Countdown Downunder: development led innovation in a national mastitis control program

Abstract

In the late 1990’s the Australian dairy industry initiated a national mastitis control program named Countdown Downunder. This initiative continues to the present day. The program was responsible for providing leadership in milk quality, pre-farm gate, for farmers, their advisers and the wider industry. As such, it assumed the role of creating the resources around mastitis control best practice and driving change in this area towards defined goals. The route to change, facilitated by Countdown, required the continual refinement of a development process linking mastitis research with extension and education. The path required clear, consistent mastitis control messages that would create both the desire and means to achieve best practice on farm. It needed uptake by not only farmers, but all advisers contributing to mastitis plans and actions with their farmer clients. The development process for a change management program, such as Countdown, required a multi skilled approach from the program team where a thorough knowledge of the domain was vital. Development is an iterative process demanding a high degree of reflection, adaption and engagement of stakeholders. If considerable resources are not put into the development process the outcomes of research are likely to lead to poor extension outcomes.