GFEMS “Promoting Opportunities Within Evidence & Research” (POWER) Evaluation by HRC
Humanity Research Consultancy (HRC) has begun a new collaboration with the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS) to evaluate the “Promoting Opportunities Within Evidence & Research” (POWER) project. Our team will produce a baseline study to capture the landscape, anticipated advancements, and knowledge enhancements over the project’s duration.
The POWER project is a joint effort by GFEMS and Survivor Alliance to respond to the longstanding issue of human trafficking survivors’ voices being sidelined and their expertise being undervalued. It seeks to bridge the gap between policymakers, researchers, and survivor leaders to address this, and utilises a multifaceted approach to ascertain the meaningful involvement of people with lived experience (PWLE) in anti-trafficking research. The project aims to both pinpoint systemic, institutional, and socio-cultural barriers that hinder meaningful inclusion, and address these obstacles by organising a World Congress, producing a Survivor Leadership Action Plan, and providing survivors with a platform to meaningfully engage in research activities.
The evaluative baseline study will serve as a cornerstone in the POWER project’s journey, laying the groundwork for informed decision-making and continuous improvement. It aims to offer a clear understanding of the starting point and establish a framework for ongoing evaluation, ensuring that the project remains responsive and adaptive to the evolving needs of survivors and the broader anti-trafficking community.
To evaluate the POWER project, HRC has adopted a mixed-methods approach, aiming to gather comprehensive insights into survivor engagement in modern slavery research. The evaluation begins with a comprehensive desk review of secondary data and sources, followed by key informant interviews and surveys employing purposive sampling to gather quantitative data on survivors’ perspectives. HRC aims to offer both quantitative and qualitative insights, prioritising a survivor-centric, trauma-informed approach to ensure participant well-being, and shape research practices to enhance survivor engagement in anti-human trafficking initiatives.
The evaluation of the POWER project represents a significant step forward in survivor empowerment and the involvement of survivors’ voices in anti-trafficking research and policy making. Through this collaboration, we aim to highlight the critical role of survivors in shaping effective anti-trafficking strategies and policies. Our findings will not only inform the ongoing efforts of the POWER project but also contribute to the broader discourse on the value of integrating lived experiences into research and policymaking. By fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of survivor perspectives, we hope to drive meaningful change and promote more inclusive, effective anti-trafficking initiatives worldwide.