In line with CRDC Strategic Plan 2013 - 18, CRDC has supported the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation with the substratal belief that the success of the Australian cotton industry is driven by

its people. Their skills, knowledge, attitudes, innovations,

commitment and capacity to adapt are the fundamental

and often intangible elements of the industry’s success.

Investment in people and the activities that bring them

together is critical for long term sustainability, fostering

continuous improvement and creating opportunities for

innovation. The People program is a key integrating element

of the Plan, focusing on Workforce Capacity, Networks and

Communication as the three approaches through which

the people who drive the Australian cotton industry will be

supported.

The demand for skilled and capable people in regional Australia

is growing as people choose to live in more urban areas and

the resources boom creates greater competition for labour. As a

regionally based sector, the Australian cotton industry is being

affected by labour shortages. The challenge for the industry is twofold.

Firstly, how to continue developing and supporting its current

workforce so it continues to be an attractive industry in which to be

employed. Secondly, how to develop and attract a future workforce

which brings the energy, commitment and innovation that underpins

the long term sustainability of the industry. The ARLF is a not-for-profit organisation delivering development programs for current and future leaders of rural, regional and remote Australia.

ARLP programs are designed to develop leaders from the ‘inside out’ and use experiential learning and critical self-reflection as cornerstones for development by providing participants with experiences to:

• grow as an individual

• develop their leadership capabilities and broaden their perspecti es

• learn from and mobilise a network of peers

• better serve the greater good of rural, regional and remote Australia.

The ARLF as a provider of leadership development across rural, regional and remote Australia requires an evaluation framework that will elicit comparative data across time regarding the impact of alumni leadership on their workplaces, industries and communities. The research study informing this evaluation framework defined how impact was understood and the enabling and disabling factors which facilitated ARLF alumni in enacting their leadership in context.