Equality Insights Plus Survey Design Support

Position Title:  Equality Insights Plus Survey Design Support (Consultancy suitable for early career                                   applicants)

Time Commitment: The Consultant must commence the Services no later than 15 April 2026 and                                                must complete the Services by 15 June 2026

This is an outputs-based consultancy, days needed should be indicated in the consultant proposal

Budget:                      Up to $10,000 AUD

Location:                    Remote

INTRODUCTION

IWDA is an Australian-based organisation, resourcing diverse women’s rights organisations primarily in Asia and the Pacific and contributing to global feminist movements to advance our vision of gender equality for all.

Equality Insights is a flagship program of IWDA which redefines how poverty is understood and measured in order to improve the lives of all people, particularly those who have traditionally been excluded. The program aims to inspire wider change in measurement standards and approaches, and in gender equality outcomes.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

As a gender-sensitive measurement of poverty, Equality Insights provides world-leading survey tools that collect inclusive data about poverty and inequality, providing important insights into the experiences of individuals who are often rendered invisible in poverty data. The intersectional insights we generate inform policy solutions, fuel feminist advocacy and inspire social change.

We use inclusive data to drive transformative change in three ways:

  1. We build high-quality data collection tools and collect inclusive poverty data.

We have developed innovative tools that collect high-quality, inclusive data about poverty and inequality. We take a different approach to collecting poverty data that reveals important insights that are essential to creating a just, equal and sustainable future for all.

  1. We work in partnership to increase and strengthen the use of gender data.

Together with our partners, we use inclusive data to drive social change and improve the lives of many. Our data is used by governments, national statistics offices, Women’s Rights Organisations and gender data advocates to develop effective solutions that reduce poverty and inequality.

  1. We push to make inclusive data the norm.

When it comes to data, we are on a mission to raise the standards and make inclusive data the norm. We highlight solutions and innovations, raise awareness about gender data gaps, and advocate to ensure that everyone is visible in the data that affects their lives.

CONSULTANCY BACKGROUND

Between 2009-2012, The Individual Deprivation Measure (IDM) tool was developed in partnership with the Australian National University. The tool design was informed by participatory research with more than 3,000 people with lived experience of poverty across 18 sites in six countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, including Angola, Fiji, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, and the Philippines.

Following the testing and refinement of the IDM measure, seven data collections took place between 2015 and2021. In 2020, IWDA took this work forward as a flagship program and rebranded from the IDM to Equality Insights. Building on the foundations of the IDM, Equality Insights had continued to adapt. In 2021, the IDM survey was reduced to a shorter variant, resulting in a 40% reduction in the number of questions (from 304 to 183). This reduced the survey duration and lowered the overall cost of administering the IDM survey. An analysis of 5 country studies, literature reviews, and discussions with subject matter experts was conducted to assess each question and justify each modification to the dimensions. The new Equality Insights Plus (EI Plus) survey was developed over a period of 4 months for a face-to-face survey administration.

Finalising and documenting the EI Plus survey was not completed due to a pivot to develop a remote-administered phone survey model that could be used in the Covid-19 context, called Equality Insights Rapid (EI Rapid), which was implemented for the first time in Solomon Islands and Tonga in 2022.

Both Equality Insights Plus and Equality Insights Rapid assess multidimensional poverty and in individual-level by measuring fifteen dimensions of life – clothing, education, energy, environment, family planning, food, health, relationships, safety, sanitation, shelter, time use, voice, water and work. They also assess financial circumstances by measuring assets.

We are seeking a consultant to revisit the Equality Insights Plus survey tool and complete the documentation and analysis of the initial work on refining Equality Insights Plus; to inform the finalisation of the measure.

CONSULTANCY OBJECTIVES

Objectives will involve the following for the 16 topics (15 Equality Insights dimensions plus assets)

  1. Present clear comparisons of indicators and questions across the three survey variants (IDM, EI Plus and EI Rapid)
  2. Collate existing decisions, and discussions which are documented in Equality Insights program files
  3. Clean and label Equality Insights Plus dataset to enable analysis
  4. A brief desk-based review and a high-level summary of current best practice standards and innovations indicators and data collection per thematic area.

Each of these objectives to be clearly presented in a report. While the only output is the report which is internally facing it is expected the consultant will meet with relevant Equality Insights team members at the commencement of the contract, to confirm project scope and process and at least once during the project to ensure the project is on track and meeting standards required.

REQUIREMENTS

This role is suitable to an early career or student researcher. (Basic quantitative data analysis skills are required.)

ESSENTIAL

  • Research skills
  • Experience with survey data processing, including familiarity with Stata software.
  • Understanding of poverty measurement, and survey tools and design
  • Excellent attention to detail

DESIRABLE

Experience in international development sector and/or poverty measurement

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Candidates are invited to submit expressions including:

  • Your current CV
  • A short statement (max. 750 words) addressing the criteria as set out in the ‘10. requirements’
  • Details of two references or examples of similar projects completed in the past
  • A Proposal including a detailed workplan and budget outlining daily rate and total number of days needed to complete the work.

Expressions of interest that do not cover these requirements will not be considered. Expressions are interest are required by 11.59pm Monday 30th March 2026 (AEDT) and should be sent to info@equalityinsights.org With the subject title ‘EOI Equality Insights Plus Research Consultant’

Find the full Terms of Reference here

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