Consultancy service

Program Design

Design a signature program — early years, STEM, wellbeing, AI, gifted, remediation — that is coherent from vision to lesson.

The problem it solves

A new program needs to be designed well the first time — because rebuilds cost trust as well as money.

Why it matters

A poorly designed program is expensive twice: once to run, and once to unwind. Getting design right the first time — purpose, curriculum, staffing, evaluation — turns a program into an institutional asset rather than a recurring liability.

Our approach

We design programs from purpose down, not from activities up. Outcomes are agreed first. Curriculum, assessment, staffing, coaching, and family engagement are then designed to serve those outcomes — with a pilot and evaluation plan built in from day one.

What is included

Everything that makes the engagement land.

  • Program purpose and outcomes design
  • Curriculum architecture and assessment plan
  • Staffing model and coaching cycle
  • Family and community engagement plan
  • Pilot design with evaluation criteria
  • Implementation playbook for facilitators
Timeline

How the engagement unfolds.

Phasing is calibrated to your context — but this is the typical shape.

  1. 01
    2 weeks

    Scoping

    • Stakeholder interviews
    • Purpose and outcomes definition
    • Constraints and non-negotiables
  2. 02
    4–8 weeks

    Design

    • Curriculum architecture sprints
    • Assessment and evidence design
    • Staffing and coaching model
  3. 03
    1 term

    Pilot

    • Small-scale pilot with evaluation
    • Weekly facilitator coaching
    • Interim data reviews
  4. 04
    2–3 weeks

    Handover

    • Playbook finalization
    • Facilitator train-the-trainer
    • Scale plan
Deliverables

What you actually receive.

Every artifact is designed to be used by the people who need it — not to sit in a shared drive.

Deliverable 01

Program design document

The written specification of the program — purpose, outcomes, architecture, staffing, and evaluation.

Deliverable 02

Curriculum & assessment blueprint

A unit-by-unit map of the curriculum, aligned to outcomes and assessment evidence.

Deliverable 03

Facilitator playbook

The operational playbook facilitators use week to week — including planning templates and coaching prompts.

Deliverable 04

Pilot evaluation framework

A framework covering what will be measured, how, and when — with clear go/no-go criteria for scaling.

Deliverable 05

Family engagement plan

Communication and involvement plan for families, aligned to the program's outcomes.

Sample outputs

A few of the artifacts partners have received.

Anonymized examples of the kind of work this engagement produces.

Sample

Outcomes-to-unit map

A visual mapping every program outcome to the units and assessments that address it.

Sample

Facilitator week-in-the-life

A one-page picture of what a facilitator's week actually looks like when the program is running well.

Sample

Pilot dashboard

A dashboard template used to review pilot data in real time.

Full samples are shared under NDA during discovery — never on the public site.

Frequently asked

About program design.

Do you design curriculum from scratch, or adapt existing materials?

Both. We often work with existing materials, filling gaps and improving coherence rather than starting from zero.

How large a pilot do you recommend?

Large enough to be honest, small enough to be safe — typically one or two cohorts across one or two sites.

Can we scale before piloting?

We advise against it. The pilot is what protects the institution from expensive rework at scale.

Who owns the intellectual property?

You do. The program is designed for and with your institution; we retain the right to reference our involvement.

Book a discovery call

Book a discovery call about program design.

Pick a 30-minute slot with a senior advisor, or send a short note and we'll respond within two working days.

  • 30-minute discovery conversation, no cost or obligation.
  • Confidential — details are never shared beyond the advisory team.
  • Prefer to write? Switch to the short note fallback on the right.
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