9 results

Digital transformation of the WRL industry to help resolve challenges and leverage opportunities to grow GVP and maintain competitiveness

Project number: 2021-030
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $2,352,000.00
Principal Investigator: David C. Pietersen
Organisation: Western Rock Lobster Council Inc (WRLC)
Project start/end date: 14 Oct 2021 - 27 Jun 2024
Contact:
FRDC

Need

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT UNCERTAINTY
Lengthy engagement/negotiation periods, lack of visibility, and complicated processes surrounding the Management Plan creates uncertainty for the fishers and hinders their ability to plan. DPIRD implements requirements and controls that specify how the industry operates which can impact business efficiency and cost. This is exacerbated by current market conditions. This project will undertake research to understand how to improve co-management and increased visibility of markets and trade environments driven by data and technology.
INCONSISTENT COMPLIANCE WHICH IS UNCLEAR AND DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET
Multiple layers of compliance and reporting are required (vessel, on board, catch) and are managed by different entities (DoT, AMSA, DPIRD). Processes are unclear, difficult to interpret, inconsistently applied and systems are unstable and poorly designed. This leads to difficulty to consistently meet requirements and unnecessary operating pressure for the fishers. There is a need to ework with these entities in a co-management approach to develop mutually beneficial solutions to increase efficiency for all parties. This project will undertake research to determine how digital technology can be applied to Industry compliance requirements (DoT, AMSA, DPIRD) to improve efficiencies and fishery sustainability.
TECHNOLOGY MATURITY & INDUSTRY CULTURE
There is no ongoing research into fishing technology to ensure the industry remains abreast of developments and responds accordingly. Additionally, this is a generational industry perceived to be reluctant to adopt new ways of working. Focused research will be undertaken to understand how the industry can apply technology and innovation to strengthen the industry’s position and provide the necessary training to do so.
INEFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY, PROCESSES AND KNOWLEDGE TO SUPPORT LOCAL SALES.
The 'back of boat sales' initiative creates retail challenges for fishers seeking to serve the local market effectively and efficiently. There is a need to undertake research to determine how the industry can apply digital technology to serve and engage the community more effectively while ensuring compliance to government requirements.
INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
There is little community understanding of the Industry while Industry engagement is inefficient. Undertake ongoing focused research to understand how digital technology can be applied to strengthen engagement.

Objectives

1. Resource co-management and improved control of compliance and operational costs
2. Provide members with greater financial and operational certainty
3. Leverage technology to drive GVP growth for future resource security
4. Traceability systems that tracks catch to plate allowing market diversification, increased confidence in the product and brand recognition
5. Increased sustainability through efficient precision fishing backed by robust data analytics platforms that provides insights from different data sources
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2020-126
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Australian Agrifood Data Exchange (OzAg Data Exchange): Deliver an interconnected data highway for Australia's AgriFood value chain - Proof of concept

Pain point: The delay in exchange and reconciliation of catch data by fishers and processors means that there is a delay in quota accounting which impacts planning due to lack of timely information. Furthermore, with no access to pre-fishing information data to the processors means they are unable...
ORGANISATION:
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA)

To develop a national marine safety extension resource toolkit and to trial with all fisheries jurisdictions

Project number: 2017-231
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $350,000.00
Principal Investigator: Tanya L. Adams
Organisation: Taylored Health and Safety Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 14 Jun 2018 - 30 May 2021
Contact:
FRDC

