How ADOPT Works

ADOPT incorporates sets of factors that studies have shown to commonly influence the rate and peak level of adoption within a population.

ADOPT is structured around four aspects of adoption:

  • characteristics of the innovation
  • characteristics of the population
  • actual advantage of using the innovation
  • learning of the actual advantage of the innovation

Responses to questions from 4 main topics or quadrants allow a number of relevant factors to be calculated, which in turn allow the Peak Adoption Level and the Time to Near Peak Adoption to be predicted.

In ADOPT we present a 'Time to near-peak adoption level' which is the time it takes to reach 99% of the predicted peak level of adoption. The nature of the typical 'S-shaped' diffusion curve means that the time it can take for adoption to proceed from 99% of peak adoption through to the full 100% of peak adoption can take a relatively long time. This reflects the common observation that adoption by the final few percent of a population of adopters can be very slow and the particularly long time it can take before the final adopter in a population adopts.

Best results are obtained from the use of ADOPT when it is used in a workshop situation.

The four quadrants of the ADOPT model

Need more info?

ADOPT is described in detail in a paper published in the journal Agricultural Systems.

The four quadrants of the Standard ADOPT model and how the questions fit into them.

Diagram showing the 4 quadrants of the Standard ADOPT model and how the questions fit into them. For more information see the full paper describing the ADOPT model at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X16304541

The four quadrants of the Smallholder ADOPT model and how the questions fit into them.

Diagram showing the 4 quadrants of the Smallholder ADOPT model and how the questions fit into them. For more information see the full paper describing the ADOPT model at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X16304541

For a simple video introduction to ADOPT, watch this video

ADOPT is a CSIRO product, with ongoing development in collaboration with the University of Western Australia.

ADOPT was initially developed through funding by the CRC for Future Farm Industries with additional support by GRDC, ACIAR, CSIRO, University of Western Australia, DAFWA and Victorian DEPI. The ADOPT team are listed here. The web version of ADOPT was developed with funding from CSIRO Agriculture and Food, support from the CSIRO ON program, and web development by Square V.