In order to support a greater degree of systems thinking in its advisory committees, it is proposed to expose all committee members to the potential approaches to priority setting through a systems lens and benefits of these approaches, and then work with a subset of Research Advisory Committees [and possibly others] to test how bringing tools such as theory of change into their deliberations could assist them to deliver better designed priorities. Working specifically towards theories of change in the committee processes, at appropriate levels of complexity, is expected to provide (i) a context to making approaches of different committee members more explicit, (ii) a basis for better design logic, and (iii) a way of more readily communicating the committee's priorities. The focus of this approach on identifying and working back from ultimate objectives helps frame what may legitimately be narrow priorities in a wider analysis of system drivers such as incoherent policy environments or climate change and thus enable larger agendas to be built around such issues across FRDC. An explicit emphasis on barriers, enablers and assumptions, as well as what is necessary and sufficient to achieve the objectives, also provides a strong basis for evaluating progress and learning. Together these attributes are anticipated to achieve the intent of supporting better FRDC priority setting and increased impact for its stakeholders.

There is an opportunity to create a new partnership with the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) to aggregate information from a regional and jurisdictional level to a national forum with the view to provide advise the FRDC in prioritising strategic and tactical investments in RD&E to deliver positive outcomes for the Australian recreational sector.
An ARFF – FRDC partnership could be extend beyond simply prioritisation, to include establishing opportunities for effective and targeted extension and adoption of R&D outputs to effect cultural and behavioural changes within recreational sector beneficiaries.
A properly resourced and coordinated collaboration may also identify opportunities for co-investment with traditional and non-traditional sources, particularly those linked to the ARFF network.
This proposal looks to formalise a partnership between the recreational fishing sector and the FRDC and outlines the structure, function, resourcing and phases of that partnership model.
The effective delivery of this partnership model will in turn derive benefits to the recreational sector, its supporters, the broader Australian community, and the FRDC through the delivery of the R&D Plan 2020-2025.