EDI as Scientific Problem, Professor Nira Chamberlain OBE

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Ad

Project Management Teams
- The Science of Equality,
Diversity and Inclusion

But what about solving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for
Underrepresented groups in the UK?

EDI (or DEI) is under attack!

Getting underneath the rhetoric
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion do not have a standard coherent
definition
• There is ...

All PARTY Parliamentary Group for diversity in stem

All PARTY Parliamentary Group for diversity in stem
One of the points raised by the expert
witnesses was the way the EDI
s...

All PARTY Parliamentary Group for diversity in stem
One of the points raised by the expert
witnesses was the way the EDI
s...

Subjectivity & EDI STATISTICAL KPI

Well meaning but not helpful and confusing

What they saying is …EDI IS TOO COMPLICATED

Opening statement
According to The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development,
promoting and delivering Equality, Di...

My name is … and this is my story of treating edi as a
science problem

BBC Comedy drama – death in paradise

Some statistics
• Saint Marie about
160 square
kilometres
• Saint Marie's
population is
assumed to be
around 10,000.
• Mos...

The first 10 years of Genius police officers
Richard Poole Humphrey Goodman
Jack Mooney
Neville Parker

The first 10 years of Genius police officers
• Saint Marie's population is assumed to be around
10,000. Most of them being...

criticism

More criticism

The next Genius police officer
Mervin Wilson

Modelled on real life in the west indies
Richard Poole Humphrey Goodman
Jack Mooney
Neville Parker

West indies cricket team - 1928

West indies cricket team – guess which three player will
become captains and which eight never will be?

West indies cricket team – guess which three player will
become captains and which eight never will be?

West Indies cricket team
• For the first 20 years of their
Test existence (1928-48), the
West Indies Cricket team
were cap...

100 Years Later -
The 2020s

Angels in heaven analogy

Down to earth but still UNCOMFORTABLE questions
• Why are all geniuses
predominately White
males? Why are CEOs,
Board memb...

Let treat edi as a science problem – part one

EDI as a Science PROBLEM
Every Science problem has a
baseline
EDI Scientific baseline would
be this statement
“If all thin...

EDI as a Science PROBLEM
Every Science problem has a
baseline
EDI Scientific baseline would
be this statement
“If all thin...

EDI as a Science PROBLEM
Every Science problem has a
baseline
EDI Scientific baseline would
be this statement
“If all thin...

EDI as a Science PROBLEM
Every Science problem has a
baseline
EDI Scientific baseline would
be this statement
“If all thin...

EDI as a Science PROBLEM
Every Science problem has a
baseline
EDI Scientific baseline would
be this statement
“If all thin...

EDI as a Science PROBLEM
Every Science problem has a
baseline
EDI Scientific baseline would
be this statement
“If all thin...

The Coin Thought Experiment

The Coin Thought Experiment
HEADS
TAILS

The Coin Thought Experiment
HEADS
TAILS

The Coin Thought Experiment
HEADS
TAILS

The Coin Thought Experiment
We all know that this is off
because of the laws of probability
We know what we expect to see!

The higher you go
up!
The less women
and people of
colour you see

The higher you go
up!
The less women
and people of
colour you see.

The law of probability
• Using the laws of
probability, we can measure
the effectiveness of EDI
Strategies
• Based on this...

The law of probability
• Using the laws of
probability, we can measure
the effectiveness of EDI
Strategies
• Based on this...

The law of probability
• Using the laws of
probability, we can measure
the effectiveness of EDI
Strategies
• Based on this...

Chamberlain’s laws - What does this mean?-
If all things are equal what are
the numbers do we expect to
see?
• The probabi...

If all things are equal what are
the numbers do we expect to
see?
The same probability distribution

If all things are equal what are
the numbers do we expect to
see?
The same probability distribution

No matter its shape
The same probability distribution

BAME ACADEMICS
• Leadership, BAME & HE: get the down-low about Diversifying Leadership | Advance HE (advance-he.ac.uk)

female ACADEMICS

BBC BAME

BBC female

But how good is this?

