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When is a Funding to Impact Portfolio Build useful?
Many organisations that fund or invest in research already have established funding programs, organisational strategies, data, and examples of impact.
But these may have been developed separately across different funding programs, teams and funding cycles. This can make it difficult to bring evidence together and explain what the portfolio contributes overall.
A Portfolio Build may be useful when:
individual finding programs have impact pathways, frameworks or evaluation findings, but these do not combine into a clear portfolio view
programs use different language to describe their purpose, intended impacts or contribution
data and metrics cannot readily be compared or synthesised across programs
evidence remains dispersed across program reports, evaluations and impact case studies
boards, executives, government or donors want to understand the contribution of the portfolio as a whole
the organisation is developing or reviewing its strategy or investment portfolio
portfolio-level evidence is needed to inform future funding decisions
teams need a more consistent approach to portfolio reporting and impact communication.
Individual programs may be performing well while the organisation still finds it difficult to explain their collective contribution.
The Funding to Impact Diagnostic can help identify where your system may need attention. However, completing the Diagnostic is not a prerequisite for a Portfolio Build.
Connect the complete system across your funding portfolio
A strong Funding to Impact System exists when the core components are individually strong and working together.
The Portfolio Build connects these components across multiple funding programs.
Purpose: Establish a shared understanding of why the funding portfolio exists, what it is intended to enable and whose needs it is designed to address.
Strategic alignment: Connect individual funding programs to organisational priorities and examine whether the overall balance of investment reflects the organisation’s strategy.
Impact pathways: Understand the distinct roles played by different programs and how their pathways make complementary contributions to shared impact themes and longer-term change.
Data and metrics: Identify the evidence needed to understand portfolio-level progress, including what can be meaningfully aligned or aggregated and what should remain specific to individual programs.
Impact narrative: Develop a structure for explaining the portfolio’s collective contribution to broader change without overstating attribution.
The goal is not to make every funding program the same. Different programs may generate new knowledge, build research capability, support collaboration, strengthen translation or contribute to policy, practice and system change.
The Portfolio Build creates enough shared structure to understand these different contributions, bring evidence together and explain how the portfolio supports broader organisational priorities.
What your organisation will achieve
By the end of the Portfolio Build, your organisation will have:
a shared understanding of the portfolio’s purpose and intended contribution
a clearer connection between organisational and research strategy and funding programs
shared impact themes that connect programs without removing their distinct purposes
greater clarity about the different and complementary roles programs play
a structured view of gaps, overlap and strategic opportunities across the portfolio
a practical approach to bringing together program-level data, evaluation findings and qualitative evidence
clarity about which evidence can be aligned or aggregated and which should remain program-specific
better use of evidence already collected across funding programs
a stronger foundation for portfolio-level learning and decision-making
a structure for communicating collective contribution to boards, executives, government, donors and other stakeholders
a practical roadmap for implementing and maintaining the portfolio-level system
stronger internal capacity to use portfolio evidence to guide future investment.
The Portfolio Build does more than produce a new framework. We work through the important decisions with your team so that the portfolio structure reflects your strategy, programs, evidence and operating context. Your organisation is left with practical tools and stronger internal capacity to maintain and use the approach.
How it works
Phase 1: Agree on the scope
We begin with a scoping discussion to confirm:
the focal funding portfolio
the programs to be included
the purpose and intended outcomes of the engagement
the relevant stakeholders
the existing materials and evidence
The standard Portfolio Build covers one research funding portfolio and up to six funding programs.
Phase 2. Review what you already have
Your organisation provides the agreed strategy, program, impact, evaluation and reporting documents.
We review these materials to understand:
what is already working
how programs currently connect to organisational strategy
the maturity of program-level impact pathways and evidence
where alignment across the portfolio begins to weaken
which issues require particular attention.
If your team has completed the Funding to Impact Diagnostic, the results can inform this work, but they are not required.
Phase 3: Align portfolio purpose and shared impact themes
We facilitate structured workshops with executives, strategy, evaluation, impact and program stakeholders where we clarify:
the portfolio’s purpose and its relationship to organisational strategy
shared impact themes and impact pathways
citical assumptions and contextual influences
Phase 4: Map program contributions
Each funding program is mapped against the shared portfolio impact themes and strategic priorities. We examine:
what each program is designed to enable
where contributions overlap
where programs are complementary
whether any programs lack a clear strategic connection
whether the overall balance of investment reflects organisational priorities.
