BPC-DP: Developing Shared Measures Among the BPC Community

Computing Research Association, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The computing community’s efforts to broaden participation in computing (BPC) take many different forms but ultimately, these efforts are all working toward the common goals of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of computing. Measuring the progress of these efforts is critical in improving these activities and assessing their impact. However, such measurement is difficult given the variance of these activities. Recognizing the challenges of measuring progress across organizations that engage in a wide variety of activities, this BPC Demonstration Project will produce common definitions and a framework to enable comparable measurement across the BPC community of practice (including BPC Alliances and demonstration projects). These shared frameworks and definitions will facilitate learning across the BPC community about model practices for BPC. Development of shared measures is of great interest to all stakeholders, including the BPC Alliances and demonstration projects. This project will closely collaborate with the existing BPC Alliances to represent the efforts of the BPC community while also maintaining open communication with demonstration projects, new BPC Alliances, and others actively working in broadening participation. By providing shared measures for understanding the impact of BPC Alliances and other BPC interventions (e.g., demonstration projects), this project will benefit efforts to increase all underrepresented groups these efforts are intending to support. These include groups identified as underrepresented in computing by NSF (i.e., women, persons with disabilities, Blacks and African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders) as well as others who are disadvantaged based on other identities (e.g., sexual orientation) and factors such as socio-economic background. This project will result in a number of tools and resources to help sustain these efforts long-term. The outcomes of this project will add to our knowledge of collective impact measurement in a way that reflects the cumulative experiences of organizations who have been engaged in BPC for more than a decade. This project will enable knowledge exchange and assist in capacity building across BPC Alliances by strengthening the connections and collaboration among the Alliances and, therefore, expanding their potential for impact. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.