AAAC 50th Anniversary Forum, Canberra - 23rd April 2009: Australian Agricultural Professionals Abroad

摘要

GRM International was formed in the late 1960's to provide management for agricultural projects in Northern Australia. Three executives purchased the company and based on their Australian experience developed a business model for the delivery of agricultural technologies and management in other developing regions in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. Overtime the nature of projects changed from farm level to regiona-l and national and from sectoral to integrated development and on to community development, capacity building and governance projects. The GRM business model also changed with expansion into commercial activities for integrated livestock and food supply chains out of Australia and New Zealand. GRM also embraced a paradigm shift in its business model from that of an agricultural consultant to project management which allowed broader project opportunities by delivering outcomes through the coordination and management of a wider range of skills. This expansion required additional capital to allow larger and more complex projects and the resultant corporate model had the added benefit of improved staff security and professional opportunities. The paper concludes that there is no perfect development model nor is there a perfectstructure for the delivery of development assistance. The key for successful development is about people and their communities. The paper stresses the importance of taking time in the planning phase and engaging with beneficiary communities to understandtheir real needs and to incorporate these in the project design. The paper also concludes that there needs to be continuity and flexibility through the life of the project and an evaluation that focuses on the effectiveness of the project in achieving the desired outcomes not simply efficiency in budget compliance or delivering the inputs.