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The Diagnostic helps identify where your funding-to-impact system first starts to weaken.
It cannot, on its own, explain:
why the issue has arisen
how it affects your particular funding program
which change will make the greatest practical difference
what is feasible within your existing capacity and systems
The Sprint provides hands on support and gives your team structured space to make decisions and move forward.
It is designed for situations where the priority is relatively clear and your organisation has the internal capacity to implement the agreed actions.
The Sprint addresses one clearly defined priority component. Depending on your Diagnostic result, this may include:
clarifying the purpose of a funding program
strengthening alignment with organisational strategy
clarifying one impact pathway
aligning current data and metrics with the impact pathway
strengthening one impact narrative
At a glance
One funding program
One priority funding-to-impact system component
Review of up to five key documents
One 90-minute working session
Funding to Impact Alignment Snapshot
Priority Decision Brief
One targeted practical artefact
What the Sprint enables
The Sprint helps your organisation:
move from diagnosis to practical action
direct limited time and resources to the most important component
create a shared understanding across relevant team members
avoid unnecessary system or reporting changes
make better use of existing data and documents
build internal confidence to implement the next steps.
Who the Sprint is for
The Sprint is designed for:
national and international research funding organisations
government research funding agencies and departments
philanthropic funders with research portfolios
disease-specific research charities
mission-driven funders supporting research, translation, capability or system change.
It may be particularly useful when:
you have completed the Diagnostic but are unsure what to do next
one component of the system appears to need attention
a program review, redesign or evaluation is approaching
reporting is creating burden without enough useful insight
a board, executive or government stakeholder wants clearer evidence of impact
your team needs a shared position before changing funding or reporting processes
you have internal capacity to implement improvements but need specialist support to determine the right direction.
What you will receive
Funding to Impact Alignment Snapshot
A concise assessment of:
where the funding to impact system is currently strong
where the system first starts to weaken
factors contributing to the issue
the practical consequences for funding design, evidence or reporting.
Priority Decision Brief
A clear account of the two or three decisions your team needs to make to address the priority component.
One targeted practical artefact
Depending on the Sprint focus, this may be:
a revised program purpose and alignment statement
a first-draft impact pathway
a prioritised data and metrics table
a draft impact narrative structure.
The artefact is agreed during scoping and is limited to one defined output.
How it works
Phase 1. Confirm the focus
We review your completed Diagnostic result and hold a brief scoping conversation to agree on:
the focal funding program
the priority component
the practical decision or outcome required
the relevant working session participants and documents for review.
Phase 2. Focused document review
We review up to five agreed core documents. These may include:
organisational strategy
program or scheme guidelines
impact or evaluation frameworks
grant application or reporting templates
The purpose is not to conduct a full evaluation or audit. It is to understand the issue in context and identify factors that may support or hinder practical action.
Phase 3. Work through the issue
We facilitate a 90-minute working session with relevant members of your team.
The session is designed to:
establish a shared understanding of the issue
test assumptions
consider organisational constraints
identify realistic options
agree on priorities and next steps.
Phase 4. Receive your outputs
Following the session, you receive:
the Funding to Impact Alignment Snapshot
the Priority Decision Brief
the agreed practical artefact.
A short follow-up conversation is included to clarify the outputs and support handover.
What the Sprint is not
The Sprint is not:
a full program evaluation
an audit
a comparative impact assessment
a complete redesign of a funding program
a portfolio-wide impact system
implementation of multiple recommendations
data analysis or dashboard development.
It is a focused engagement designed to resolve one priority issue and establish a practical path forward.
Where several components need to be aligned, or substantial operational redesign is required, the Funding to Impact Program Build™ is likely to be more appropriate.
What it costs
Indicative investment for the Funding to Impact Sprint™ from AUD $3,000 + GST.
This includes one funding program, one priority issue, review of up to five documents, one working session and the agreed outputs described above. Additional documents, workshops, participants or artefacts can be separately scoped and costed.
Sprint, Program Build or Portfolio Build?
Choose the Sprint when:
there is one relatively clear priority component
the work relates to one part of the funding-to-impact system
your team can implement the resulting actions
you need a focused decision and roadmap.
Choose the Program Build when:
several components are disconnected
stakeholders do not share a consistent understanding of the program
purpose, strategy, pathway, data and metrics and narrative all require alignment
you want a complete model that can later be applied to other programs.
Explore the Funding to Impact Program Build
Choose the Portfolio Build when:
you need to connect multiple funding programs
program-level frameworks or evidence already exist but do not combine into a clear portfolio view
programs use inconsistent language, measures or reporting structures
leaders need to understand collective contribution, gaps and strategic opportunities
the organisation needs a portfolio-level narrative for boards, government or donors
portfolio insight is needed to guide future investment.
Where program-level foundations are weak, the Portfolio Build may include a preliminary Program Build or a phased approach for selected priority programs.
Explore the Funding to Impact Portfolio Build
These options are designed to work for most research funding organisations. If your priorities or context require something different, contact us and we can tailor an approach that best meets your needs.
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