PPX Webinar Series · University of Ottawa Centre on Governance

How do we know whether an innovation, technology, policy, practice, or regulatory initiative is truly positioned to achieve its intended results?

Traditional theories of change and logic models provide an essential foundation for performance measurement and evaluation. However, they may not fully capture the contextual factors that influence results achievement.

This webinar introduces a broader family of Readiness Level approaches that can complement logic models and theories of change. Participants will explore how Technology Readiness Levels and other readiness frameworks can help identify enabling conditions, assumptions, barriers, and contextual factors that influence implementation and success.

Using practical examples, presenters will demonstrate how readiness level rubrics can support retrospective assessment, organizational learning, program design, monitoring, and results management.

What You Will Learn

• Why Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) alone may not provide a complete picture of progress and results.
• How commercial, policy, societal, environmental, financial, and other readiness dimensions can complement traditional technology readiness assessments.
• How readiness factors can be incorporated into theories of change, logic models, and results frameworks.
• Practical approaches for integrating readiness level rubrics into performance measurement and evaluation activities.
• How readiness frameworks can strengthen results stories by making contextual factors, assumptions, and enabling conditions more explicit.
• Ways to use readiness level rubrics both retrospectively to understand results achievement and prospectively to assess future initiatives.
• Examples of readiness level applications relevant to science, research, innovation, policy, and program environments.

Why Attend?

Whether you work in government, academia, the non-profit sector, or industry, understanding the conditions that enable success is essential for effective planning, management, and accountability. This session will provide practical tools and perspectives that can help participants better understand how innovations, policies, programs, and initiatives progress from concept to impact.

The webinar will also explore how multiple readiness dimensions can work together to strengthen evidence-based decision-making and improve the credibility of results reporting and performance stories.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is intended for:

• Performance measurement professionals
• Evaluators
• Results-based management practitioners
• Policy analysts
• Program managers
• Researchers and research administrators
• Innovation leaders
• Government professionals
• Students interested in evaluation, innovation, public policy, or performance measurement
• Anyone seeking practical approaches to understanding and communicating results

About the Presenters

Steve Montague is a recognized leader in results-based management, performance measurement, evaluation, and organizational learning. Throughout his career, he has worked with governments, research organizations, international institutions, and non-profit organizations to strengthen results-focused planning, measurement, accountability, and learning practices.

Élyse McCall-Thomas brings extensive experience in science, research, innovation, and public policy. Her work has focused on advancing innovation systems and helping organizations better understand how ideas move from development to adoption, implementation, and impact.

Together, Steve and Élyse will share practical insights on how readiness level rubrics can complement Technology Readiness Levels and provide a richer understanding of the contextual factors that contribute to successful results achievement.

Registration

This webinar is offered free of charge as part of the PPX Webinar Series. Registration is required.

We look forward to welcoming researchers, practitioners, policymakers, evaluators, students, and members of the broader results and innovation communities to this timely discussion on strengthening results stories through readiness level thinking.