Project Plan. Fitzroy Partnership Program for

Project Plan

Fitzroy Partnership Program for 2011-12

Objective

To establish and develop the Fitzroy Partnership for River Health; to develop, report and communicate the first Fitzroy waterway report card; and to implement additional monitoring that will fill key information gaps for future reporting.

Description

The project has four distinct components; partnership development; data management and assessment; report card production; and additional monitoring. Attachment 1 provides further detail of budgets and attachment 2 provides specific detail of the additional monitoring proposed.

Partnership development

Partnership development activities will provide secretariat support for the Partnership. Key tasks include establishing and supporting the various Partnership forums (Partner’s Network, Management Committee), management and administration of partner contributions, actions directed by the Management Committee and planning the next stage of the Partnership.

These activities and project management of other components of are expected to be undertaken by the partnership manager and administrative support, with additional contract management support. These positions will be hosted by the FBA.

The Partnership will require ongoing secretariat support. This first phase of formal, collaborative arrangements will require particular attention to ensure that the partnership provides a strong foundation to grow regional capacity and knowledge in waterway management.

A priority partnership development activity includes the analysis of monitoring duplication and brokering of agreements between partners and also between relevant regulators to try and minimise inefficiencies.

Data management and assessment

This component will collate and assess existing relevant data for the reporting period 2010- 2011. Data will be drawn from up to 26 separate programs and organisations. Careful data management and quality assurance protocols will be required and will comprise a significant effort. Assessment methodologies will need to be developed using existing benchmarks such as local guidelines but also developing new decision rules about combining results into aggregated ‘scores’. The development of these methods will involve the science panel and other experts as well as the scientific team. Collated data will then be assessed against the agreed methods and results summarised for inclusion in the report card. Additional technical detail will be provided for web-based summaries. All of the results and interpretive text will be reviewed by the Science Panel prior to report finalisation.

The scientific component of the report card is expected to be delivered by a distributed team across FBA, DERM and CQU. Preliminary discussions have been held with these

organisations. Opportunities to adapt established methodologies from SEQ will be utilised (but recognising the Fitzroy’s unique characteristics). The budget has been developed with 3.1 FTE –which include roles in science leader/coordinator, scientist, data manager, partnership manager and administration assistance. Additional costs include allocations for the development of stewardship (management) measures, spatial imagery analyses and the operation of the science panel. A review of data management systems has been

commissioned.

The first annual report card requires substantial data management and assessment support.

In future years this level of effort is expected to reduce as data collation and assessment activities become part of an annual routine (although methods will continue to be refined).

Reporting and communications

This component of the project will provide professional reporting and communications services to ensure the first report card is a quality product and effectively delivered to regional communities. The core of this work is the implementation of the communications plan. Key products are the glossy catchment report cards, a technical report, web-based supporting technical information and promotional material.

It is envisaged that the reporting and communications work will be supported within the FBA (0.9FTE) with contracted graphic design and database/web development support. These costs are expected to be ongoing with the production of the annual report card.

Project management

Project management activities will provide oversight and administration of the report card development and production. Activities include the contract management and oversight of staff and service providers as well as administration of the relevant Partnership forums (Science Panel and Communications network). These activities will be undertaken by the secretariat hosted by the FBA. Costs are expected to be ongoing. Project management costs are included in data management and reporting budgets overleaf

Additional monitoring

Additional catchment monitoring is proposed to address priority gaps in the existing network, and improve the capacity to deliver scientifically robust assessments in future reporting cycles. The refinement of the monitoring program design has identified salinity, sediment, flows, habitat modification and ecological indicators as high priorities. Proposed additional monitoring activities to be implemented in the first year of the Partnership include the following:

• Catchment characterisation of high priority catchments (understanding spatial and temporal variability to improve capacity assessment) (EC but potentially also metals and ionic composition)

• Reference sites to improve resolution of local guidelines (EC and potentially also nutrients and metals)

• Assessment of in-stream and refugia sites (EC, sediment, nutrients, and ecological measures)

These priorities and the proposed sampling strategies will be reviewed by the Science Panel prior to implementation. Implementation of the additional monitoring is subject to the receipt of sufficient investment from partners. Attachment 1 provides further budget detail.

The Fitzroy Partnership Program for 2011-12 will rely heavily on data from existing monitoring programs. The additional monitoring proposed here has been identified to fill gaps within the existing program. The information generated will contribute to improved reporting capacity in future years, but will not contribute to the first report card in 2012.

These costs are expected to be ongoing for a number of years until sufficient data is collected to allow a review of the sampling program. There is potential for partners to offset these costs with efficiencies and savings due to a reduction in sites across institutions as a result of partnership activities described earlier.

Future costs

The costs presented are for a 15 month period of the Partnership program. Ongoing

investment will be required to deliver program objectives beyond this period. Commitment to these ongoing costs is not required at this point in time but is outlined to allow consideration.

