Strategy Roadmap Project – Animal Think Tank

As Strategy Lead – Political Strategy at Animal Think Tank, I led the Strategy Roadmap Project, a multi-year initiative that explored long-term pathways toward achieving an ambitious yet achievable Grand Objective for animal freedom in the UK.

The project aimed to identify strategic goals that were both high-impact and politically feasible, capable of mobilising broad-based support across the public, movement organisations, and policymakers. I oversaw research, consultation, and strategic synthesis involving industry experts, academics, activists, and movement leaders—facilitating workshops, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups with diverse communities including non-vegans, young people, conservatives, and faith groups.

Key outcomes included the development of a five-year strategic vision, outlining eight potential long-term legislative objectives and ten strategic milestones with campaign ideas accompanied by evidence-based Strategy Maps for each pathway.

Vision Guiding the Strategy

Methodology

The methodology combined structured complex systems thinking with participatory research, integrating foresight, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement to produce an evidence-based strategic model.

At its core was the Grand Objective and Strategic Milestone framework, adapted from the International Center for Non-violent Conflict (ICNC). I contextualised this model to align a 40-year transformational vision (the Grand Objective) with achievable 5–15-year milestones, supported by campaigns and tactics to realise them. This linked visionary purpose to political and cultural feasibility, ensuring the plan was both ambitious and grounded in movement realities.

I synthesised insights from ~60 consultations with movement leaders, legal

and political actors & experts, grassroots organisations, and focus groups, capturing key challenges, opportunities, and leverage points across the animal freedom movement.

The analysis incorporated ~20 research reports on trends, laws, supply chains, narratives, and lessons from past movements. From this, I produced a synthesised report outlining eight Grand Objectives and ten Strategic Milestones, each with evidence-based Strategy Maps connecting cultural transformation to institutional reform.

These findings informed a set of strategic recommendations that I delivered to guide Animal Think Tank’s 5–15-year vision and long-term decision-making for the UK Animal Freedom Movement.

Source: International Center for Non-violent Conflict (ICNC)

Strategy Map Development, Source: Author's own

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Fundamental Rights For Animals - Vision Map

Extensive Research Reports

Following the methodology, I led the execution and delivery of a comprehensive suite of research reports, providing the foundation for strategic planning

These included:

Trends Report: Analyses social, political, and economic trends across domains to identify opportunities and risks.
Focus Group Report: Presents insights from discussions with key demographic groups about animals' roles in society.
Past Movements Success and Failures Lessons Report: Examines past successes and failures of the animal rights movement in the UK and globally to identify key lessons and insights.
Animal Agriculture Supply Chain Report: Explores the complexities of animal agriculture supply chains, revealing critical insights and vulnerabilities.
Current UK Animal Welfare Laws Report: Outlines the legal framework concerning animals' ownership, use, control, and property status under UK law.
Campaign Ideas Report: Presents campaign ideas aligned with strategic milestones and grand objectives.
Animal Welfare Practices Report: Reviews indispensable and indefensible welfare practices within animal exploitation industries, which could polarise society in future campaigns.
Narrative Insights Report: Synthesises public research into 12 key insights to inform campaigns.
Open Rescue Legal Analysis: Analyses opportunities and risks of performing open rescue in England and Wales.
Social Movement Narrative Insights Report: Conducts in-depth narrative analysis of ten major campaigns and social movements.
Interim Insights and Recommendations Report: Summarises foundational insights and presents three Grand Objective recommendations.
Strategic Milestones Report: Synthesises data from all reports to identify 8 Grand Objectives, 10 Strategic Milestones, and associated campaign ideas.
Social Movement Strategy Insights Report: Analyses strategies and tactics of past social movements for applicability to the Animal Freedom Movement.
Political Economic Feasibility Analysis Report: Assesses the political and economic landscape, outlining feasibility factors.
Legal Strategies and Options Report: Developed with legal experts, outlining potential legal strategies for the movement.