Co-design essentials for extension
Learn how to work with farmers, advisors, and stakeholders to design solutions that are relevant, practical, and more likely to be adopted. In this half-day online workshop, we’ll demystify co-design and show how to apply it realistically within extension and RD&E projects. You’ll explore what co-design is (and isn’t), when it adds value, and how to use it without overburdening participants or your project team.
Is this course for you?
- You work as an extension practitioner, farm advisor, or researcher and want stronger buy-in and relevance in your projects.
- You’re expected to “do co-design” but want clarity on what good co-design actually looks like in practice.
- You want practical tools to involve stakeholders meaningfully, without tokenism or unnecessary complexity.
Why enrol?
- Gain a clear, shared understanding of co-design that you can confidently explain to colleagues and funders.
- Learn practical ways to involve farmers and advisors in shaping projects, activities, and solutions.
- Avoid common pitfalls that lead to fatigue, frustration, or disengagement among stakeholders.
What you'll achieve
Through this half-day, highly interactive workshop, you’ll explore topics like:
- Understand co-design in an extension context – clarify what co-design is, what it isn’t, and where it genuinely adds value.
- Decide when to use co-design – identify situations where co-design is appropriate and where other approaches may be more effective.
- Design fit-for-purpose co-design processes – match the level of co-design to your project goals, timelines, and resources.
- Engage stakeholders meaningfully – involve farmers, advisors, and partners in ways that respect their time and expertise.
- Strengthen adoption and impact – connect co-design activities to clearer pathways for use, uptake, and change.
By the end of this course, you’ll have a practical understanding of how to plan and apply co-design in extension work so it strengthens relevance, ownership, and outcomes—without creating unnecessary burden.
Submit your details to secure your place.
Who you will learn from
Dr John James is deeply passionate about enabling change and fostering innovation. With a wealth of experience, he specialises in helping organisations enhance the skills and capabilities of their teams in all aspects of extension and adoption. As an Adjunct Associate Professor with The University of Queensland, John brings a practical, hands-on approach to his work, bridging the gap between theory and real-world application. John is a keen supporter of the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN), having been a past President, the convenor for two international conferences, and is an APEN Life Member.
Denise Bewsell is passionate about helping people enable change and strengthen how they work with others. With a background in Agricultural Science and a Masters exploring how people respond to information, she combines research insight with real-world experience. As a Principal at Scarlatti, Denise leads the extension programme design area and has worked extensively across agriculture supporting facilitators and researchers. An APEN Life Member and associate editor of its journal, she’s excited to help others build capability through Enablers of Change.
Course details
- Format: Three-hour online workshop.
- Date: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Investment: The price for this course is A$350 ex GST.
- Register your interest: Simply add your details to this form and we’ll let you know when the course is next offered.
Design with stakeholders, not for them
Strengthen how you involve farmers and advisors in shaping extension and RD&E activities. Enrol to build practical co-design skills that improve relevance, trust, and the likelihood of real-world impact.
Secure your spot now
FAQs
What is the Co-design essentials for extension workshop about?
This half-day online workshop introduces practical approaches to co-design in extension and RD&E. It focuses on how to involve stakeholders meaningfully in shaping projects and activities, without overcomplicating processes or creating engagement fatigue.
Who is this workshop for?
It’s designed for anyone working in extension, research, or agricultural engagement who involves farmers, advisors, or stakeholders in project design and delivery.
Is it only for people in Australia?
No, this course is open to anyone, no matter their location or nationality. While we expect most participants will be located across Australia, we’re looking forward to people from New Zealand and other countries joining in. We’ve scheduled the live sessions at 11:30 am AEDT to accommodate as many time zones as possible.
Can I register multiple people from my organisation at once?
Yes. Simply list all the participants’ names and email addresses in the appropriate fields of the registration form, and then provide the name and email address of the person making the booking in the final comments field, and the tax invoice will be sent to them.
Are places limited?
Yes. To make the workshop engaging and worthwhile, participant numbers are capped. This ensures plenty of opportunity for discussion and interaction with the trainers.
How is the workshop delivered?
The session is delivered live via Zoom. You’ll take part in interactive discussions and activities, with practical examples you can apply immediately in your work.
Do I need any special software or account?
No special software or account is required. You’ll receive a Zoom link by email before the workshop—just click to join. Please check beforehand that you have the latest version of Zoom installed on your computer.
What is the cost?
The registration fee is A$350 ex GST.
How can I pay?
We prefer payment by bank transfer, as this avoids processing costs. However, for your convenience, you can also pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express) through our secure Stripe payment gateway.
Are there any extra fees?
Only when paying by credit card, as Stripe charges a small processing fee that is automatically added to your total. For Australian cards, this is 1.7% + A$0.30 (inc GST). For international cards, this is 3.5% + A$0.30 (ex GST). These charges are passed on at cost so that we receive the full workshop or course amount. The total payable is displayed clearly before you confirm payment.
Why do you pass on Stripe fees?
As a small business, we prefer to keep our standard prices as low as possible and only recover processing costs from those choosing to pay by card. Paying by bank transfer avoids these fees entirely.
Is my payment secure?
Yes. All card payments are encrypted and processed securely by Stripe, a PCI-compliant global payment provider. We do not store or have access to your credit-card details.
How do I register?
Click the link below to secure your spot.
What if I can’t attend at that date and time?
If the scheduled date for this course doesn’t suit you, simply add your details to this form and we’ll let you know when the course is next offered.
Are refunds available?
We offer refunds up to seven days before the course date; after that point, refunds aren’t available. If something comes up within those final seven days, another person from your organisation is welcome to attend in your place at no additional cost. To arrange this, just email us the full name, role, and contact details of the substitute attendee and we’ll update the registration.
If you have any other questions, feel free to email us: info@enablersofchange.com.au. We’re here to help!