Figure 6

Progression of R-D-P outputs through outcomes to impact. Figure 6 summarizes the progression of research (R), development (D) and production (P) outputs of a technology based research and development program towards outcomes and impacts, via knowledge translation (KT). Five adjacent columns sequentially connected by forward arrows show program progress. Arrows leading out of output boxes R, D and P, arranged one below the other in column one, connect to short term outcomes (column two) and represent knowledge translation (KT) to knowledge user (KU) groups. The forked arrows suggest alternate paths of effects generated on the KUs, as represented by alternate rows of boxes across columns. Rows 1, 3 and 5 refer to the first path: awareness of discovery (for R), invention (for D) or innovation(for P) in the short term (column two); interest and use, as well as policy and practice changes in the midterm (columns three and four); and impact in the long term (column 5). Rows 2, 4 and 6 show the alternate effect path. Here the KUs have taken the output to the next stage of technological innovation in the short term- i.e., R to D; D to P; or P to launch. This knowledge-to-action (KtA) effort is represented by 3 return arrows from column two to column one. The resulting path of effects shown in the last row of boxes: innovation launch in the short term; KU satisfaction, tracked market success, and sustained practice and policy changes in the midterm. These effects are more advanced in relation to long term impacts (last column) than the corresponding effects in the first, third and fifth rows. The time to impact is longest in the first row and shortest in the last. It can be verified by the outcomes and impact evaluation (box below columns) and documented through program database (box at bottom of diagram).