Grassroots Key Performance Indicators: A Contribution to the Monitoring and Evaluation of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Initiatives in Higher Education

This article summarises a frame of grassroots Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that centres on everyday transformation, displacing the opportunistic use of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives as marketing tools. It is based on ethnographic research conducted at the University of Galway (Ireland) from 2018 to 2021. Instead of focusing on the development of KPIs within the policy field or by a panel of experts, the paper fleshes out the collective attempts of rank-and-file staff to judge if, how, and to what extent EDI initiatives have changed the university. Evidence shows that several indicators are effective and already operational amongst staff. Grassroots KPIs serve a dual function: assessing change and expanding EDI goals.