners with complementary skills. Newly developed activities (such as Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) project) place a strong emphasis on cross-theme integration by both CENRM and its partners. This trend should continue.

Actions 1. Further develop activities leading to outputs such as completed postgraduate degrees, and peer reviewed articles and publications.

2. Review and set research priorities and respond to research project opportunities for CENRM, and ensure its linkage and sharing with broader UWA activities.

3. Set priorities and develop processes to develop collaborative research with other members of the University and other institutions.

Key Roles Research

Education

Services


Key Roles

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ServicesHow CENRM collaborates with, responds to, and builds opportunities for its regional stakeholders.

Experience CENRM was established with a range of partners. Some of these regional partners have specific demands for knowledge and research that is best achieved through consultancy agreements. These tend to be short term and time-bound and have used the full scope of CENRM activities.


CENRM services activities are appropriate and valuable to a number of the Centre’s key stakeholders and will remain a central part of CENRM operations.

Consultancies afford a networking opportunity and are an essential part of complex NRM issues and regional responsiveness.

More general services in support of local and regional communities are an essential part of the principles of The University of Western Australia, and form an active part of the performance evaluation of all staff.

Actions 1. Develop processes to ensure services activities meet CENRM objectives and contribute to the development of research understanding and related knowledge of existing and potential partners.

2. Ensure that the demands of service activities are balanced with staff support, development and evaluation needs.

3. Develop service targets to engage regional communities in NRM related activities, and to provide leadership for the full spectrum of opportunity provided by The University of Western Australia in Albany.

Key Roles Research

Education

Services

Key Roles

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CoreHow CENRM creates and adds value with its offerings.

Experience The base for CENRM operations (people, research resources, regional knowledge, and internal management) were built with resources from the startup phase (2001), and have been complemented and expanded with other resources as the primary funds were expended. Education activities (undergraduate and postgraduate) and communications activities have expanded, especially through the UWA internet service.


CENRM has developed unique experience and knowledge about the complexity of managing and delivering projects for multiple stakeholders from a regional base. As it is now directly responsible to UWA as a Centre, CENRM will continue to focus on gaining value from the full resources of the University.

Actions 1. Ensure full knowledge capture and sharing in CENRM to ensure its resilience in the event of staff change.

2. Establish a “roadmap” of other key organisations who share similar interests in NRM to identify partnership opportunities, avoid duplication and learn from others.

3. Continue with efforts to consolidate facilities available to CENRM in Albany and other target sites.

Process

Enabling

Core

Process

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EnablingHow CENRM supports its core processes and people.

Experience CENRM has a mix of academic, general and technical staff who contribute to its operational integrity. It has operated under the leadership of a Director, who has reported to both an independent Board, and UWA, through FNAS.

CENRM operates under UWA IT and administration systems and processes.


As a UWA centre, CENRM will be responsible for the management of UWA resources contributing to its objectives. While CENRM is experienced with these processes it has moved beyond original contract arrangements with multiple parties. CENRM will work to ensure the continued support of regional and other parties while maximising its value as a Centre for the University.

Actions 1. Identify and access resources to allow all CENRM staff to more effectively relate to and integrate with the Perth campus of UWA.

2. Identify UWA resources to support activities in seeking new projects, or bridging between activities.

3. Endorse the value of an independent Advisory Committee, with strong regional experience to continue to provide guidance and advice for the operations of and opportunities for CENRM.

4. Identify and implement appropriate professional development activities.

Process

Enabling

Core

Process

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StakeholderCENRM has extensive consultative and operational interactions with stakeholders, including input to the evaluation of its services.

Experience CENRM has met the needs of its establishment stakeholders, expanded its offerings to students, and continued to extend its range of interactions as appropriate to its objectives. The Board reflections of stakeholder experience have been very strong and supportive and contributed to the focus and development of CENRM.


CENRM is committed to the use of its regional base and expertise in NRM to meet the evolving demands of existing and potential stakeholders. CENRM will deliver in areas of core business and facilitate interactions to meet the more extended needs of regional stakeholders.

Actions 1. Share the CENRM business plan with all stakeholders and potential stakeholders and collaborators.

2. Contribute to and make use of all UWA marketing activities.

3. Prepare a Communications Plan to ensure consistent, high quality delivery of CENRM knowledge and expertise and engagement of stakeholders.

