science investigationadaptive grazingcarbon marketscover croppingsoil health
Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Method and rigour
35% weight
Probe their soil sampling and monitoring discipline: depth-stratified cores, bulk density correction, SOC versus POXC or Haney tests, infiltration rings, and baseline design for carbon programmes.
Evidence to listen for
Follows and can justify an established methodology
Understands contamination, bias, and chain of custody as they apply to the field
Knows the limits of their techniques and says so
Documents procedure so results are reproducible and defensible
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Careless method; unaware of contamination, bias, or procedural integrity.
2
Needs Improvement
Knows procedures but applies them inconsistently; gaps in documentation.
3
Satisfactory
Sound standard practice; less certain outside familiar techniques.
4
Very Good
Rigorous and well documented; understands the limits of each method.
5
Excellent
Names specific protocols and lab methods, explains bulk density correction and stratification, and defends baseline design against measurement noise.
02
Evaluation factor
Real casework
25% weight
Check the farms and acreage they have actually transitioned: cover crop mixes, no-till or strip-till conversions, adaptive grazing plans, and multi-year yield and input cost outcomes.
Evidence to listen for
Brings specific cases, sites, or projects rather than general description
States their own role and what they personally handled
Can describe an ambiguous or degraded case and how they proceeded
Knows what happened to the work afterwards
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No hands-on casework; experience is entirely academic.
2
Needs Improvement
Limited exposure; cannot describe their own contribution clearly.
3
Satisfactory
Real casework with adequate detail; ownership sometimes vague.
4
Very Good
Specific cases with clear personal scope and outcomes.
5
Excellent
Cites named operations, hectares, species mixes, and three to five year data on yields, fertiliser reduction, and infiltration or organic matter change.
03
Evaluation factor
Interpretation and judgement
25% weight
Assess how they read messy field evidence: compaction versus nutrient limitation, weed pressure after terminating a cover, and separating weather effects from practice effects.
Evidence to listen for
Separates what the evidence shows from what they infer
States confidence levels and what would change their conclusion
Comfortable saying the result is inconclusive
Handles pressure to reach a preferred conclusion without bending
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Overstates findings; no separation of evidence from inference.
2
Needs Improvement
Reaches conclusions the evidence does not support; uneasy with uncertainty.
3
Satisfactory
Reasonable judgement; qualifies findings when prompted.
4
Very Good
Clearly separates evidence from inference and states confidence unprompted.
5
Excellent
Reasons from tissue tests, spade diagnostics, and rainfall records rather than doctrine, and states clearly where confidence is low.
04
Evaluation factor
Reporting and testimony
15% weight
Look for grower-facing outputs: field day presentations, whole-farm transition plans, Verra or Climate Action Reserve documentation, EQIP or CSP applications, and how they handle sceptical operators.
Evidence to listen for
Writes findings that a non-specialist can act on
Has presented or defended work to an external audience: court, client, review board, publication
Withstands challenge without overclaiming or retreating
Keeps records that hold up to scrutiny
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot communicate findings; records would not withstand review.
2
Needs Improvement
Reporting is unclear or incomplete; avoids external scrutiny.
3
Satisfactory
Adequate reports; limited experience defending work externally.
4
Very Good
Clear reporting and real experience presenting to an external audience.
5
Excellent
Shows agronomic reports and verification paperwork that passed audit, and explains complex soil biology to growers without jargon or evangelism.
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