Participant selection
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A workshop in progress.

The outcomes of each workshop are heavily influenced by the individuals who participate. It is important to invite stakeholders with diverse views, knowledge and background in order to gain a broad perspective of pest management issues. As a rule of thumb the composition of participants should be one-third growers, one-third scientists and extension officers, and the final third represent chemical companies, consultants, industry and funding bodies and other relevant stakeholders. Also, within each of those categories, it is advisable to have individuals who cover the range of:
farm sizes;
attitudes towards IPM;
gender;
relevant technical fields; and
involved companies or organisations.

Wider industry participation and support of workshop outcomes is possible if industry bodies and commercial companies are asked to select their own representatives according to the above criteria. Invited participants to the parthenium workshop included representatives from all groups involved in the parthenium problem: graziers, farmers, local government, state government, policy makers, operations staff, extension officers, scientists from the fields of pasture management, weed ecology and biological control, and research funding bodies. Participants were predominantly from Queensland, but some participants from the neighbouring state of New South Wales were included.

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Larissa Bilston and Geoff Norton