Need

There have been significant resources (financial and physical) allocated to workplace health and safety (including mental health, training and systems for data collection) over the last 15 years in the commercial fishing industry .However the majority have been “stand alone" and there has been limited extension for the wider industry to adopt. Although there have been some positive moves in the area of health and safety such as the SRL Clean Green program and the Spencer Gulf Prawn fishery, there has largely been a “silo” approach to the various initiatives across the commercial fishing industry and a real lack of coordination that can lead to a lack of communication, adoption and the lack of visibility of tools to those that need it. This is due in part to the nature of the industry that tends (overall) not to have the willingness to adopt something that another fishery has implemented, fragmentation of industry in some states and within a fishery. Additionally, the absence of a peak national body until June 2017 also created a gap for driving nationwide issues including workplace safety and health initiatives. Through the building of these networks and the establishment of on the ground champion in each state to influence industry including the building of capacity/ resources within the peak bodies to embrace workplace health and safety on behalf of their members, improved awareness and adoption of safety programs should occur. To do this State peak bodies require support to enable them to add value for their members and therefore utilise existing and currently funded research and develop extension processes.It is unknown to what level industry uptake of the current AMSA requirements for a safety management system (SMS) has occurred. It is not well understood by industry that the existence of a SMS to meet AMSA requirements only goes half way for legal compliance. Each states Worksafe body also has legislation that requires compliance with safe work practices. It is desirable to produce a SMS that meets both sets of legislation and develop a tool that can be used to assess the uptake of the initiatives through the peak bodies as well as developing a robust set of statistics to benchmark the performance.

Objectives

1. To build capability in each jurisdiction industry council for the development of a safety management system toolkit based on gear type/fishery type for implementation across industry
2. To develop processes to ensure existing and future projects including LMS ( 2017-194) and Barriers to Adoption ( 2017-046) are integrated into objective 1 above
4. To develop a national “champions” network for workplace/ marine safety to assist jurisdictional bodies communicate and champion the safety message
5. To ensure current and previous marine safety RD&E projects are linked and collaborate effectively to achieve increased levels of extension
6. To develop a tool and estimate wild catch fisheries accident statistics ( historical) and to provide a system and a benchmark to measure future performance of accident statistics

Safety in Seafood - Saving lives through a culture of safety

Project number: 2021-103
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $960,000.00
Principal Investigator: Bridie Schultz
Organisation: Seafood Industry Australia (SIA)
Project start/end date: 30 Jul 2022 - 29 Jun 2026
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The primary objective of this program is to measurably improve personal safety culture and outcomes in the Australian Seafood Industry through an industry led behavioural change approach underpinned by a national engagement process. Engagement will occur at all levels of industry to ensure that sustainable culture change is driven through shifts in core beliefs from leadership (top down) as well as grassroots and peer to peer (bottom up). Every person from owner to junior and even volunteers have a responsibility to keep themselves and each other safe. By leveraging and deepening existing relationships at all levels of industry, behaviours at every level will shift as a result of educational, experiential and peer to peer learning and influence.

The application is needed because current and traditional methods of improving safety are not working – people are still dying in our industry. Almost all effort in safety in our industry to date has been compliance driven and from the 'office' down. Compliance based activities, such as safety management systems remain an imperative part of a safe operation, but without the underlying values and behaviours that drive people’s desire to stay safe, to arrive home from work safely, systems and processes become checklists and box ticking. Other Industries and the Stay Afloat program have demonstrated that a culture-based approach to safety behaviour change is the most effective strategy - examples can be seen in high-risk settings such as construction through to linked industry bodies such as the South Australian Research and Development Institute. The Independent Evaluation of the Stay Afloat program indicated the potential strength of the peer-to-peer approach and also endorsed the centralised support and management structure that was utilised. A similar approach is being proposed for this project. Using peer-based education and intervention is key to facilitating and expediting this change.

This program will educate and engage industry members in exploring their beliefs and values and reflecting on how that relates to their work and their safety each day. The significance of the capacity and capability that will be built across our industry cannot be underestimated. The investment in the relationship with AMSA, through to the enormous impact of capacity building in local community over a 4-year period will change the game for our industry. Communities will have confidence that their families and friends will come home safely and that they will enjoy a workplace with vastly lower fears for their safety – physically and psychologically.

The collaborative approach will build capability, knowledge, confidence and resilience through a combination of activities based around minimising risk of incident and also risk of long-term physical and psychological harm.

The project will span 4 years and will be evaluated against a detailed program logic model. A program logic model enables the measurement or evaluation of qualitative and complex human behaviour related projects where quantitative measures may not be useful or achievable in terms of outcomes. The program logic model will measure short term, medium- and long-term indicators of the work being done to achieve outcomes as well as the outcomes themselves. We expect that by the end of Year 2, every industry member body and each of its members will have had initial exposure to the program with a goal of reaching 8,000 people in a meaningful way over the course of the program.

