Project summary:
There is an imperative to embed a culture within biosecurity from one of government delivery to one of cooperative self-reliance. This can be achieved through partnership arrangements for established pests and shared responsibility for management. Outcomes need to be owned by industry and community, rather than being seen as a government responsibility and service. DPIRD has made steps in this direction through the implementation of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 and the establishment of biosecurity groups led by communities. However there is a need to further progress this work more rapidly in order to stem the impacts of invasive animals and prevent new incursions.
To help address this imperative, this project aimed to catalyse the adoption in WA of collaborative, systems-based and behavioural science-based approaches to communications and community engagement for biosecurity.
This project had four core phases:
- Research with stakeholders to identify community behaviours for change and community engagement issues and approaches.
- Strategy and action plan development for behaviourally effective communications and community engagement.
- Implementation, monitoring, evaluation and modification of strategies and plans to assess efficacy.
- Skills development, including technical, group process and capacity building of staff, industry and community.
Key deliverables:
- Targeted interventions - CBSM and engagement activities designed to increase individual and collective participation in biosecurity monitoring, reporting and management.
- Prioritised behaviours for change identified through a stakeholder engagement process.
- Survey instrument and findings about the barriers and benefits of prioritised behaviours.
- Baseline information about community activities and perceptions around biosecurity to inform policy and program development.
- Develop community engagement and behaviourally effective communications tools and materials for training targeted to community, NRM, Biosecurity officers and other practitioners working with communities."
The project is managed by Invasive Animals limited.