My research engagement with Yarnteen Corporation commenced in 1995 and focused on factors contributing to their success in operating the CDEP scheme. The research on which this chapter is based was conducted over several visits between 2006 and 2007.

During my visits, the board members, management and staff at Yarnteen provided me with enormous support and assistance in the collaborative research carried out under the umbrella of the ICGP. I would especially like to thank Leah Armstrong, Executive Director of Yarnteen, and Jim Wright, Chair of the Yarnteen Board, for the considerable time, intellectual contribution, research feedback, editorial comments, friendship and enthusiasm they gave to my research and this paper.

The members of the Yarnteen Board welcomed the opportunity to assess how they were travelling in respect to their roles and responsibilities. They happily made themselves available for lively discussions and have been frank in their feedback on my various reports. This has made the research process a pleasure.

Senior managers of Yarnteen contributed valuable time when they were under heavy workloads. I thank them for their professional approach to engaging in and supporting my work. I would also like to thank the many staff members of Yarnteen who spent hours assisting me to organise interviews, meetings and discussion sessions, and who tirelessly assisted me with access to data and written reports. In particular, I would like to thank Pat Capper for her unstinting support and assistance during my several stays, and Uncle Rex Morgan who took the time to show me around town and the surrounding region and give me his history of Yarnteen.