Year 1 – Establish and consolidate industry collaborators, partnerships and steering/advisory groups – set 4-year calendar for consultation and discussion to ensure best practice collaboration and consultation for life of project. Develop terms of reference for Steering Committee to ensure appropriate oversight, governance and contribution to project.
- Establish program logic and project evaluation models which will be core activities
- Finalise project plan ensuring alignments to program logic and evaluation framework
- Establish relevant program policies, guidelines and tools
- Establish program risk register (aligned with the FRDC online risk register) and stakeholder feedback mechanisms.
- Establish program performance and conflict management policy and procedure

Year 1 – Establishment of industry networks made up of two types of influencers
- Peak/industry leaders to act as ‘enablers’ to link us to and encourage forums for conversation, education and consultation. To assist in identification and introductions to grassroots industry members
- Grassroots Safety Advocates – Grass roots in this instance referring to all operational and hands on industry members from supervisors and skippers to deck hands and labourers. These people will be the centre of the peer-to-peer learning, storytelling and ultimately education and influence. They will also be key to the continuing identification of Safety Advocates in industry.
Year 1 – Collect information and extend education tools through online and face-to-face forums
Year 1 – Develop and continually refine a robust communications and extension plan
Year 1 – Launch first industry initiative (eg, Personal E-perb targets)
Year 2 – Full integration of Fish Safe Australia and SeSAFE activities into this program
Year 2 – Expand network of Safety Advocates
Year 2 – Expand and increase uptake of education, storytelling and example sharing
Year 2 – Complete first industry initiative (eg, Personal E-perb targets) and consult with industry on next initiative for greatest impact
Year 2 – Commence promoting short- and medium-term outcomes in early adopting communities
Year 3 – Continue narrative based and other behaviour change activities
Year 3 – Second industry initiative rolled out
Year 4 – Establish methods for continuation of culture of safety activities to be led by industry
Year 4 – Identify the role of potential sponsors for ongoing leadership
Year 4 - Consultation with AMSA and other industry bodies to refine and set strategic safety direction for industry

Industry members from managers to junior staff will influence one-another through narrative, stories and other means to effect behavioural change that reduces risk-taking behaviours - even when no-one is looking. The channels for sharing this narrative and gradual shift in beliefs will be twofold. Firstly, through day-to-day interaction and information sharing that is promoted through the various program elements including the Safety Advocates. These activities will be captured through monthly activity reporting to be designed as part of the program logic and evaluation planning on project kick off. Secondly through the use of the Sensemaker platform which collects narrative and sentiment in a way that also enables users to review the stories and experiences of others. In simple terms industry members will learn from the experience of peers.

As outlined in the project plan, quarterly meetings will be held for the duration of the program to report, review and collaborate with key partners and stakeholders ensuring that the program is maximising reach and impact as well as ensuring that the potential of partners and sponsors to maximise program communications and activities is leveraged. Reporting measures will be finalised with the assistance of expert consultant(s) familiar with program logic design and evaluation.

A robust communications and extension plan will ensure maximum program awareness and uptake of initiatives and training.

Objectives

1. To measurably reduce the number of injuries and incidents across seafood sector- Provide insight and influence to the sector to deepening understanding of the benefits of reporting- Improve reporting of incidents and injuries, noting that an increase in reported incidents and injuries may occur in the short to medium term, with ultimate reductions in actual injuries and deaths being the long-term measure
2. To demonstrate a shift in sentiment and values towards safe practices across industry
3. To establish a recognised culture of safety and support all seafood industry sub-sectors demonstrated through shifts in sentiment around safety values and activities via SenseMaker and also through other identified measures of industry information (such as SIA member forums and other industry information collection to be identified as part of Program Logic)
4. To demonstrate the ability for Industry to be a significant strategic partner in strategic planning and implementation for safety regulation and practice moving forward.
Industry