Making Gender Equality Count in Major Infrastructure Projects.

Research by Phillippa Groome

Supervised by: Professor Paul Nightingale, Dr Rebecca Vine and Dr Jenny Lieu

University of Sussex

The purpose of this project is to critically examine how metrics are being used to drive the reformation of gender equality within major infrastructure projects. The researcher seeks to interpret the story behind the numbers. The study will examine collaborative efforts being made across distributed networks of actors. The project will explore the shared industry challenges which impede transformative action. In turn, the study will reflect on solution-focussed opportunities for improvement in guiding changes to policy and future practice. This research project is being co-produced with the government Department for Transport (DfT)'s, Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT). STAT is a voluntary, cross-sector industry body who has set gender diversity targets for engineering and technical apprenticeships nationally. Using a problem-driven, transdisciplinary approach, the research creates an ongoing dialogue with key industry practitioners and government officials, enabling collaboration as they take on roles as informants, co-producers and consultants. In this way, the researcher guides an iterative (re)negotiation of the research problem.

This research will inform DfT STAT’s diversity vision, mission, and policy as we transition into the Covid-19 recovery. Alongside academic publication, research outputs are likely to include (1) practitioner guidelines in the form of an industry report, and (2) a complementary ‘toolbox’ or ‘performance metrics’. The estimated date for the STAT publication is currently January 2021.

Please contact Phillippa Groome directly if you would like to contribute to this study over the coming months via p.groome@sussex.ac.uk.