Improving DAFF’s effectiveness in engaging the community about general surveillance

Engaging the community in biosecurity surveillance could alleviate budgetary pressures imposed by increasing biosecurity risks. Evidence demonstrates successful contributions by the community in detecting, reporting and monitoring pests, weeds and diseases — collectively known as general surveillance activities. For this reason, governments have adopted a culture of “shared responsibility” to enable public participation in biosecurity activities. The department currently undertakes a range of community engagement activities. However, efficiently and effectively engaging the community can further improve biosecurity outcomes.

This project aims to

• identify challenges and opportunities that DAFF staff face in community engagement for general surveillance
• develop a decision support tool for DAFF staff using existing information to guide general surveillance programs
• reveal key knowledge gaps that prevent effective and efficient community engagement.