One of TAWC’s first undertakings as a collaborative network was the Daylight Project, the goal of which is to provide information that is of value to society in raising awareness of and improving the welfare of animals. With extensive input from stakeholders from animal industries and animal protection organisations, TAWC developed the process of the Daylight Project such that those with animals under their care have an independent mechanism for voluntary transparency and a safe environment for constructive, evidence-based dialogue with the public around best practices in animal welfare. Being transparent can lead to improvements in animal welfare, because those with animals under their care can more readily identify where the welfare of the animals can be improved, and members of society can make more informed decisions about welfare standards. Using the Daylight Project’s process of voluntary transparency, participating companies and organisations invite members of the public to explore the evidence and decisions around:
1. What happens to animals under their care
2. Why it happens, and
3. What is being done to improve the welfare of
the animals.
BETTER UNDERSTANDING
for BETTER WELFARE
Transparency is not about
advertising or promotion.
Transparency is about ensuring that factual information on all aspects of animal care is freely available, comprehensive, and trustworthy so that people can make up their own minds.
Why transparency matters
Animal welfare
We all care about animals
and want to ensure that
their welfare is good and is
continuously improving.
Societal trust
We entrust those with animals under their care with the job of looking after their welfare.
Reputation
We are judged as a nation by how the animals in our nation are treated.
2. Background
History
The Daylight Project arose from expressions of
interest by several industry stakeholders to
increase their level of transparency around how
their animals are cared for. The Animal Welfare
Collaborative ran the concept by other
stakeholders and then held a Daylight Project
workshop on 12 November 2019 with all
interested stakeholders, including companies,
industry bodies, animal protection
organisations, research organisations, and
government departments. Common principles
for transparency and a general way forward
were discussed.
SEP 2018
NOV 2019
JUL 2020
Expressions of interest from
stakeholders wanting to pursue transparency collaboratively
Daylight Project Workshop
in Melbourne with stakeholders to define common principles for
transparency
Process for participation in the Daylight Project drafted
SEP 2018
Expressions of interest from
stakeholders wanting to pursue transparency collaboratively
JUL 2020
Daylight Project Workshop
in Melbourne with stakeholders to define common principles for
transparency
NOV 2019
Process for participation in the Daylight Project drafted
3. What is transparency?
Transparency:
Providing information that is of value to society in raising awareness of and improving the welfare of animals
Transparency:
Providing information that is of value to society in raising awareness of and improving the welfare of animals
What does it mean to be transparent about animal welfare?
Each Daylight Project is different. Each Participant has unique information about the animals under their care to provide and preferred methods of communicating it, but here are some general principles of transparency to follow:
Freely available
Easy to find and navigate
Easy to understand
Free to access
Trustworthy
Independently verifiable
Collected by agreed upon, standardised methods
Presented in as close to its original form as possible (or if not, its journey can be traced)
Relevant
Recorded automatically or by animal carers
About the transient states within the animal that relate to what the animal experiences
Relating to animal welfare throughout the life stages of an animal
Linked to animal welfare outcomes
Comprehensive
Up to date
Not aggregated or filtered
Sufficient, as defined by multiple stakeholders
Qualitative and quantitative
Exclusions are explained
For example...
How animals are cared for, including routine practices
How practices are chosen based on scientific evidence
How the welfare of animals is routinely assessed
How management decisions are made based on animal data
Determine the goal of transparency for the organisation
Hold a workshop with relevant staff from the organisation to scope what transparency might look like for the organisation and choose an initial Focal Point
Consider all aspects of the chosen Focal Point and identify possible transparency
Methods that would be most effective in communicating those aspects of the Focal Point to the public
Develop a Transparency Plan, which is a living document that guides the actions of the Participant. After the Daylight Project Council provides independent feedback, the Participant finalises the Transparency Plan and makes it publicly available.
Propagate the principles of transparency to stakeholders
Share own experience with transparency
Support other organisations in achieving transparency
6. Roles
Members of the public ask questions and provide feedback to Participants through the Daylight Project platform, which is moderated by TAWC. This public feedback informs Participants about whether the communication methods are effective and where new areas for transparency are needed.