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07 - KPIs & Scorecard

Vigía Incubation Framework (VIF)

National Public–Private Incubation Network Guide - Version 1.0


1. Introduction

A national incubation network cannot function without clear, standardized, and evidence-driven performance measurement.
KPIs and scorecards ensure:

  • national visibility,
  • cross-node comparability,
  • accountability,
  • data integrity,
  • investment discipline, and
  • continuous improvement across the system.

This section provides the measurement backbone for VIF by defining:

  • what must be measured,
  • how it must be measured,
  • how it is reported, and
  • how KPIs link to funding, governance, and policy.

For navigation support, see 00a - How to Use VIF.
For terminology, see 00c - Glossary.


2. How to Read This Section

This section explains:

  • what KPIs matter and why,
  • how KPIs flow through the VIF system,
  • how KPIs inform investment decisions,
  • how the national scorecard is constructed,
  • how KPIs strengthen governance,
  • how data feeds into foresight (Vigía Futura), and
  • how KPIs support national policy improvement.

This section directly supports:

  • Section 03 - System Architecture
  • Section 04 - Operating Model
  • Section 05 - Funding Model
  • Section 08 - Roadmap & Phasing
  • Annex 10 - Templates

3. KPI Framework Overview

The VIF KPI Framework integrates:

  • Evidence (MCF 2.1)
  • Institutional maturity (IMM-P®)
  • Foresight insights (Vigía Futura)
  • Startup performance data
  • Incubator operational data
  • National innovation metrics

4. KPI System Diagram

KPI Feedback Loop
flowchart TD
A(VIF KPIs) --> B(Scorecard Indices)
B --> C(National Dashboard)
C --> D(MEL System)
D --> E(Policy Feedback · Vigía Futura)
E --> A

This loop ensures the KPI system is adaptive, evidence-driven, and strategically aligned.


5. Measurement Philosophy

The KPI system is based on four principles:

5.1 Evidence Over Assumptions

KPIs must be grounded in verifiable data, not narrative.

5.2 Leading & Lagging Indicators

  • Leading indicators predict future success
  • Lagging indicators confirm outcomes

Both are required for national visibility.

5.3 Contextualization

KPIs must be comparable across nodes but interpreted contextually.

5.4 Transparency & Traceability

All KPI submissions must be logged in the national digital system.


6. KPI Categories

KPIs are grouped into five national categories:

  1. Startup Performance
  2. Incubator Maturity & Capability
  3. Program Delivery & Quality
  4. Investment & Tranching Performance
  5. Network-Level Economic Indicators

Each category contains KPIs reported monthly, quarterly, or annually.


7. KPI Definitions

Below is a non-exhaustive list of standardized KPIs.
All definitions must be used consistently across incubator nodes.

7.1 Startup Performance KPIs

KPIDefinitionFrequency
Customer Interviews CompletedNumber of validated customer conversationsMonthly
Evidence Components CompletedNumber of MCF components finalizedMonthly
Monthly Active Users (MAU)Active unique users per monthMonthly
RevenueGross monthly revenueMonthly
Retention Rate% of users retained month-to-monthMonthly
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)Total acquisition cost / # of new customersQuarterly
Service Delivery KPIsSector-specific operational indicatorsMonthly

7.2 Incubator Maturity & Capability KPIs

KPIDefinitionFrequency
IMM-P® Maturity Level0–5 score based on institutional capabilitiesAnnual
Governance ComplianceAdherence to reporting & decision rulesQuarterly
Evidence Review QualityAccuracy and completeness of node submissionsQuarterly
Mentor/Coach Certification% of staff trained in MCF standardsAnnual
Digital MaturityAbility to use national platform toolsAnnual

7.3 Program Delivery & Quality KPIs

KPIDefinitionFrequency
Module Completion Rate% of standardized modules deliveredQuarterly
Coaching HoursTotal hours provided to startupsMonthly
Program Satisfaction ScoreParticipant-reported qualityQuarterly
Timeliness of Reports% of reports delivered on timeMonthly
Compliance Violations# of deviations from standardsQuarterly

7.4 Investment & Tranching KPIs

KPIDefinitionFrequency
Tranche Approval Rate% of tranches approved vs. submittedQuarterly
Investment Lead TimeTime from submission to IC decisionQuarterly
Follow-On FundingTotal additional capital raisedAnnual
Renewal Decisions% of contracts renewedAnnual

7.5 Network-Level KPIs

KPIDefinitionFrequency
Regional Coverage# of active nodes per regionAnnual
Sector DiversificationSpread across priority sectorsAnnual
Job CreationTotal jobs generated by active startupsAnnual
Export Readiness% of startups preparing internationalizationAnnual
Public Value IndicatorsSector-specific socio-economic impact metricsAnnual

8. KPI Misuse & Ethical Guidelines

To prevent distortions and ensure fairness:

  • avoid KPI inflation,
  • avoid punitive KPI use,
  • avoid comparing nodes without context,
  • avoid vanity metrics,
  • avoid KPI overload,
  • avoid conflicting KPI incentives.

Nodes should focus on learning, not gaming.


9. National Scorecard

KPIs feed into five national indices:

  1. Startup Outcomes Index
  2. Incubator Maturity Index
  3. Program Quality Index
  4. Investment Effectiveness Index
  5. National Innovation Impact Index

10. Scorecard Methodology

10.1 Normalization

Values are normalized (0–100) to ensure comparability.

10.2 Weighting

Each index contains weighted KPIs based on:

  • strategic importance,
  • data reliability,
  • foresight alignment.

10.3 Aggregation

Indexes are aggregated to produce a national VIF performance score.

10.4 Thresholds

Score ranges:

  • 80–100 → Excellent
  • 60–79 → Strong
  • 40–59 → Needs Support
  • 0–39 → Critical Attention

11. National Dashboard Architecture

National Dashboard Architecture
flowchart TD
A(KPIs) --> B(Node Dashboards)
B --> C(TOU Aggregation Layer)
C --> D(National Dashboard)
D --> E(Public Dashboard)
D --> F(Government Dashboard)
D --> G(Investor Dashboard)

Dashboards differ by audience but share the same underlying data.


12. National Reporting Calendar

Monthly

  • Startup KPIs
  • Coaching hours
  • Evidence submissions
  • Timeliness KPIs

Quarterly

  • Program quality indicators
  • Tranche decisions
  • Governance compliance

Annual

  • IMM-P® maturity updates
  • Economic impact
  • Network coverage
  • Sector diversification
  • National scorecard publication

13. Connection to Section 08 - Roadmap & Phasing

The KPIs in this section define:

  • readiness milestones,
  • annual system targets,
  • capability requirements for scaling,
  • timeline checkpoints for national rollout.

14. Reference Snapshot

Primary Doulab frameworks:

External influences (non-primary):

  • OECD Public Governance Principles
  • OECD Strategic Foresight Toolkit
  • WIPO Global Innovation Index
  • World Bank GovTech Maturity Index

Full bibliography available in 11-references.md.


15. Licensing

Vigia Incubation Framework © 2025 by Luis A. Santiago is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 CC BY NC ND See: LICENSE.md

MicroCanvas®, IMM-P® and VIF are proprietary methodologies of Doulab.