Our experience in the field of monitoring, evaluation and review includes reviewing the Tonga passionfruit and dairy industries, reviewing the sheep meat industry in Saudi Arabia, reviewing irrigation systems in Tasmania and evaluating New Zealand environmental policies and their effect on sustainable agriculture. We have also conducted economic appraisals on a wide range of development projects in Vanuatu.
Evaluating forecasting performance
We evaluated the forecasting performance of the former Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in New Zealand in relation to major agricultural commodities. We evaluated MAF’s performance against actual outputs and other forecasters.
Reviewing rural credit policies
We reviewed the rural credit policies and operations of New Zealand’s main rural lenders for the former Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Our review covered credit availability, lending criteria, payback terms, security requirements, risk management and debt servicing criteria. Our review included creating guidelines for lending to farmers in pastoral, arable and horticultural enterprises.
Analysis of corporatisation issues
We undertook quantitative analysis of corporatisation issues for MAF Quality Management in New Zealand (MAF stands for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) as a requirement of Cabinet. Our analysis addressed effectiveness, efficiency and risk management questions for MQM management. Our recommendations were accepted.
Producer board reform
We conducted a review of New Zealand’s Producer Board reforms in the late 1990s for a substantial offshore client who purchased commodity products from New Zealand and wished to understand the process and reasons for the reforms and any potential effects on their business in New Zealand. Producer Boards are New Zealand industry bodies that operate under government legislation and have various statutory powers as well as conducting discretionary activities.
Horticulture Export Authority review
We reviewed the functions, effectiveness and efficiency of the New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority for New Zealand’s former Ministers of Agriculture and Trade. We recommended a new structure to overcome problems identified in the review, which included the separation of statutory functions from contestable business activities. We provided follow up advice after our recommendations were implemented.
Rationalisation of saleyards
Our client commissioned us to evaluate six of their selling facilities due to the fact that improving technology and e-commerce was resulting in changes to traditional methods of selling livestock in New Zealand. We evaluated our client’s facilities based on their location and condition, including existing and projected throughput. This required a detailed analysis of likely changes in livestock type and numbers resulting from land use changes and new farming systems within each saleyard catchment area. Future strategies for the six individual saleyards were developed from this work.
