Aust Vet J Vol 81, No 9, September 2003518

News

At its recent meeting in mid-August,the AVA Board invested half a dayin drilling down into the Taverner

Report to make sure that we could harvestthe maximum from the data provided. Because outcomes of the three-moduleReport have been delivered over manymonths, numbers of actions have eithercommenced or already taken place. Someof these include: ongoing work on AVA’sprofile and on the profile of veterinarians(including through the pro-bono survey);re-vitalisation of the entire membershiparea, including the database and a review ofmember benefits; commencement of workto build a higher profile on campuses; andplanning for the introduction of an AVAnewsletter and upgrading of the website.Yet while this activity certainly addressessome of the concerns raised, the Boardwanted the opportunity to dig a littledeeper, to look at the report from someother angles. So the facilitator took usthrough a consideration of context: wherewe are now and where we want to be in 3-5 years, areas of potential growth,opportunities, and gaps in membership. This exercise helped us to identify targetsfor growth of membership. A majority ofthe group saw retention of existingmembers as first priority, arguing that if

existing members are happy then we arebest placed to go into an acquisitioncampaign to attract new members.The next area we worked with was to lookat the themes that came through Taverner’sresearch. Topping this list was professionalesteem/collegiate feeling/sense ofbelonging. The Board then explored waysto enhance such a sense of community, ofbelonging, of heightened self-esteem. Someof the actions identified includedpromotion of the benefits of animalownership; providing opportunities forAVA members to better market theirservices and practices, and to raise theirprofile; the economic basis of the professionand providing more opportunities for socialand networking interactions. We have yetto prioritise these actions.Other strategic areas identified by the

Board were raising the profile of AVA, andmembership services that contribute toknowledge and learning (these wereidentified as equal second priority afterenhancing community, belonging andprofessional esteem); more grass rootactivities; and relevant member benefits.The Board will be continuing to workthrough this process to identity actions andtargets and to prioritise these. So in sum, a variety of actions have alreadybeen taken, still other work is underway, andwe also have some new perspectives that willturn into action. In fact, this work makes ahuge contribution to the next strategic planto take us into 2005 and beyond.Once again, thank you to all those whoparticipated in this survey, and thank you toComfund for providing funding support.

– Margaret Conley, AVA CEO

Late last year the Taverner Research Company was commissioned to carry outresearch among current AVA members, suspended members and non-members. The aim was for the AVA to be able to better understand the needs,wants and expectations of these three target audiences and thereby increasemember satisfaction, maximise member retention, and encourage people toboth join and renew. In July and August, the main findings of the research wereoutlined in AVJ; this month we look at some of the actions that have arisen asa result of the research.Acknowledgement: this research could not have been accomplished withoutthe generous financial support of Comfund, the AVA’s Communications Fund.

Actions arising from the Taverner Report

Malingering doubt, contemplative soul searching and self-recrimination were well and truly laid to rest in Canberraat the “Silver Jubilee” Bain Fallon Conference, July 20 to

25. Thanks to early Herculean efforts from Reg Pascoe and “local”convenor Ken Jacobs, not even the National Capital’s notoriouslycapricious winter weather could dampen the spirits of the 120delegates who enjoyed a lavish feast of “infotainment” learning.This year there were many younger attendees searching for thesupport of the AEVA Five E’s: encouragement, enrichment,enhancement, enlargement and embellishment. Aussie expatriate equine ophthalmologist David Maggs was thestar of an eclectic educational cast. Using impressive mobileproxemic classroom techniques combined with superbquestioning and reinforcement skills, David was able to conveyhis multiple messages with easy aplomb. Specialist anaesthetistPolly Taylor from the UK very ably supported David. Polly washer usual sanguine self, successfully transmitting highly technicalinformation in an easily assimilated, absorbing fashion.Local education enthusiasts Robyn Ritchie and Judy Tierpresented the practice management and business stream withlawyer Tim Chadwick. Nick Kannegieter has become a popularperennial institution at Bain Fallon with his yearly exposition on“Tried and True” X-ray techniques. Nick is always amusing,occasionally controversial, invariably stimulating and never dull:acquired skills he puts to good effect as compere of the BF dinner! Impressive new scientific talent discovered ample opportunity to

express emerging presentation skills and earn reward at the“Clinical Papers” section on the Monday night. This has alsobecome a special feature of the annual Bain Fallon seminar as hasthe poster section, again attracting outstanding patronage in2003. Registrants very well supported three outstanding post-conference workshops with Ophthalmology and Anaesthesia –generously hosted by Canberra Veterinary Hospital – filling tocapacity. Management was not as popular but there is clearly ahigh demand for “user pays” hands-on skills based learningactivities with face-to-face tutorial supervision.A special feature of the AGM was the “anointing” of ProfessorReg Pascoe with the first Life Fellowship ever conferred by theAEVA.

– report from Dr Bill Howey

Esprit de corps reigns at the Silver Jubilee Bain Fallon ConferenceDr Geoff Hazard (left),who received the VMSAward for Excellencein the EquineVeterinary Field,presented by ProVet,and AEVA President DrJohn Brown at theBain Fallon Dinner.