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02 — How to Use This Guide

How to Use This Guide (and What "Success" Looks Like)​

Definitions

Portfolio governance: The decision rights, cadence, and criteria used to allocate resources across innovation bets. Decision gate: A formal Go / Review / No-Go checkpoint based on minimum evidence thresholds.

Who this is for​

  • Public-sector leaders: Translate mission priorities into evidence-backed portfolios and delivery outcomes.
  • Innovation lab directors: Establish governance, cadence, and decision gates that sustain throughput.
  • Policy and strategy owners: Align lab work with national or institutional priorities and measurable outcomes.
  • Delivery teams: Operate within a repeatable loop that converts discovery into validated pilots.

What you can do in 30 days, 90 days, and 12 months​

  • 30 days: Publish a lab charter, define intake criteria, and baseline three operating metrics.
  • 90 days: Complete two discovery cycles, one validation gate, and one evidence review memo.
  • 12 months: Run quarterly portfolio reviews, scale three pilots, and document impact metrics by category.

What “good” looks like (minimum viable lab vs. mature lab)​

  • Minimum viable lab: Clear charter, a single decision gate, and a small portfolio with defined outcomes.
  • Mature lab: Portfolio governance, repeatable evidence standards, and cross-institution delivery agreements.
  • Minimum viable evidence: A written hypothesis, one experiment, and a decision memo.
  • Mature evidence: Comparable baselines, longitudinal outcomes, and public transparency when appropriate.
  • Decision cadence: Monthly operating reviews at minimum; quarterly portfolio decisions at maturity.

How MCF 2.2, IMM, VILF, and Vigía Futura fit together​

  • MCF 2.2: Defines the operating loop and evidence requirements for each phase of innovation.
  • IMM: Aligns lab ambition to maturity, resource levels, and governance readiness.
  • VILF: Vigía Innovation Lab Framework (VILF) establishes network design and governance for multi-lab coordination at scale.
  • Vigía Futura: Can provide foresight inputs that shape portfolio choices and capability bets.
  • Integration: The four elements connect evidence, maturity, governance, and foresight into a single system.