21 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This article outlines the emergence of programme teams in the Australian dairy farm sector as a response to counter weaknesses in the institutional environment for agricultural innovation which favours technology adoption/diffusion approaches.
Design/methodology/approach: The strengths, weaknesses and risks of different approaches to innovation in the Australian dairy sector RD&E system are analysed and key features of an emerging programme team approach defined. The programme team approach is compared and contrasted with the features of innovation capacity from international literature. An analysis of the relative investment in this innovation capacity in different topics or domains of dairy innovation is provided.
Findings: The programme team approach to innovation involves groups of researchers, extension people, public and private organisations, farmers, community groups, and policy and service groups brought together to progress innovation and change in a topic area or domain. Leadership of the process is provided by an area expert or champion. The team takes responsibility for: (a) understanding the businesses of key players who have an influence in the innovation or domain; (b) deciding the nature of the desired change that all stakeholders can align to; (c) identifying features of the enabling environment to establish what capacity is needed; (d) designing a ‘route to change’ strategy (in contrast to traditional route-to-market thinking); and (e) piloting and refining the approach within the target populations. The group manages emerging risks and keeps on top of issues, as well as identifies any knowledge gaps for research that are preventing innovation and change.
Conclusions/practical implications: The programme team approach provides a semi-formal governance mechanism for innovation to develop, despite an institutional environment that favours technology adoption. Further, the activities of programme teams consist of practices which integrate research-led and demand-pull approaches. Currently, investment in such innovation capacity is relatively low and highly variable across different topic domains.
Added value: The article provides tangible activities that managers of agricultural RD&E programmes can invest in to progress systemic approaches to innovation and is a guide for agricultural education and extension practitioners to proceed in their innovation work.
Tindall, Cordell (author / Missouri Ruralist, USA), Jain, G.F. (author / Sevagram, Delhi, India), Lavoie, Paul-Henri (author / La Terre de Chez-vous, Montreal , Canada), Kosolapov, Nikolai (author / Selskya Zhizn, Moscow, USSR), Wykeham-Fiennes, Anthony Patrick (author / Australian Broadcasting Commission, Sydney), and Covreur, F.F. (author / International Federation of Farm Writers, Paris, France)
Format:
Panel report
Publication Date:
1967-06
Published:
International: First International Congress of Farm Writers.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 73 Document Number: D10787
Notes:
Item located in Document D10786. Claude W. Gifford Collection. Beyond his materials in the ACDC collection, the Claude W. Gifford Papers, 1919-2004, are deposited in the University of Illinois Archives. Serial Number 8/3/81. Locate finding aid at https://archives.library.illinois.edu/archon/, Pages 21-28 in J.S. Cram (ed.), Proceedings of the first International Congress of Farm Writers at Macdonald College, Quebec, Canada, June 18-21, 1967. 112 pages.
Cunningham, Saul A. (author) and CSIRO, Land and Water, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Fenner School for Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017-02
Published:
Australia: Blackwell Publishing
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 162 Document Number: D08137
Kite, James (author), Gale, Joanne (author), Grunsell, Anne (author), Bellew, William (author), Lee, Vincy (author), Lloyd, Beverley (author), Maxwell, Michelle (author), Vineburg, John (author), and Bauman, Adrian (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2018-06
Published:
Australia
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10376
Chain coordination is growing in importance for those in the food industry to maintain access to global markets and competitive advantage. Information communication facilitates coordination and is seen as the glue that holds organisational chain relationships together. This paper describes how Australian food processors have been exchanging information to coordinate customers and suppliers in their chains along with changes over time. The most frequent information exchanged was to resolve problems. Operational issues were only discussed when exceptions arose and this was decreasing over time, as problems were resolved and processes improved. For the organisations studied, they were increasingly formalising processes to review progress and performance. A wide range of organisational departments were involved in communications with customers and suppliers, especially to resolve problems and develop new products. While the traditional telephone and face-to-face communication methods were the most popular, e-mails were replacing faxes. There were also moves to increasing use of reports, electronic data interchange and intranets for more well developed relationships with larger customers and suppliers. These changes in communication systems were the source of some increased satisfaction with information systems by improving timeliness and depth of information shared. However, there was perceived to be some room for further improvement.
Introduction
