Over the past 15 years, Ghana has taken significant steps towards restoring justice for victims of trafficking. To succeed in this fight and fully implement the existing law and policy; however, national stakeholders must coordinate their respective efforts to combat human trafficking. One major challenge to coordination has been the lack of common standards for assistance and referral guidelines for all national stakeholders. Guided by law and international good practices, these standard operating procedures (SOPs) answer that call, containing information relevant to all national stakeholders in a position to combat human trafficking. These SOPs were developed through the framework of the Child Protection Compact Partnership, a bilateral agreement between the United States of America and Ghana, and guided by key stakeholder inputs at the national, regional and district levels, and with participation of both government and non-government agencies.

As reference material, certain chapters will be more relevant than others depending on the reader’s functional role and responsibility. Chapter 1 is widely relevant as it describes identification and screening protocols, a shared responsibility among stakeholders. Chapter 2 is for caregivers, especially social workers, as it explores the trauma-informed assistance process. The second chapter is followed by a special chapter that outlines the human trafficking legal framework and is aimed at a broad audience. Chapter 3 guides law enforcement officials through a victim-centred investigation process, while chapter 4 is also meant primarily for law enforcement officials as it offers strategies to prosecute suspected human traffickers. Finally, chapter 5 presents a data-driven referral and case management system.