What is ADOPT?
ADOPT (Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool) is a web-based tool that allows you to evaluate and predict the likely level of adoption and diffusion of specific agricultural innovations with a particular target population in mind.
There are two versions of ADOPT. In addition to the standard version that has been designed for developed country scenarios there is Smallholder ADOPT which is usually best used in developing country scenarios. Both are accessible via the ADOPT website.
More than 1000 users from project teams, agricultural R&D investors, research organisations, extension agencies and international NGOs from 43 countries have already used ADOPT.
The tool uses expertise from multiple disciplines to make the knowledge surrounding the adoption of innovations more available, understandable and applicable to researchers, extension agents and research managers.
The tool has been designed to:
- Predict the likely peak level of adoption of an innovation and the time taken to reach that peak
- Encourage users to consider the factors that affect adoption at the time that projects are designed
- Engage research, development and extension managers and practitioners by making adoptability knowledge and considerations more transparent and understandable.
ADOPT was developed through funding by the Cooperative Research Centre for Future Farm Industries, and support from GRDC, ACIAR, CSIRO, University of Western Australia, DAFWA and Victorian DEPI. Ongoing development has been in collaboration with the University of Western Australia.
How does ADOPT work?
ADOPT is structured around four categories of influences on adoption:
- Characteristics of the innovation
- Characteristics of the target population
- Relative advantage of using the innovation
- Learning of the relative advantage of the innovation.
ADOPT users respond to qualitative and quantitative questions for each of twenty-two variables influencing adoption. Going through this process also leads to increased knowledge about how the variables relate to each other, and how they influence adoption and diffusion. More information on the ADOPT methodology was published in Agricultural Systems.
Who should use ADOPT?
ADOPT is particularly useful for people and organisations with an interest in the adoption of agricultural innovations, such as:
- Agricultural R&D organisations
- Government departments
- Catchment management organisations
- NRM groups
- Agriculture extension officers.
It is useful for providing information to assist with funding decisions or for when more detailed information regarding expected rates of adoption and diffusion are required.
Accessing ADOPT
ADOPT is available via a free Trial Account that allows users to access the ADOPT model to predict the Peak Adoption Level and Time to Peak Adoption for your technology. Individual and Team subscriptions are available for unlimited adoption rate simulations of your projects.
ADOPT can be accessed via https://adopt.csiro.au.