Short Term Participatory Action Research Consultant

Named after the North Star, a historical symbol of freedom, Polaris works to reshape the systems that make sex and labor trafficking possible and profitable in North America. For more than a decade, Polaris has assisted thousands of victims and survivors through the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and built the largest known U.S. data set on the crime. With the guidance of survivors, and working with public and private-sector partners, we use that data to understand and improve the way trafficking is identified, how victims and survivors are assisted, and how we can prevent this abuse at the scale of the problem – 25 million people worldwide robbed of the fundamental right to choose how they live and work.

Polaris is integrating a complex systems approach into our work. Our goal is to tackle the structures, attitudes, and power dynamics that make hundreds of thousands of people vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking to enable us to shift the energy of the anti-trafficking movement to begin to prevent victimization before it happens. 

Polaris is seeking a consultant with qualitative research expertise to contribute to the implementation of qualitative studies and analysis qualitative data. Polaris collects data from the operation of the Trafficking Hotline which includes narrative data that holds extensive opportunities for informing programmatic work. In addition, we are in the process of designing and implementing a large-scale mixed-methods study (with multiple languages) that will employ trauma-informed and survivor-focused strategies. Finally, we routinely conduct a variety of data collection activities as part of project implementation or routine monitoring and evaluation of these projects. The consultant will support the Learning, Innovation and Data Systems (LIDS) team facilitating a variety of qualitative participatory action research activities, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews as well as analyzing qualitative data from multiple sources.

This position does not authorize/require the consultant to have decision-making authority on the final work product.

This position requires approximately 20-40 days Level of Effort (LOE), from May through December 2021 The period of performance may be extended, depending on the need. The consultant can work remotely from his/her location. If conditions allow, occasional short-term travel may be required to Polaris’s office in Washington DC.

Please submit a resume, cover letter that includes a daily rate, and an example written product to LIDS@polarisproject.org. 

All offers of employment are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates.

The work of Polaris is grounded in a set of values and organizational beliefs that provide a common starting point for all of our activities. At Polaris, we look for talented individuals who are passionate about combating all forms of human trafficking and who will strive to embody and model these values within the Polaris community and in the anti-trafficking field. Please take a moment to make yourself familiar with these values and our mission statement before submitting your application. You can find a full description of our values here.