Get reliable science

The devolution of responsibility for natural resource management to regional communities via the regional delivery model means there is an increased focus on the capacity of communities within the 57 NRM regions across Australia to undertake these functions. How can this capacity be gauged and how does this link with regional NRM plans and impact the projects proposed within them? This study aims to identify and measure the key capacities for communities involved in NRM, and thereby enhance the capacity of participants to deliver or adopt NRM programs.

The project builds on work undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA, The University of SA and Rural Solutions SA by further developing and enhancing an electronic capacity auditing tool and reconfiguring it for specific application in the NRM context. The basis of the new tool is a series of statements to which participants respond collectively and through consensus using a series of Likert scales, which measure perceived capacity strength and importance and the confidence with which participants are responding. Preliminary results indicate some perceived differences in capacity strength between institutional and local community tiers. These differences are supported byparticipant comments and project team observations. The results can be used to identify and prioritise capacity building projects which, through the action research approach, are owned by a broad spectrum of the NRM community.