Understanding the Influence of Compensation on bTB Disease Management Behaviours

Defra is commissioning this project to evaluate the role of compensation, its effectiveness and ascertain if it has any influence on bTB risk reduction measures such as knowledge-based trading (KBT), biosecurity and cattle movements. The supplier should also use this understanding to inform an assessment of the future role of compensation in wider bTB policy and how it may be used to influence risk mitigating behaviours. Ultimately, we want to know: how do we make compensation work more effectively as both a safety net and a mechanism for enhanced disease control?<br/>The project will consist of two linked and complementary workstreams: <br/>Workstream 1: Past. This workstream will consist of a collation of evidence and analysing data to ascertain any influence compensation has on KBT, biosecurity and cattle movements. We see this workstream as evaluating the role of compensation as a mechanism for initiating behaviour change, using existing literature and evidence to inform the ‘theory’ of how compensation should work. This would be used as a basis to analyse if and how compensation does influence behaviour and investigate if the current policy is effective. <br/>Workstream 2: Future. This workstream will consist of data collection on the role of compensation in future policy development. This workstream will use workstream 1 to identify knowns and unknowns on the role of compensation and how it might be used in future as a policy instrument to influence risk mitigating behaviours. This would also include investigating its relationship with the wider context of bTB policy.