Dairy Moving Forward:   Setting the direction for pre farm gate research, development and extension in the Australian dairy industry
In this program, Pauline Brightling is the champion for the Dairy Moving Forwarad People RD&E strategy, which is designed to ensure that people issues are not a constraint to wealth creation and industry resilience.
Dairy Moving Forward is the national strategic planning initiative for pre dairy farm gate research, development and extension (RD&E) and has developed out of the national RD&E review established under the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC).    The PIMC consists of the Australian, State and Territory government ministers responsible for agriculture.  The PIMC national framework provides a set of principles in all Sates and industry sectors in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the national farm level RD&E.  These principles emphasise the value of increased collaboration, information sharing and better access to the required capability.   Dairy Australia (DA), the industry’s national service organisation, and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPIV), the lead government agency for dairy, have coordinated the development of the dairy component of the PIMC Framework – the Dairy Moving Forward program.  As part of this program, Pauline Brightling is the champion for the People Strategy, which is one of five strategic RD&E/E priority areas identified by the DMF initiative to create a profitable, internationally competitive and sustainable dairy industry.   The Dairy Moving Forward  People RD&E strategy is designed to ensure that people issues are not a constraint to wealth creation and industry resilience.  A big part of the intent is having dairy farms that are still in business in the years to come and newcomers willing to invest in the industry.   The vision over the next 5 -10 years is that: People are recognised and developed as the key driver of sustained farm business success.   This objective is based on the premise that it is human and social capital that drives the transformation of resources to economic capital. A farm business is shaped by the way decisions and plans are made for its future, technologies are adapted, and risks and uncertainty are managed. In short, farm systems are chosen, resourced and implemented by people.   The focus of the People Strategy is the people who manage farms, work on farms (in paid or unpaid roles) and provide services to farm.   The Dairy Moving Forward  People Strategy is designed to achieve the industry objective through five interdependent sub-strategies (themes):   Farm business strategies (around people): to ensure that farms have a people perspective in their business strategies, including their succession plans. Farm workplace change:  so that farms are better equipped to attract and retain the people they need and have low business risk around their people resources. Dairy ‘workforce development’ (everyone on farm and service providers) : so that the industry has effective workforce planning and action processes, regionally and nationally. Farmer well-being in supportive communities:  to ensure the industry and its people are supported by local communities that are vibrant and self-determining. Dairy leadership development:  to ensure that the industry has the leaders it needs.	Fact file: Dairy Moving Forward An Australian dairy industry initiative to increase the efficiency of investment and improve outcomes for farmers from RD&E Program objective: The People Strategy has an objective of ensuring that people are recognised as a key driver of sustained business success Started:  2011 Status:    On going Latest initiative: Leadership development strategy Website: n/a Program Champion: Pauline Brightling