July 30th was the annual World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, as recognized by the United Nations. In recognition of this day, we published a blog post outlining our top considerations and lessons learned in developing evaluation strategies for – and with – survivors of trafficking in persons (TIP).
This week’s tip is about the importance of meaningful engagement and informed consent when working with TIP survivors. Implementing a survey with TIP survivors is not as easy as simply distributing a link to survey questions and awaiting the responses, as one would when surveying a business or a customer service recipient. Researchers must honestly and authentically engage with the vulnerable populations with whom they’re working, ensuring everyone understands what the data is for and how it will be used.
Similarly, obtaining informed consent takes on a different form and meaning when working with TIP survivors, compared with obtaining informed consent from service providers or social workers, for example. Before providing their consent to participate in research or evaluation, TIP survivors may need a lot more discussion and engagement to feel comfortable enough to participate.
Check back next week for another #EvalTuesdayTip from our World Day Against Trafficking blog post.