Water policy and its effect on regional communities - Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, 2008
The project investigated the implications of water pricing with respect to domestic and commercial consumption through the development of a research model.

Central Highlands Water Strategic Planning, 2008
For this project, CRICs researchers gathered contributions from key stakeholders to feed into CHW’s Annual Strategic Planning processes. Stakeholders identified their key priorities for water and wastewater and provided an assessment of CHW performance.

Evaluating the Stawell Grampians Bushfire Recovery Program, 2008
In collaboration with CEM project researchers conducted a stakeholder evaluation of the State Government’s Grampians Stawell Bushfire Recovery program. The findings of the evaluation were used to assess stakeholder satisfaction with the program and will inform the development of future recovery programs.

Community Survey - Highlands Region Waste Management Group, 2008
This project surveyed residents of the 6 shires serviced by the Highlands Region Waste Management Group (HRWMG) to investigate resident use of waste management services, their awareness of recycling, environmental attitudes, and interest in new services that may be developed by HRWMG. The project is a first step in the establishment of a panel data base that will be used in future years to examine how attitudes and behaviour to recycling and conservation change over time.

Central Highlands Water, 2008
Undertaking study groups to identify customers’ attitudes towards potential changes to the current water restriction regime in the Ballarat Water Supply System.

Community Survey - Macedon Ranges Shire, 2008
This project in collaboration with CHRP, surveyed residents of Romsey and surrounding areas to investigate their attitudes towards gambling and electronic gaming machines in the local area.

Victorian Water Trust Grant, 2007/2008
CRIC will play a lead role in a $200,000 research grant awarded to the University of Ballarat by the Victorian Water Trust. The study will provide an economic and social assessment of the long-term value and future investment relating to the restoration of water levels in Lake Wendouree. A key benefit of the research will be the development of improved investment models leading to a better understanding and measurement of the costs and value of public resources.

Ballarat ICT Cluster Project – City of Ballarat & Regional Development Victoria, 2007
CRIC and CECC have been appointed as the facilitators for stage two of the Ballarat ICT Cluster project. The second stage of the project will build on work undertaken by the Centre’s in stage one. In particular, stage two will focus on providing a link between the Cluster’s strategic vision and subsequent and existing development of the industry sector.

Ballarat ICT 2030 Strategy – City of Ballarat, 2007
In partnership with CIAO and CECC, CRIC has been undertaking an extensive stakeholder consultation process as part of the development of a long-term ICT strategy for the City of Ballarat. This process has involved a series of panel session, workshops, surveys, forums and interviews. A draft version of the strategy has been submitted to the steering committee and the final Ballarat ICT 2030 strategy will be launched early in 2007.

Climate change and Economic Development in Ballarat - City of Ballarat, 2007
CRIC has been appointed to undertake a study that will seek to understand the possible impact of climate change on the economic development, and the health and well-being of the City. This is required to enable an effective response by the City through its planning and risk management strategies for industry, the broader community and environmental policies, and particularly how adaptation planning might reduce costs and identify significant opportunities in the future.

Tourism Impact Model - City of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat have recently commissioned CRIC to undertake an assessment of the impact of tourism on the local economy.

Community consultation process – Central Highlands Water, 2007, (ongoing) 2006, 2005, 2004
For this project, CRIC consultants developed a community consultation model to be utilised as part of Central Highlands Water’s Long term Water Resource Planning process. CRIC facilitates community workshops throughout the Ballarat water supply system, and gathers information from more than 300 residential water users. As part of this process CRIC conducts a series of focus groups with specific stakeholder groups.

Review of the Overseas Qualification Unit – Department of Victorian Communities, April – May 2006
The aim of the 2006 review of OQU services was to determine how effectively the OQU unit currently delivers its services; and to assess the current efficiency of the program in relation to providing future overseas-qualification assessment, employment and training information to skilled migrants residing in Victoria. The findings from this research were used to determine options for future delivery of OQU services.

To determine external influences on OQU service delivery, a desktop audit and document analysis was undertaken of relevant Commonwealth and State documentation, including current and future Victorian initiatives, including the Victorian Skilled Migration Strategy (VSMS), Regional Migration Incentive Fund (RMIF), Growing Victoria Together - A Vision for 2010 and Beyond, A Third Wave of National Reform, Beyond Five Million and Moving Forward. The comprehensive review of OQU services itself consisted of a combination of an extensive Victorian initiatives, corporate document review and stakeholder consultations.

State-wide evaluation of the current weed and rabbit action plans – Department of Sustainability and Environment, August – October 2005
Consultants evaluated the weed and rabbit action plans in each of the 10 Catchment Management Regions around Victoria to identify the extent to which the existing plans have met their objectives, and identified opportunities to increase effectiveness of future plans. This evaluation utilised program logic construction and involved information gathering from key stakeholders using both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods.

Evaluation of community building demonstration project – Pyrenees Shire, 2003 - 2005
CRIC consultants were contracted to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of local community building demonstration projects in Central Victoria. Consultants are conducting evaluation on a regular basis. The project commenced in June 2003 with final report presented in July 2005. For this project CRIC consultants designed a hardcopy survey and undertook stakeholder interviews.

Evaluation of community building demonstration project – Central Goldfields Shire, 2003 - 2005
CRIC consultants were contracted to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of local community building demonstration projects in Central Victoria. Consultants are conducting evaluation on a regular basis. The project commenced in June 2003 with final report presented in July 2005. For this project CRIC consultants undertook extensive stakeholder interviews and built an online survey for community feedback purposes.

Evaluation of Community Enterprise Centres in Western Victoria, 2001 – 2004
This study was a longitudinal evaluation of six Community Enterprise Centres in Western Victoria. These centres were established with state and federal government funding to facilitate the adoption of Internet technology in rural communities. The evaluation study examined these centres in terms of their capacity to achieve their original objectives and to provide value for money.