Appointment of Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning Adoption Officer for South Australian Drought Hub

Ag Excellence (Ag Ex) has recently engaged Demi Taylor in the newly created role of Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning Adoption Officer (MERL) for the South Australian Drought Hub.

Ms Taylor commenced in the new role in early February.

This appointment will be instrumental in the design and implementation of reporting frameworks consistent with the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Led by the University of Adelaide, the SA Drought Hub comprises the core hub at Roseworthy and five regional nodes at Minnipa on Eyre Peninsula, Port Augusta in the Far North, Orroroo in the Upper North, Loxton in the Riverland, and Struan in the South-East.

The Hub consists of a comprehensive and dynamic network of 59 industry partners, including grower groups; the three South Australian-based universities; government agencies; indigenous partners; agribusinesses; research, development and extension partners; and various industry organisations.

“Ag Ex has partnered with the Hub since its inception and is thrilled to take on Ms Taylor in this important role to assist in streamlining the capturing and reporting of project and program delivery outputs and outcome achievements of the Hub”, said Leet Wilksch, Ag Ex Chair.

Ms Taylor will join fellow Ag Ex appointed Hub colleagues Rachel May, Farming Systems Specialist Adoption Officer and Tony Randall, Knowledge Broker, as well as the broader Ag Ex and Drought Hub teams.

Hailing from her family farm near Waikerie, Ms Taylor brings grassroots experience as well as strong relatability to farmers and industry peers. Her most recent position with Victorian-based grower group Birchip

Cropping Group provided the opportunity for extensive grower engagement, contributing to this solid foundation.

“I have a passion for agricultural extension and am thrilled to join a cohesive team who share the motivation to work towards further developing and maintaining vibrant and thriving farming communities. I strongly believe that accessibility to information and effective MERL processes is critical to achieving this”, Ms Taylor said.

South Australian grower groups who partner with the Hub in project delivery will be further supported with the enhancement of best practice and fit-for-purpose monitoring and evaluation techniques to strengthen relationships with key funders and ultimately showcase project milestones and outcomes.

SA Drought Hub Director Dr Stephen Lee said Ms Taylor's appointment will be important in quantifying the improvements in drought resilience for SA farmers and regional communities as a result of the Hub's work program.

"The role will also help us build the capacity of hub stakeholders through upskilling and supporting Hub partners and project teams in monitoring and evaluation", he said.