Overview
The Survey on the State of Social and Human Rights Practitioners (SSHRP) is an initiative led by Dr. Ana Maria Esteves and Dr. Sérgio Moreira from Community Insights Group (CIG). This initiative has three primary objectives:
- Raise awareness about how Social and Human Rights practitioners experience their roles and the associated challenges;
- Compare across professional groups; and
- Improve Social and Human Rights practitioners’ experiences by making relevant frameworks and tools accessible.
The SSHRP utilizes the Person-Role-Organization (P-R-O) model to understand the dynamic experience of individuals in the workplace. In this model:
- The Person dimension captures the individual’s unique background, emotions, and internal perspective;
- The Role dimension focuses on the set of expectations, boundaries, and responsibilities the individual assumes at work; and
- The Organization dimension encompasses the broader systems, culture, and structures embedding both the individual and their role.
The survey is designed to collect and analyze data on a large and diverse sample of Social and Human Rights Practitioners across all three of these dimensions, aiming to provide a nuanced understanding of their professional experience and the factors shaping their work.
The survey is structured around five key blocks that collectively encompass thirty-four specific constructs. Two of these blocks – Demographics (e.g., age, gender, education) and Professional Status (e.g., employment status, years of experience, sector) – serve primarily to characterize the sample and to do comparative analysis. The remaining three blocks operationalize the components of the P-R-O model:
- Person, including constructs such as burnout, engagement, and health;
- Role, covering role ambiguity, role conflict, and role valuation; and
- Organization, which includes job demands, psychological safety, and trust.
Except for role experience, all constructs were measured using adapted versions of validated scales from the organizational and health psychology literature. For role experience, we developed original items to accurately capture the nuances of social and human rights practice, as no suitable measures exist in the current literature. For the remaining constructs, we identified established scales and streamlined them. More specifically, we reduced the scale to fewer items preserving their multidimensional structure or, where feasible, to single items.
The survey was programmed and hosted on a dedicated online survey platform during December 2025 to February 2026. It begins with an introductory page outlining the survey objectives, the characteristics of the target participants, and how the collected data will be used. Participation is conditional on the respondents’ explicit agreement with all the information provided in this introduction.
The remainder of the survey consists of 76 questions, including Likert-scale items, multiple-choice, single-choice, and open-ended responses. Except for the initial consent question, all other items are optional – participants are not required to answer any of these questions. Completion time averaged approximately 20 minutes. The survey was made available in five languages: English, Portuguese, French, Arabic, and Spanish. Translations were carried out by experienced social and human rights practitioners. Each translator received both the original English version and an AI-generated draft translation. They then reviewed, refined, and finalized their respective language versions, which were subsequently integrated into the survey platform. Additionally, translators provided reflexive notes on the survey experience; these insights were discussed and incorporated where relevant.
Finally, distribution has employed both broad and targeted outreach strategies. A broad approach was implemented through LinkedIn, while targeted dissemination leveraged professional networks, client organizations, and alumni groups.
For more details about our methodology, please email info@communityinsights.eu.