CRC Torres Strait Task Associate Program

An important role of CRC Torres Strait is to make sure that researchers work closely with people who are likely to use the research, in particular, the partners of CRC Torres Strait, and island communities.

The Task Associate Program of CRC Torres Strait is modelled on the CRC Reef Task Associate Program, to promote liaison between the researchers and representatives from industry, management agencies, and communities with an interest in the research. The Torres Strait Program has five Projects. Each project includes a number of tasks. Associates have been assigned to each task (Task Associates), representing partner organisations with particular interest in the research task. Where Task Associates are assigned to multiple tasks within a project they are also listed as a Project Associate. These guidelines are relevant to both roles.

Aims of the Task Associate Program

Benefits

Task Leader and Task Asociate Guidelines

Role of Task Leader

Role of Task Associate

Web-based reporting

Aims of the Task Associate Program

• to help shape and develop new research tasks
• to help researchers achieve their research objectives
• to improve the quality and usefulness of research outcomes, particularly with respect to policy development and management
• to increase the communication between researchers, industry, management and island communities

Benefits

The benefits to the Task Associates include:

• better understanding of the research process and individual researchers
• opportunity to ensure research is relevant to Associate’s needs
• a role in implementing and interpreting research projects and outcomes
• capacity to pass on research results directly to industry groups, managers and community members opportunity to ensure that research results are used to develop policy and management practices.

There are also potential benefits to the researcher:

• better understanding of the needs of industry and managers
• advice from associates on field logistical support, permit requirements etc
• direct access to end-users of their research
• help with communication planning.

TASK LEADER AND TASK ASSOCIATE GUIDELINES

These guidelines have been prepared to maximise benefits from the relationship between Task Leaders and Task Associates, and to define their respective roles.

ROLE OF TASK LEADER

Guidance

• Assist in identifying suitable potential Task Associates.

Administration

• Establish agreed processes with Task Associates for contact and reporting.

Facilitation

• Ensure Task Associates are involved.
• Utilise the skills and contacts of the Task Associate to enhance the success of the project.

Communication

• Maintain regular contact with Task Associates, ensuring that they can have regular input to the research project.
• Provide sufficient information on research progress to Task Associates, in a timely fashion, to allow them to comment on half-yearly and annual reports.
• As appropriate, ensure that researchers acknowledge support provided by Task Associates in research publications and conference presentations.
• Seek advice from the Task Associate when planning communication of research outcomes to research-users.
• Maintain contact with Project Leader and other relevant Task Leaders, with updates of progress.

ROLE OF TASK ASSOCIATE

Guidance

• Assist in identifying researcher needs and in setting objectives for the research tasks.
• Assist in developing the Full Task Proposals (FTP), especially in relation to consultation between researchers and stakeholders.

Administration

• Participate in annual task reviews and interviews, to verify performance and continued relevance of research tasks.
• Comment on proposals, half-yearly and annual reports.

Facilitation

• Provide assistance to the researchers with respect to contacts, field logistics, permits, etc. where such activities require liaison with stakeholders or agencies.
• Help mediate any conflicts between researchers and industry, or other stakeholders.
• Present research outputs and implications to management agency and industry policy-makers.

Communication

• Assist researchers to communicate research results through stakeholder groups, communities and other relevant groups or individuals.
• Where appropriate, assist by reviewing or co-authoring scientific or popular publications on the research, and recommend other appropriate reviewers.

MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

Task Leaders and Task Associates should establish a mutual understanding and agreement of their respective roles early in the project, and review this on a regular basis.

Roles and responsibilities
Make sure you fully understand and agree on your respective roles and responsibilities (role of Task Leader and role of Task Associate).

Contact type and frequency
We recommend that you discuss how, and how often, you propose to communicate with each other (electronic, telephone, face-to face, committee etc.) and reach agreement on this. You should also have a clear understanding of who will be initiating the contact. Aim for practical and achievable contact, and allow flexibility.

Agreement on research proposal, half-yearly and annual reports
It is important that you reach mutual agreement and understanding of the proposed research and methods at the early stages. Due respect should be given to professional expertise and the role of peer review in the process.

The Task Associate is also expected to comment on the half-yearly and annual reports. It is the Project Leader’s responsibility to ensure that Task Leaders make their reports available to Associates in plenty of time, in order to meet the CRC Reef reporting deadlines. The Task Associate’s comments are particularly useful at the annual reporting, at the end of each financial year, and will enhance the task review process. Task Leaders and Task Associates will receive an email from CRC Torres Strait to remind you when the reports are due.

Communication plan
CRC Torres Strait is encouraging all researchers to think about how you will communicate your research to end-users in the most effective way. To help with your communication planning guidelines you should refer to: Communication Planning Guidelines for researchers (pdf file). Task Associates can help researchers by providing advice on the most effective and sensitive communication processes for the target audience, and any protocols to be observed.

It is important that Task Leaders and Task Associates agree on their role in communication and any publications, and that the support of Task Associates is acknowledge, where relevant.

Dispute resolution
Disputes or conflicts may occasionally arise between the researchers and Task Associates. All parties need to agree on appropriate processes for conflict resolution. This may involve the Project Leader.

PROJECT LEADERS AND PROJECT ASSOCIATES

The Project Leader and Project Associates will be responsible for updating the CRC Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) on progress of the project, in consultation with the Task Leaders and Task Associates. There are three SAC meetings planned each year. Reporting at two of the meetings will be informal, oral presentations. At the final SAC, Project Leaders will be expected to deliver a brief written report, with sign-off by all Project Associates. In the majority of cases, the Project Associates are also Task Associates who will have delivered individual task reports through the web-based reporting process, so the report will simply be a summary of these reports.

WEB-BASED REP0RTING

Each year CRC Torres Strait Task Leaders and Task Associates are required to submit half-yearly and annual reports through the web-based reporting process. The reports are important to CRC Torres Strait:

• to measure progress of the research tasks against milestones and to highlight achievements
• to enable Task Associates to comment on the value of the research to their needs
  to evaluate the effectiveness of the Task Associate Program.

Task Associates - this is your opportunity to provide feedback on the research. The following questions are a guide to the type of information we would like:

• Are you happy with the research progress against the milestones?
• What sort of contact have you had with the Task Leader or researchers?
• How have you used the research? If so how?
• Has it contributed to planning and policy decisions?
• Do you have any concerns about the research progress? If so, what? What changes would you like to see?

Please provide a brief comment to assist us in the review process.

How to do web-based reporting for your project

You will receive an email from CRC Torres Strait to remind you when it’s time for half-yearly or annual reporting. You will also be given a user name and password, with instructions to follow:

1.Go to the website http://www.crtorres.com/Login.cfm.

2. Enter the user name and password provided to you

3. Once you have logged in, select PROJECT REPORTING SYSTEM from the side menu.

4. You have two options for entering your data (explained on the site):

Option 1. - Complete all required sections for each task report in a Word document (Download from this page) and then cut and paste all required text to the relevant boxes on the relevant web form, or

Option 2. - Type text directly into web entry form.

Note: You can return to the website anytime to edit/update your reports (clicke 'save changes' if you wish to do so). When you have completed all required information satisfactorily you may submit your reports to CRC Torrres Admin by selecting 'Submit to CRC Torres' at the bottom of each task page. Once submitted, no further additions or changes can be made to the report.

Task Leaders will be reminded that all task reports must also be completed by the relevant Task Associate (using the same web-based form). This will also apply to Project Leaders and Project Associates at the annual reporting time. Task Leaders should be in contact with their Associates and ensure that their reports are completed in sufficient time for the Associates to report before the deadline.

Thank you for your support.