One of the first things I learned about combatting human trafficking was how difficult it is to measure organizational performance. In the “3P” paradigm (Prevent, Prosecute, Protect), awareness campaigns can be effective, but measuring actual impact is not easy. The protect processes include victim care such as shelter, advocacy, re-skilling and re-integration into society. This is a complex mixture of metrics that fail to measure impact of the personal nature of mental and physical recovery. Agreement on the number of victims rescued is also in contention, because data gathering is problematic.
The Prosecution Hourglass
The most reliable performance management indicator is Prosecution. It focuses on criminals under the Rule of Law. However, a complete prosecution process cycle can take years. The first grain of sand in the Prosecution hourglass is IF a country has enacted human trafficking legislation. The second grain is the time it takes from enactment to prosecution and judicial training. Now add the years it takes for investigations to move forward, gather evidence and go to court. The hourglass has become a time capsule. Unfortunately, the result has a negative impact on the Protect processes. Victims often fail to get adequate and timely legal advocacy for compensation and restitution.
National Action Plans with Measure Performance Factors
How can we pour the sand out of the hourglass? The private sector develops business plans to outline their visions, set goals, budget, assess performance management and provide quarterly reporting to investors. What if governments developed their national action plans in the same way? Different countries face different challenges in this steadily growing battle. National action plans need to be structured as part of a national agenda for a healthy economy and society. Now performance management can be measured in progressive implementation steps. Key performance indicators rather than sensational news stories form the basis of national communication plans. Quarterly statements will keep human trafficking progress in the public, private and parliamentary eye.
Click here to find more about how Sustainable Rescue address performance management as a resilience component.