Delivery

Communi- cations

Stakeholder

Delivery

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CommunicationsHow CENRM communicates and markets its services.

Experience CENRM is an important regional organisation with global interests in natural resource management. CENRM uses direct contacts, print and internet to communicate its work. At a regional level, its Board has also been central to the communications of the value and potential of interactions with CENRM.

CENRM has worked actively with UWA to deliver its educational program and objectives, with regional stakeholders for NRM issues and needs, and through its staff being proactive in research and research partnerships.


CENRM and UWA will continue to develop their identity with regional stakeholders and collaborators.

CENRM will take the opportunity to continue to develop as a “single front door” for knowledge of the range of NRM activities at UWA.

In an increasingly competitive environment CENRM will continue to communicate the uniqueness of its work, and the benefits of the experience of working and participating in education and research activities in regional areas.

CENRM has primary linkages with UWA and a range of regional stakeholders represented by its Advisory Committee.

Actions 1. Prepare a Communications Plan to meet community and client demands for information about CENRM services, knowledge and expertise.

2. Raise identity of CENRM as part of UWA and the opportunity in terms of education, research and services to the community.

3. Strengthen the primary link with UWA through the website to promote national and international identity.

4. Increase functionality of the website with the aim of becoming a significant portal for NRM information.

5. Use other media, scientific publications, public events and personal contacts to convey its purpose and services.

Delivery

Communi- cations

Stakeholder

Delivery

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NetworksHow CENRM joins forces with other parties for mutual benefit.

Experience CENRM was established as a joint venture with the University of Western Australia, WA Department of Agriculture and Food, WA Water and Rivers Commission, City of Albany, WA Department of Premier and Cabinet, Great Southern Development Commission and the Federal Government Regional Assistance Program.


CENRM has built strong alliances. It now needs to reevaluate all of those, and improve the value of its operations as a UWA Centre.

Actions 1. Build the CENRM relationship with UWA across the Faculty and the whole University.

2. Identify new priority targets e.g. North Australia development, forestry, CRC operations, where CENRM can lead or partner projects.

3. Review this Business Plan with establishment stakeholders as their needs change under prevailing economic conditions, to seek and confirm new opportunities.


Finance

Business model

Networks

Finance

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Finance

Business model

Networks

Finance

Business Model How CENRM funds its operations.

Experience CENRM has core staff meeting education demands and operating the Centre. It has accessed state and nationally competitive funds through its flexibility and ability to provide unique services.


CENRM has utilised its initial Centre funding to establish a strong base from which it has explored and won new funding.

Funding outlook for all over next 3-5 years will be highly competitive which will make continued demand on the delivery of outcomes, and for strategic coordination of funding applications.

Actions 1. Identify CENRM role and opportunity to UWA to secure elements of core funding.

2. Build the place of CENRM as part of the full scope of activities of FNAS.

3. Identify and seek competitive funds that provide additional benefits for the University (e.g. ARC Linkage).

4. Identify a level of service activity that adds value for the Centre and its staff, and other stakeholders.

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In developing this plan, CENRM has identifi ed a range of actions that it needs to undertake to ensure that it continues to deliver outcomes.

As part of this process it has identifi ed areas that involve evaluation of its internal operations. But perhaps more importantly, CENRM recognises that its future is shared with the vision and activities of a range of existing and potential stakeholders.

CENRM will work to ensure that this Plan stays a living document, and that CENRM remains open and accessible to ideas that will bring value from NRM for communities.


Challenges

CENRMCentre of Excellence for Natural Resource Management

FNASFaculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

ITInformation Technology

IWCInternational Water Centre

GlossaryPlanCENRM Business Plan 2009-2014

TRaCK Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (project)

UWAThe University of Western Australia

NoteThe term Stakeholder is used in this document. In the context of natural resource management and CENRM, stakeholders include formal partners and collaborators, communities in which CENRM operates, staff and students, potential funding organisations, and public and private organisations. All stakeholders have the potential to impact and infl uence, or be infl uenced by the actions of CERNM.

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The Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management

The University of Western Australia PO Box 5771, Albany WA 6332

Unit 1, Foreshore House 81 Proudlove Parade, Albany WA

Tel +61 8 9842 0838Fax +61 8 9842 8499Email [email protected] www.cenrm.uwa.edu.au

Cricos Provider code: 00126G Uni

Prin

t 70

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The Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management ......Introduction and background 4 Outlook...

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