Back to FISH Vol 29 2
PUBLISHED 1 Jun 2021
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MORE INFORMATION FRDC +61 2 6122 2100 frdc@frdc.com.au

The FRDC has been exploring new ways of working to improve efficiency and client focus

By Chris Izzo and Annabel Boyer

Throughout 2020, COVID-19 outbreaks across Australia severely impacted everyone’s lives. While many Australians were struggling to purchase basic groceries, others had to adapt quickly to keep their businesses afloat in the face of overwhelming disruption. This included many in the fishing and aquaculture sectors.

 

The FRDC responded by modifying its publications and focusing on research projects that could continue while lockdowns were in place around the country. But the challenges of 2020 also crystalised the need for the organisation to improve its processes, find new ways to meet the needs of its stakeholders and better use the resources at its disposal.

 

In the last quarter of 2020, the FRDC embarked upon a process to explore changes to its business that would result in improvements to the purpose, processes, functions and, ultimately, services delivered by the FRDC to its stakeholders. During this period, nearly half of the FRDC’s staff were seconded to work on an ‘agile’ management and delivery project, stepping away from their regular stakeholder engagement and related activities.

 

The group was tasked with the brief that no potential solution or proposed goal was too unconventional or wild to warrant consideration. The group experimented with ‘agile’ ways of working – a method which promotes a staged approach to problem-solving that is focused on delivering outputs to best meet the needs of clients.

 

Identifying improvements

 

This agile process will deliver some tightly outcome-focused changes to the FRDC’s processes and services.

 

In 2021 the FRDC will explore more flexible approaches to managing its research investments. Newly appointed transformation adoption lead Jamie Allnutt will also drive a review of research adoption and extension models.

 

Incremental changes being rolled out this year include new research application formats and a refreshed FishNet research application portal. The content, functionality and overall experience for users of the FRDC’s website are also being enhanced.

 

There will be other less obvious changes to the FRDC’s internal systems and processes to improve service delivery.

 

The FRDC anticipates that further exploration and adoption of principles of agile project management will be used to better streamline aspects of its business and optimise value for stakeholders. This aligns with its mandate of continual improvement. It builds on feedback collected through the FRDC’s recent stakeholder surveys and on the recommendations from the review of the FRDC’s advisory structures and services.

 

The FRDC invites and will seek feedback from our stakeholders on the changes and new approaches trialled to ensure these meet the needs of clients and stakeholders.

 

Key changes underway

  • New research application processes and form
  • Revised FishNet research application portal
  • New website designed with user experience at the centre
  • Revised project management system
  • Experiments to better deliver extension and adoption
  • Internal and external-facing ‘intelligence systems’ for improved situational awareness both within and external to the FRDC
  • New research application processes and form
  • Revised FishNet research application portal
  • New website designed with user experience at the centre
  • Revised project management system
  • Experiments to better deliver extension and adoption
  • Internal and external-facing ‘intelligence systems’ for improved situational awareness both within and external to the FRDC

 

Tracking R&D in FISH magazine

With a new research and development plan guiding our activities and investments, the FRDC is keen for stakeholders and FISH magazine readers to understand the broader goals we are working towards and how they are connected to the research we report on within the magazine. To make those connections clear, we will flag which stories in FISH magazine are connected to which of the five key outcomes in FRDC’s new R&D Plan 2020-2025 using the corresponding icon to represent each outcome where relevant.


More information 

Matt Barwick, matt.barwick@frdc.com.au