The CHI SQUARE

BBC Leadership

The CHI SQUARE – we can measure inequality scientifically

The CHI SQUARE – test whether the difference is
statistical significance

The CHI SQUARE – used by the stem community worldwide
but has a controversial origin.

Push for Scientific racism
Karl Pearson FRS FRSE ;
27 March 1857 – 27 April 1936

To Promote edi
Karl Pearson FRS FRSE ;
27 March 1857 – 27 April 1936

To Promote edi
Karl Pearson FRS FRSE ;
27 March 1857 – 27 April 1936

Let treat edi as a science problem – part TWO

are diversity targets the best strategy?
"Talent is equally
distributed,
opportunity is not."

The pipeline argument infers that
"Talent is not equally distributed.
There is a lack of talent the higher you
go!”

"Talent is not equally distributed?”
Professor Anusha Shah
Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE
FIET
Dr Ollie Folayan MBE
Dr Nike Folaya...

The leaky pipeline for Black academic chemists (acs.org)

The leaky pipeline for Black academic chemists (acs.org)

Why is that?
"Talent is equally
distributed,
opportunity is not."

The problems remain
The 2020s – endless loop

Diversity Targets may be interesting but it is the wrong measure!

Lessons from the medical field – Relative RISK
• Two Groups – one that get the
treatment and the other don’t.
• Each group...

Lessons from the medical field – Relative RISK
• Two Groups – one that get the
treatment and the other don’t.
• Each group...

Lessons from the medical field – Diversity Statistic
• Two Groups – one that get the
treatment and the other don’t.
• Each...

Lessons from the medical field – The RISK probability
• Two Groups – one that get the
treatment and the other don’t.
• Eac...

Company XYZ

Company XYZ

Company XYZ

Company XYZ

Company XYZ

The opportunity probabilities

The relative opportunity
• 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑂𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 8.3% ÷ 20.0% ≈ 0.415

When The opportunity probabilities are equal . It is
called… …
• 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑂𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 8.3% ÷ 20.0% ≈ 0.415

We have a scientific definition!

We have a scientific definition!
When the opportunity probabilities are equal

But how does this relate to Diversity Targets?

Simulation of relative opportunity vs Diversity Targets

Given a Diversity Target the Probability of
delivering Equal Opportunity

Delivering Equal Opportunity by Diversity Targets (left) or by
Opportunity Probabilities (right)

statement
• Diversity Targets, though interesting, will not guarantee
you equal opportunity.
• Diversity Targets are not t...

If we can correctly measure it, then we can change it

The Equality rag matrix – PROJECT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE
A "RAG matrix" (or RAG status)
is a visual tool, often used in
proj...

David Olusoga – AFBE Live 2024

David Olusoga – AFBE Live 2024
“ Stop normalising the statistical abnormal”

David Olusoga – AFBE Live 2024
“ Stop normalising the statistical abnormal”

Statement about edi
• This was never about pipeline (i.e. supply chain)
• This was never about subjectivity (i.e. abandon ...

Part of the APM Report is stepping in the right direction
•Measuring
Equality
•But this is the
Key Statistics

All PARTY Parliamentary Group for diversity in stem
One of the points raised by the expert
witnesses was the way the EDI
s...

Gave evidence to parliament 2025

18th March 2025 - Parliament

In conclusion
To all critics and
stakeholders of EDI
I will say this….

Thank you
For Listening
Project Management Teams
- The Science of Equality,
Diversity and Inclusion

Share Slideshare

LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter

Embed

Size (px)

Show related Slideshows at end

WordPress Shortcode

Link

Share
Email

2024 Trend Updates: What Really Wor... by Search Engine Jou... 1044477 views
Storytelling For The Web: Integrate... by Chiara Aliotta 957527 views
Artificial Intelligence, Data and C... by OECD Directorate ... 884355 views
How to Leverage AI to Boost Employe... by SocialHRCamp 372649 views
2024 State of Marketing Report – by... by Marius Sescu 211589 views
Everything You Need To Know About C... by Expeed Software 230847 views

View on Slideshare

1 of 119 Ad

View on Slideshare

1 of 119 Ad