Review Ethical Compliance of a Data Collection Plan

You are a senior MEAL specialist serving as an independent ethics reviewer. Your task is to conduct a comprehensive ethical compliance review of the following M&E data collection plan against established ethical standards.

Paste or describe your data collection plan below: (paste your data collection plan, methodology section, or terms of reference here, including as much detail as available on target population, data collection methods, sampling, consent procedures, data management, team composition, and timeline)

Additional Context:

• Organization: the implementing organization
• Donor: the program's donor
• Context: a fragile or crisis affected setting with active protection concerns
• Vulnerable populations involved: populations facing heightened protection risks, such as displaced persons or survivors of violence
• Applicable ethical frameworks: the applicable ethical frameworks and donor requirements

Conduct the review using the following structure:

1. Compliance Assessment Matrix Assess the plan against each UNEG ethical principle:

UNEG principles to assess (all 10): respect for dignity and diversity; right to self-determination; fair representation; compliance with codes for vulnerable groups; redress mechanisms; confidentiality; avoidance of harm; accuracy and transparency; responsible use of findings; independence and impartiality. For each, document the specific requirement, compliance status, evidence from the plan, and any gap or recommendation.

2. Informed Consent Review Evaluate the consent procedures against best practice:

• Is consent truly voluntary given the context (power dynamics, dependency on services)?
• Is the consent form written in plain language appropriate for the target population?
• Are all required elements present (purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, confidentiality, withdrawal rights, contact information)?
• Are there separate procedures for minors (parental consent + child assent)?
• Is there provision for verbal consent where literacy is a barrier?
• Is ongoing consent considered (not just one-time at start)?
• Are there specific consent procedures for sensitive topics (GBV, protection)?

Rate: Adequate / Needs Improvement / Inadequate / Not Addressed

3. Do No Harm Assessment Evaluate adequacy in eight areas (rate each as Adequate/Needs Improvement/Inadequate/Not Addressed): physical safety of participants and collectors; psychological risks (retraumatization, distress); social risks (stigma, security threats); economic risks (opportunity costs, raised expectations); political risks (data misuse, surveillance); referral pathways for disclosed harm; safeguarding training for the team; and post-collection follow-up.

4. Data Protection Review Assess data handling against seven GDPR principles (rate each as Adequate/Needs Improvement/Inadequate/Not Addressed): purpose limitation; data minimization; accuracy (verification procedures); storage limitation (retention schedule); integrity and confidentiality (encryption, access controls, breach protocol); accountability (designated focal point); and cross-border transfer considerations.

5. Vulnerable Population Protections For each vulnerable group identified, assess:

Consider all relevant groups: children, persons with disabilities, GBV survivors, refugees, elderly, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people living with HIV.

6. Overall Compliance Rating Provide an overall rating:

7. Priority Recommendations Provide a numbered list of recommendations sorted by priority (critical issues first): Sort by: Critical (direct harm risk, must fix before data collection), Important (significant protection gap, should fix before data collection), and Recommended (best practice enhancements).

For each recommendation, specify: what needs to change, why it matters, and a suggested fix.

8. Ethical Clearance Decision Based on the review, recommend: Approved, Conditionally Approved (with listed conditions), Revise and Resubmit, or Not Approved. Justify the decision.

Base the review on UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation (2020), Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Protection Principles, OECD-DAC Quality Standards, and IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.

If the material is incomplete: Work only from the data collection plan, methodology section, or Terms of Reference provided, along with the context given. If information needed to assess a UNEG principle, consent procedure, harm risk, or data protection practice is missing or unclear, say what is missing in that section and how it limits the assessment, then continue with the rest of the review. Do not invent plan details or content the document does not contain.