Bushfire CRC Research Adoption plan 2009-2010
From 2009 the Bushfire CRC, Australia and New Zealand’s first nationally coordinated, multi-disciplinary bushfire research program enters the final phase of its seven-year life.
Building on the earlier research efforts of individual agencies, the Bushfire CRC’s research focus, over the past five and a half years, has been to find improved ways of reducing the level of bushfire risk for given levels of investment and resourcing by governments and the wider community.
With some confidence it can now be seen that the combined efforts of 19 fire, emergency and land management agencies from across Australia and New Zealand, and the research capabilities of some 20 universities and related research providers, is resulting in clear industry and community benefits.
The last year has seen a gradual switch of the Bushfire CRC’s research focus towards an increasing emphasis on converting the research effort into operational and strategic reality. This is reflected in the major activities planned by the Bushfire CRC over its final 18 months.
The Research Adoption Plan outlined here is based on an approach that combines product development/finalisation with stakeholder engagement. It is an approach that draws heavily on the existing AFAC consultative networks and one that attempts to provide considerable on-going opportunities for individual researcher/stakeholder representative interactions.
The strategy will be implemented as outlined in the Research Adoption Strategy 2008-2010, which has been approved by the Bushfire CRC Governing Board and is.
Themes
The outputs from research conducted by the Bushfire CRC, and the planned activities over the next 18 months are grouped below under four themes nominated by fire and land management industries as high priority areas. They are:
A description of individual research projects can be found at www.bushfirecrc.com All research projects, and postgraduate student projects conducted during the life of the Bushfire CRC have involved the production of scientific publications. Beyond the science community, making the research accessible to stakeholders and to the wider
community has involved a range of processes.
These have included:
- The production of Fire Notes and Fire Updates
- The Bushfire CRC website
- AFAC Knowledge Web
- The conduct of regular seminars, forums and workshops
- The publication of a book Community Bushfire Safety that provides an overview of a number of Bushfire CRC research studies that have been designed to help better understand the important role the community plays in bushfire safety.
- The pending publication of a book that will summarise the outcome from the considerable prescribed fire related research that has occurred under the Bushfire CRC’s Program B
- A major involvement each year in the industry’s annual conference
- The production of targeted products to meet specific needs. As an example, the Making a Difference document was originally produced in late 2007 for use at Stakeholder Council.
Industry Impact
In order to develop approaches that best meet the research adoption needs of individual research projects, the Bushfire CRC and AFAC have jointly developed a methodology known as an Industry Impact Assessment. This approach assists in the understanding of the individual research outcomes within the context of the problem originally addressed. Solutions that make best use of the research can then be developed.
These impact assessments are usually facilitated through linkages to AFAC business groups and they may also involve specialist interest groups, regional or national workshops and, at times, the involvement of the AFAC business group itself. The process is also suitable for individual agencies to use.
Research Products
The products developed to assist with the adoption of research range from:
- awareness raising
- educational activities
- specialised tools such as burning guidelines.
These products, both individually and in combination, comprise both tangible outcomes (burning guides, smoke management programs) and activities that enable knowledge management.
Clearly some products, such as those that involve the embedding of knowledge into vocational training or higher education may take considerable time to fully implement, and some will be not be fully completed until after the Bushfire CRC ends. The rationale and framework underlying the education and training approach is available on www.bushfirecrc.com
In a strategic sense the Bushfire CRC is well placed in terms of its ability to influence national position in its industry, as a consequence of its unique partnership with AFAC. The most obvious examples to date of this key strategic linkage are in the areas of vehicle use in wildfire situations, and in relation to the ‘stay and defend or leave early’ approach to community safety in bushfire prone areas.
In terms of achieving a wider community appreciation of important research outcomes, promotional activities are also critical. These activities not only raise awareness of the research and its potential outcomes with industry and the community - they also have the potential to gain broader support for the Bushfire CRC and for research within the fire and emergency services sector more generally.
This research adoption plan includes proposals that are designed to achieve a wider appreciation of key research findings and their implications in both industry and in the wider community. Specific activities planned to facilitate adoption of the research around the four themes are outlined in the links on the left hand side.
These events will be posted on the Knowledge Web Event Calender and Bushfire CRC website.
