Summary
Human trafficking--a worldwide crime involving the exploitation of men, women, and children for others' financial gain--is a violation of human rights. Victims are often lured or abducted and forced to work in involuntary servitude. Since 2001, the U.S. government has provided about $447 million to combat global human trafficking. As GAO previously reported, estimates of the number of trafficking victims are questionable. In this report, GAO examines (1) collaboration among organizations involved in international antitrafficking efforts, (2) U.S. government monitoring of antitrafficking projects and difficulties in evaluating these projects, and (3) suggestions for strengthening monitoring and evaluation. GAO analyzed agency documents; convened an expert panel; interviewed officials; and conducted fieldwork in Indonesia, Thailand, and Mexico.
While governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations have recognized the importance of collaborating and have established some coordination mechanisms and practices, they will need to overcome challenges that have impeded collaboration in the past for their efforts to be successful. In two of the three countries GAO visited, it found that host governments--which bear ultimate responsibility for combating trafficking within their borders--have passed national antitrafficking laws and enacted national action plans. However, organizations continue to face numerous challenges when collaborating to combat human trafficking, including varying levels of government commitment and capacity. For example, some governments treat foreign trafficking victims as illegal immigrants and deport rather than protect them. In addition, according to officials in two of the three countries GAO visited, the ministries responsible for coordinating antitrafficking efforts have limited authority and capacity. U.S. government-funded antitrafficking projects often lack some important elements that allow projects to be monitored, and little is known about project impact due to difficulties in conducting evaluations. Project documents GAO reviewed generally include monitoring elements, such as an overarching goal and related activities, but often lack other monitoring elements, such as targets for measuring performance. To oversee projects, State officials supplement their efforts with assistance from U.S. embassy staff, but have not established written guidance for oversight. Officials said that they are working to improve performance measures and develop monitoring guidance. Conducting impact evaluations of antitrafficking projects is difficult due to several factors, including questionable project-level estimates of the number of trafficking victims. These estimates are needed for baselines by which to evaluate how effectively specific interventions are reducing trafficking. Elements in the design of certain projects, such as objectives that are too broad, further impede evaluation. Because of these difficulties, few impact evaluations have been completed, and little is known about the impact of antitrafficking interventions. A GAO-convened panel of experts identified and discussed ways to address the factors that make it difficult to monitor and evaluate antitrafficking projects. Panelists' suggested approaches included improving information on the nature and severity of trafficking and addressing monitoring and evaluation in project design. To improve information on trafficking, panelists suggested methods that have been used to sample other hard-to-reach populations, including domestic violence victims. One suggested method is sampling of "hot spots"--an intensive search for victims in areas known to have high concentrations of victims. To address weaknesses in project design that impede monitoring and evaluation, panelists suggested that officials design projects that clearly link activities to intended outcomes, identify measurable indicators, and establish procedures for setting and modifying targets.
Recommendations
Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change
from "In process" to "Implemented" or "Not implemented" based on our follow up work.
Director:
Team:
Phone:
Thomas Melito
Government Accountability Office: International Affairs and Trade
(202) 512-9601
Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: The Secretaries of State and Labor and the Administrator of USAID should improve the monitoring and evaluation of their projects to combat global human trafficking by considering improving information about project impact on the nature and severity of human trafficking, including developing better data about the incidence of trafficking at the project level and applying rigorous evaluation methodologies.
Agency Affected: Department of Labor
Status: In process
Comments: DOL submitted letters to congressional committees on September 28, 2007, discussing actions it has taken related to GAO's recommendations. DOL stated that its project partners are required to report on common indicators in order to monitor and evaluate outcomes and results. In FY 2007, DOL included new funding criteria for grant applicants, including strategies for collecting data, conducting research in support of objectives, and disseminating the findings. Regarding evaluation methodologies, DOL/ILAB will meet in late 2007 to discuss how to better integrate impact assessment into its projects. DOL plans to discuss methods of measuring impact and plans for including impact assessment within varying types of projects.
Agency Affected: Department of State
Status: In process
Comments: In its October 12, 2007, letter to congressional committees, State reported that many of its projects are of limited size and duration, and that not all projects are intended to contribute to the development of better data on the incidence of human trafficking. State said that it would seek to obtain project-level baseline data where appropriate and when such data are available. The letter stated that the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) intends to fund evaluation activities to promote promising practices for replication, assess whether programs are suitable for impact study, and conduct impact assessments of selected programs. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is supporting the development of an International Organization for Migration (IOM) manual of performance indicators due to be completed the end of the year. IOM will incorporate these indicators in its work and disseminate the manual to other partners.
Agency Affected: United States Agency for International Development
Status: In process
Comments: USAID stated in a September 17, 2007, letter to GAO and congressional committees that better data on trafficking incidence and the use of evaluation methodologies are desirable but not always possible. USAID reported that it has previously carried out assessments of anti-trafficking activities in African countries, Albania, Cambodia, and Indonesia. USAID further stated that a synthesis of the Africa assessments provides indicators and a framework for survey and sample questions, and will serve as a model for other regions and missions.
Recommendation: The Secretaries of State and Labor and the Administrator of USAID should improve the monitoring and evaluation of their projects to combat global human trafficking by considering monitoring and evaluating weaknesses in the design of antitrafficking projects, including developing a framework that clearly links activities with project-level goals, indicators, and targets, conducting "evaluability assessments" to determine whether a project is ready to be evaluated, and building monitoring and evaluation into project design before the project is implemented.
Agency Affected: Department of Labor
Status: In process
Comments: In its September 2007 letter, DOL discussed the common project cycle utilized for its international technical assistance projects, including designing a logical framework and conducting monitoring and evaluations. In addition, DOL discussed other tools that it uses to measure projects' progress. These include project monitoring and oversight, audits and attestation engagements, and evaluations.
Agency Affected: Department of State
Status: In process
Comments: In its October 2007 letter, State reported that it has begun efforts to improve the design of anti-trafficking projects by more clearly describing required program elements in requests for proposals. Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons's (G/TIP) FY 2007 solicitation for proposals required applicants to articulate goals and objectives, supporting activities, and indicators of success. The letter stated that this information would be used in developing project monitoring plans and in considering whether projects should be subject to evaluability assessment or impact evaluation. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) projects implemented by International Organization for Migration (IOM) have included a framework of activities with goals, objectives and indicators. State also indicated that G/TIP would issue guidance to relevant U.S. Embassy officers when each new fiscal year 2007 grant is awarded, including recommended procedures for project monitoring.
Agency Affected: United States Agency for International Development
Status: In process
Comments: In its September 2007 letter, USAID stated that it uses logical project design, including a competitive process for selecting projects for funding. Proposals for funding can be judged on their inclusion of goals, objectives, targets and indicators. USAID stated that it has a mechanism for providing technical assistance for the development of frameworks, assessments and evaluations. USAID stated that in the new fiscal year it will send a message to missions and other operating units in Washington offering this assistance and underscoring the importance of monitoring and evaluation.
