Regional Natural Resources Management <p>Given that many of the nation's natural resources are found on private land, the ability of regional natural resources management (NRM) bodies to effectively communicate with landholders and other community members, and to positively influence the way they manage their resources is essential. This depends on a sound approach to engagement, a genuine understanding and appreciation of the internal and external motivators of personal change, a good knowledge of the wide variety of available tools to create change, as well as an understanding of the logical dependencies between the investment activities, the shorter term practice change targets, and long-term resource condition targets.</p> <!--break--> <p>Regions must also be in a position to monitor, analyse and assess the impacts of their investments on practice change. This knowledge can then be applied to inform future investment decisions as well as to support adaptive management processes. It should also result in more realistic targets and continuous improvement of investment decision making by regions.</p> <p>At this stage in the implementation of regional delivery, not all regional NRM bodies are fully equipped to plan for, drive and monitor changes in NRM practice in their communities.</p> <p>Supporting regional bodies to enhance their skills in these areas is the focus of one of the Social and Institutional Program's current projects - Making successful investments in practice change. The project has been set up using participatory action research, with nine of the thirty-three regions who volunteered to be involved, selected as part of the project. These nine regions cover arid, tropical and temperate areas, and all States are represented.</p> 2009-04-08T07:19:14Z 2009-04-22T00:49:57Z