Overview
In close collaboration with WWF-Australia, we worked on increasing the conservation and social impact of their research work.
Findings from over 40 internal and external participants were synthesised into a report, ultimately allowing WWF-Australia to formalise high quality, collaborative research partnerships resulting in impactful research outcomes.

The challenge
WWF-Australia’s Science and Research Evaluation Framework provides a structured approach to help govern, coordinate and communicate their research efforts including targeted and collaborative research partnerships.
Whilst WWF-Australia has a strong internal research capacity, this is limited relative to the range and scale of research required each year. WWF-Australia sought support to build strategies that ensure the successful engagement of targeted research partnerships, critical to their ability to create meaningful impact.
The Project
Engaged by the Head of Science and Evaluation at WWF-Australia Australia, our team facilitated discussions with internal and external stakeholders to develop a refined approach to engaging research partnerships.
Together, we:
Defined project intent, scope and requirements identifying critical research gaps and opportunities for WWF-Australia to pursue
Engaged over 40 diverse participants across 5 separate engagements to gain a unique qualitative understanding of the NGOs research space
Generate insights, a prioritisation model, and a partnership assessment tool to support WWF-Australia’s decision-making process ensuring impactful research partnerships
Explored 5 venture models WWF-Australia could leverage for new partnerships that create more diverse access to research capabilities

The Result
Our team co-designed a document that supports the WWF-Australia Science and Research Framework to evaluate research opportunities by promoting cost-effective, transparent and strategically aligned projects. This elevates WWF-Australia’s ability to target projects and partnerships which will result in measurable social and environmental outcomes.
The Future
Empowered with the detailed insight and prioritisation tools, WWF-Australia can ensure highly successful research partnerships and research outcomes that generate significant future social and environmental impact.
What we delivered
Human-centred design approach
Interviews and workshops
Workshop design and materials including pre-readings
Prioritisation models for research and partnership identification
A final report featuring interview and workshop summaries, research gaps and opportunities, collaboration insights, models, tools and next steps
Visual and information design
Scenario exploration
A method transforming the way WWF-Australia strategically assigns resources, creating targeted research outcomes