It is difficult to estimate how Partnership costs will change in the future. These decisions will be made by the Partnership Management Committee. Investment levels similar to the current proposal are likely to act as a reasonable guide for future requirements. While the establishment of a routine annual report card system promises some cost savings the methodologies used are expected to evolve over time and have some ongoing development costs. Any benefits of rationalising existing monitoring sites are not likely to be realised until after initial investment but may help to offset future costs for some partners.

Key milestones

July 2011 Partnership formally established

Sept 2011 Science panel recommendations for assessment methods Dec 2011 Data collation complete

Mar 2012 Science panel review of analysis Jun 2012 Draft report card

Sep 2012 Report card released and promotional events

Budget

Partnership Development

Staff (0.8FTE) $108,000

Support $ 25,000

Sub-total $ 133,000

Data Management and Assessment

Staff (3.1 FTE) $436,000 Science Panel $ 50,000

Contracts $ 65,000

Sub-total $ 551,000

Reporting and Communications

Staff (0.9FTE) $ 113,000

Contracts $ 40,000

Operating $ 45,000

Sub-total $ 198,000

Additional Monitoring

Catchment characterisation $ 58,000 Assessment sites $257,000

Sub-total $ 315,000

Total $1,197,000

A tt a c h m e n t 1 : B u d g e t - F it z ro y P a rt n e rs h ip P ro g ra m f o r 2 0 1 1 -1 2

Implement strategic direction provided by the Management Committee and various sub- committees. Lead information and data gathering to prepare papers for various committees to support informed decision making. Oversee governance, contracting and administration activities. Support preparation of refined governance arrangements, refine monitoring proposal, prepare proposal from. Individual and sectoral meetings and communications with Partners as requested, fundraising and partner relations. Partnership Administration Support

$34,403StaffFitzroy Partnership Secretariat hosted by FBA. FBA position 1/3 FTE AD4 (TEC $58,101 - $62,567) + $554 per month for on- costs.

Prepare materials, catering, meeting agendas, minutes and scheduling for meetings. Organise travel and accommodation for partnership team. Load papers and materials onto intranet, complete basic tasks to keep website up-to-date. Financial/contract management & committee meetings

$25,000 OperatingAllows for 200 financial and contract management hours at $80 per hour ($16K), audit costs of $2k. Boardroom hire of $2k, miscellaneous costs of $5k

Operating Data Management and Assessment (report card development costs) Science Leader/Coordinator $79,927Staff (DERM)

Fitzroy Partnership Secretariat hosted by FBA. DERM Position 0.5FTE PO5 (4) (TEC $107,883 + 833 per month for on costs) Overall leadership of science components of the report card development and preparation. Manage science programs including monitoring, data collection, collation, index development, assessment, and scientific reporting. Provide direction to Assessment scientist and data management officer. Lead the preparation of scientific materials for the report card and associated reporting and communication products. Prepare for and run Science Panel meetings. Provide regular updates to the Partnership management committee. Report to the Partnership manager; liaise closely with other Partnership staff and contractors.

ItemCost EstimateDelivery MechanismRationale for cost Activity - Jul-Sept 2011Activity - Sept- Dec 2011Activity - Jan- Mar 2012Activity - Apr-June 2012Activity - Jul-Sept Scientist - report card assessments $170,000Contract (CQU) Contract CQ University to provide full-time post doc position.

Lead the assessment components for the report card development and preparation. Report to the Science leader for work program (and FBA contractually). Undertake assessments of data as directed by the Science leader. Prepare technical summaries to contribute to Science Panel meetings and the preparation of the report card and associated reporting and communications products. Lead the preparation of web-based technical reports and data summaries that will accompany the report card release. Science integration officer $114,845StaffFitzroy Partnership Secretariat hosted by FBA. FBA position 1.0 FTE at T4 (TEC $71,876 - $77,402) + 1660 per month for on- costs Negotiate with organisations to secure data at applicable temporal and spatial resolution Collate and prepare data for analysis according to assessment requirements Prepare report card and technical page supporting information Support graphic and web designer to visualise results consistent with agreed indices & spatial extent

Finalise web accessible database to allow interrogation Development of stewardship measures $45,000Contract/s

Eberhard Consulting, GBRMPA, Regional Councils and Partnership Manager Finalise assessment methodology and stewardship index

Negotiate with organisations to secure data at applicable temporal and spatial resolution

Assess data provided against stewardship index

Final Products prepared in negotiation with the Partnership Manager, communications manager and graphic designers

Spatial imagery analysis $20,000Contract (DERM)

Contract DERM to provide analysis of spatial data as required supporting report card process.

Analysis of spatial data as required supporting report card process.

Science panel advice and review (with additional experts as required) $50,000Operating

Sitting fees, travel, accommodation and venue hire Finalise reporting framework, component indices and assessment methods Review prelim assessment results, refine assessment methods &

Review draft report card and associated technical reports and data summaries.