Quantifying connection and influence: Climate Systems Hub Knowledge Broker Social Network Analysis Summary Report

September 2, 2026

The Climate Systems Hub is one of four research hubs funded through the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP). A defining feature of the Hub is its team of Knowledge Brokers, professionals embedded within state and territory government organisations who sit at the interface between climate scientists and those who use climate science to inform decisions.

First Person Consulting was engaged to conduct a Social Network Analysis (SNA) of the Knowledge Broker network. The aim was to map the connections the Knowledge Brokers have built across jurisdictions, to explore the value they provide, and capture feedback and insights from the network for the analysis.

Taken together, the findings provide strong empirical support for the embedded, interjurisdictional knowledge broker model. Knowledge brokering is relational work, and its outputs are hard to capture through conventional monitoring, evaluation and reporting. This project provides an example of how relational networks of this kind can be examined empirically.

The breadth and density of the network, and the value reported by those within it, demonstrate that the Knowledge Brokers are doing what the model was designed for: connecting climate science to the people and organisations that need it. The five Knowledge Brokers from NSW, Victoria, SA, WA and a national coordinator, work together through a buddy system to support colleagues in the ACT, Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania, forming a national network. The team holds together a network that would not exist as a connected whole without them, and the people in that network find their interactions with the Knowledge Brokers valuable for their work in climate change and adaptation.

Value of the Knowledge Broker team

• Knowledge Brokers strengthened access to key networks and people (93% of respondents) and are a valued bridge for collaboration.
• Most people who engage with the Knowledge Brokers find the interaction meaningful to their work. Almost all (94%) survey respondents saw value in their Knowledge Broker interactions.
• Over half (53%) noted a significant influence on contributions to work or thinking on climate change.

If you are interested, you can read the full analysis here >