The Painted Apple Moth Eradication Programme (A) 2006-10.1

“We’ve got another lymantriid, and it’s well established.” With this message, on 5 May 1999, Dr Ruth Frampton learned of a new and potentially serious biosecurity incursion. Dr Frampton, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)’s Chief Forestry Officer, was very familiar with the successful eradication of another member of the family Lymantriidae, the White Spotted Tussock Moth, a threat to New Zealand forests. Now a MAF entomologist was telling her that a related moth had been found. In the four months Dr Frampton had been in the job, Forest Biosecurity was already managing Dutch Elm Disease, the Gum Leaf Skeletoniser, and Subterranean Termites. She now had a new threat to asses and respond to.

This is the first of three teaching parts to the case. Part A could be used for stand-alone discussion of crisis response and management, or the issues arising from the merger of two very dissimilar organisations, in particular those faced by a female in a leadership role in a very male-dominated area.

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• Part B: for teaching, this can be used for further discussion of the issues raised in Part B about crisis response and leadership. It could also be used as the starting point for discussion which focuses more on issues of organisational culture and capability, or on a technically focussed department working in a very political environment. It also deals with the preparation of a case to Cabinet.
• Part C: this part of the case can be used to follow up discussions of the Cabinet’s decision on the management of the painted apple moth incursion, to consider aspects of project management, or to discuss managing the activities of interest groups with views outside the mainstream but great skills in getting publicity. For the latter, it could be a stand-alone case, with a brief introduction of the circumstances outlined in the earlier parts.
• Part D: this is an epilogue, to be handed out at the end of discussions. It also includes a description of new scientific methods able to confirm that the painted apple moth has been eradicated.