What is a Health

Improvement Strategy?

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

“A Strategy is an Action Plan with a

rationale”

Background

• This presentation is based on work we have done to help

develop Breed Health Improvement Strategies

• It provides a framework for strategy development

• The framework can be used to pull together existing

approaches and to help ensure they are aligned

• It gives examples of the elements required within a

comprehensive strategy

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

From Strategy to Action –

3 levels of development

Aspirational

• Why?

Guidance

• How?

Operational

• What?

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

3 levels of development

1. Get clarity on the end-game by defining the Strategic Aims and success criteria (Why?)

2. Develop a way to achieve the aims, by defining workable routes to follow (How?)

3. Develop and implement action plans that enable you to solve specific problems on the way to the aims, managed against clear milestones (What?)

Why?

How?

What?

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Level 1: Aspirational

• Start with what you want to achieve

• These are your strategic aims

• They are high-level

• They are not just about “health”

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Example: Strategic Aims

• To improve the health of the breed

• improve the genetic diversity of the breed

• reduce the adverse impacts of conformational exaggeration on breed health

• reduce the prevalence and severity of health issues affecting the breed

• ensure the breed’s temperament is “fit for function”

• To improve the welfare of the breed

• improve husbandry (e.g. diet, exercise, breeding)

• To become the one-stop-shop for knowledge, information and advice on the breed

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Level 2: Guidance

• Describe the broad streams of work that are required in

order to achieve the Strategic Aims

• Collectively, these are necessary and sufficient to achieve

the Strategic Aims

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Example: Strategic Direction

• Establish the leadership and organisation to drive and sustain health improvement

• Collect, analyse and prioritise data on canine health and welfare

• Identify the relevant stakeholders and facilitate their collaboration on improvement activities

• Ensure adequate resources (people, knowledge and funds) are available to support improvement

• Establish communication, education and training to support improvement

• Establish feedback, reinforcement and recognition systems to ensure continuous improvement

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Level 3: Operational

• Describe the projects and activities that will be carried out in each of the Guidance areas

• This is the specific work that will need to be done in collaboration with relevant stakeholders

• Each activity will need to be owned, led and managed

• Each activity will need adequate resources and realistic timescales

• Progress against each action will need to be tracked

• Actions will need to be updated in light of progress and emerging evidence

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Establish the

leadership and

organisation to

drive and sustain

health

improvement

Example activities

• Appoint a Breed Health Coordinator

• Appoint a Health Committee

• Appoint a Health Committee Chairman

• Agree Health Committee Terms of Reference

• Appoint “advisors” to the Health Committee (e.g. Vet,

Pet owners, Show/Working/Activity reps.)

• Develop and publish the Breed Health Strategy and

improvement plan

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Collect, analyse

and prioritise

data on canine

health and

welfare

Example activities

• Develop Health Survey(s) (inc. Cause of Death)

• Analyse Health Survey(s)

• Identify Priorities from Survey(s), based on prevalence

and severity

• Publish Survey data

• Identify non-survey sources of data (e.g. VetCompass,

SAVSNET, published papers from journals)

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Identify the

relevant

stakeholders and

facilitate their

collaboration on

improvement

activities

Example activities

• Identify and engage research partners (e.g. Vets,

Geneticists, BVA, RVC, Universities)

• Establish research projects to investigate health issues

and to develop solutions

• Publish the results of research projects

• Agree Recommendations and Requirements with the KC

for inclusion in the Assured Breeder Scheme and Breed

Code of Ethics

• Identify other breed-related welfare organisations (e.g.

Rescue)

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Ensure adequate

resources

(people,

knowledge and

funds) are

available to

support

improvement

Example activities

• Establish a Health Fund

• Initiate fund-raising activities

• Develop a knowledgebase of breed information for

Health Committee (and partners)

• Establish a DNA Bank of samples with the AHT to aid

future research

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Establish

communication,

education and

training to

support

improvement

Example activities

• Identify target audiences for communications, education

& training

• Develop and maintain a website with breed information

for owners/potential owners

• Develop and implement a Communications plan for:

• Social media

• Press

• Events (e.g. Discover Dogs)

• Develop and implement an education and training plan

with:

• Conferences, seminars, workshops

• Educational resources

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Target audiences©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

Audiences

Breed Club Committees

Breed Club members

Owners and potential owners

The Kennel Club

Judges

Health and genetics

specialists

The media

Campaigners and lobby

groups

Establish

feedback,

reinforcement

and recognition

systems to

ensure

continuous

improvement

Example activities

• Establish a “helpline” for answering health and welfare

questions (e.g. via social media)

• Develop and implement an awards programme (e.g.

Gold, Silver, Bronze awards) to recognise participation

and achievements

• Publish an Annual Health Report to summarise progress

• Publish regular updates of progress and success stories

via social media, newsletters and websites

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

A Strategy is not improvement©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014

● Improvement won’t “just happen”

● Achieving improvements and benefits depends on the results

of all the projects and activities within the strategy being

adopted by individuals (buyers, owners, breeders, vets etc.)

Our Dog-ED framework helps to make those connections...

Dog-ED connects Projects

with Benefits

Define

Projects

and

Processes

Create

Outputs

Establish

new

behaviours

Dogs

Benefit

Suppliers of potential

solutions

Users of potential

solutionsCollaboration

Generate

support

Define

Projects

and

Processes

Create

Outputs

Establish

new

behaviours

Dogs

Benefit

What is

being done

now, or

could be

done in the

future?

What

tangible

products will

the projects

and

processes

make

available?

Who will use

the outputs

and how will

they use

them?

How will

dogs’ lives,

or people’s

lives be

improved?

How do we

need to

collaborate

to ensure we

match

projects with

dogs’ needs?

Generate

support

Projects and processes

may be...

Define

Projects

and

Processes

Create

Outputs

Establish

new

behaviours

Dogs

Benefit

● Single individual

● Multiple individuals

● Single organisation

● Multi-organisation

Generate

support

Outputs may be...

Define

Projects

and

Processes

Create

Outputs

Establish

new

behaviours

Dogs

Benefit

● Legislation

● Education

● Training

● Publications

● Incentives

● Publicity

● Products

● Services

Generate

support

New behaviours may be

achieved by...

Define

Projects

and

Processes

Create

Outputs

Establish

new

behaviours

Dogs

Benefit

● Enthusing

● Educating

● Engineering

● Enforcement

Generate

support

Dogs can benefit by...

Define

Projects

and

Processes

Create

Outputs

Establish

new

behaviours

Dogs

Benefit

Improving any of the

Five Freedoms:

● Food & drink

● Environment

● Health

● Behaviour

● Treatment

Generate

support

CONTACT US:Philippa Robinson 07850 232836 or e-mail philippa@dog-ed.org.uk

Ian Seath 07850 728506 or e-mail ian@dog-ed.org.uk

www.dog-ed.org.uk

©Dog-ED Ltd. 2014