Phase 5: Align data and metrics
We review the data and metrics currently collected across programs and assess alignment with impact pathways. This includes identifying:
data and metrics that can be meaningfully aggregated
evidence that could be synthesised thematically
duplication and underused data and important gaps
Phase 6: Build the data collection and synthesis model
We develop a practical process for turning program evidence into portfolio-level insight. This may include for example:
a consistent reporting structure for program teams
a consistent approach to data collection, where feasible and appropriate
portfolio reporting cycles
a structure for board and executive reporting.
Phase 7: Validate and hand over
We translate the agreed decisions into the Portfolio Impact Charter, Portfolio Impact Architecture, Program-to-Portfolio Contribution Matrix, Portfolio Evidence Framework, Portfolio Impact Brief Template and Implementation Roadmap.
Draft outputs are provided to your team for consolidated review. We then facilitate a final validation and handover session to:
test the usability of the portfolio architecture and tools
confirm the relationships between programs and portfolio priorities
resolve outstanding decisions
agree on responsibilities and ownership
identify implementation priorities
consider how the outputs will be used internally
identify where further capability building or system development may be required.
The final outputs are then provided to your organisation.
What you receive
Portfolio Impact Charter, a shared statement establishing why the funding portfolio exists, who or what is expected to benefit, how the portfolio contributes to organisational strategy.
Portfolio Impact Architecture, a shared structure connecting the organisation’s strategic priorities to portfolio-level impact themes.
Program-to-Portfolio Contribution Matrix, a map showing how each funding program contributes to the portfolio’s strategic priorities and shared impact themes.
Portfolio Evidence Framework, a framework connecting portfolio impact pathways and themes to the data and metrics needed to assess progress and contribution.
Portfolio Impact Brief Template that shows how the new architecture can be used in practice and may include portfolio purpose and strategic contribution, progress across shared impact themes, key learnings, evidence gaps and implications for future investment.
Implementation Roadmap, a prioritised roadmap setting out immediate actions, longer-term improvements, responsibilities and ownership, reporting and synthesis cycles, required changes to templates or processes, staff or grantee capability requirements, 90-day priorities.
What it costs
What it costs
Indicative investment for the Funding to Impact Portfolio Build™ is from AUD $45,000.
The standard starting scope includes:
one funding portfolio
up to six funding programs
review of up to 20 documents
up to four facilitated workshops
the core Portfolio Build outputs
one consolidated review round.
The final investment depends on:
the number of programs
portfolio diversity and complexity
the number of stakeholder groups
volume and quality of existing evidence
number of workshops
additional operational ouputs
Following the initial discussion, Quality for Outcomes provides a tailored proposal confirming scope, deliverables, responsibilities, timeframe and investment.
A portfolio-level build; not a complete redesign of every funding program
The Portfolio Build creates a shared architecture for connecting funding programs and bringing evidence together at the portfolio level.
It works best when the purpose and impact foundations of the included programs are reasonably clear.
Where selected programs have significant gaps in their purpose, strategic alignment, impact pathways, data or reporting, a preliminary Program Build or phased approach may be recommended.
The Portfolio Build does not ordinarily include:
a formal evaluation of individual funding programs
primary data collection from researchers, partners or beneficiaries
analysis of large datasets
economic evaluation or return-on-investment analysis
dashboard or software development
redevelopment of every program document
a complete Program Build for each included program
implementation of every roadmap recommendation
preparation of a completed annual portfolio impact report.
Where further support is required, such as revising reporting requirements, developing shared templates, embedding portfolio priorities in funding decisions or preparing a portfolio impact report, this can be separately scoped.
Sprint, Program Build or Portfolio Build?
➡️Choose the Sprint when:
there is one relatively clear issue
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.
Explore the Funding to Impact Sprint
➡️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 need attention, the Portfolio Build may include a preliminary Program Build or a phased approach for selected priority programs.
Need tailored support?
These options are designed to work for most organisations that fund or invest in research. 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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