The IDM Program is a strategic partnership between the Australian National University, International Women’s Development Agency and the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Our goal is that by 2020 the IDM is ready for global use as an individual measure of deprivation and a tool for tracking how development is changing the lives of the most deprived.


Joanna leads the IWDA IDM team, with overall responsibility for program management through the ANU-IWDA Program Management Group, partnership engagement and accountability. Joanna brings over a decade of experience in the international development and humanitarian sectors, with a focus on research, program management, policy and advocacy.

Sharon leads the ANU IDM Team, with overall responsibility for program management through the ANU-IWDA Program Management Group (PMG), and contract delivery. She co-leads the Indonesia IDM study. Sharon designed the research methodology for the initial research to develop the IDM and developed the current IDM Program’s ethics guidelines. Sharon teaches in the areas of international development, social policy, gender and children’s policy.

Janet co-leads the ANU IDM Team and contributes to Program management through the PMG. She edited the Methodology Update 2017. She also conducts research about Indigenous development at ANU’s Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research. Previous roles include lecturing at RMIT and Deakin Universities, and Executive Director of the Australian Council for International Development and the International Women’s Development Agency.

Joanne is knowledge translation, policy advocacy & strategic engagement specialist with the IWDA IDM Team. She was also part of the original research team that developed the IDM (2009-2013). Joanne has some 35 years’ experience across government, NGOs, universities and as a consultant, focused on public policy, gender and development and international relations. She has worked with IWDA in a variety of roles, including leading the growth of its research and policy work from 2008-2016.

Kylie is a post doc researcher with the IWDA IDM team. She leads statistical analysis for the IWDA IDM Team, and undertook the first full analysis of IDM data, collected by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics in partnership with IWDA (2015-2016), Kylie also lead the 2019 IDM country study in Myanmar, and development of thinking about how to present the large data set generated by the IDM in a way that is accessible and demonstrates the IDM’s value.

Hannah is responsible for managing the IDM’s communications including social media and the IDM website. Hannah joined the IWDA IDM on 12 August 2019 with a background in marketing and communications, including most recently, work with the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute where she was the National Conference Content Manager. Hannah has strong skills in translating technical subject matter into accessible materials for stakeholders. She has also worked in the private sector in media and partnerships.

Carol works with the IWDA IDM Team as Research Officer. With a background in maths and statistics, her responsibilities include analysing IDM survey data to further explore individuals’ experience of poverty and how this differs by demographics such as gender, age and socio-economic background. She also contributes to index construction, research design and IT components of the IDM.

Trang’s responsibilities include data analysis, contributing to the design and implementation of IDM studies, and developing enumerator training materials. She has worked on impact evaluation, community driven development, poverty reduction and social accountability with the World Bank in Vietnam, Timor-Leste and Cambodia. She is a Co-Primary Investigator for the Impact Evaluation of the World Bank Voice and Action Project in Cambodia.
Helen lead the survey review and development of the analysis plan for the IDM Program. She also leads the South Africa IDM study. Helen has conducted applied policy research in poverty alleviation and sustainable natural resource management for over 15 years. She has extensive field experience in Indonesia and southern Africa having worked as a researcher in universities, NGOs, the Namibian government, and as a consultant.

Lucy is responsible for Program administration and reporting, and supports IDM contracting, legal review and stakeholder engagement. She has a degree in Development Studies and over 20 years’ experience in the development sector. Previous roles include data base administration at IWDA and roles with the Australian Government, CARE Australia in Cambodia and the World Health Organization in Geneva.

Mandy co-leads the Indonesia IDM study and leads the IDM index construction review. She has undertaken quantitative social science research in wellbeing and social exclusion, health, disability and ageing, indigenous socio-economic outcomes, income distribution, fertility and family formation and model building, involving national and international research collaboration. Mandy is an Australian Endeavour Fellow and is co-authoring a book on Indigenous Peoples and the Capability Approach.
Diana supports budgeting and finance including financial monitoring and reforecasting, and financial reporting for IWDA ANU team. She is a Certified Practicing Accountant and holds a Master of Applied Commerce (Accounting). Diana has over 10 years’ experience in corporate and not for profit environments, including with Etihad Stadium, Coles Financial Services, and Matrix on Board, consulting to not for profit organisations to improve their financial management systems.