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Annex 01 - Terms of Reference (ToR)

National Steering Council (NSC)​

Vigía Incubation Framework (VIF)​

National Public–Private Incubator Network Guide - Version 1.0

1. Introduction

The National Steering Council (NSC) is the highest-level governance body of the Vigía Incubation Framework (VIF).
It provides strategic direction, national policy alignment, oversight, and system-wide decision-making for the public–private incubation network.

This annex defines the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the NSC, establishing:

  • mandate and scope,
  • membership and composition,
  • decision rights and boundaries,
  • operating procedures,
  • compliance and ethical obligations,
  • reporting requirements,
  • linkage to IMM-P®, MCF 2.1, and Vigía Futura,
  • localization guidelines for national adaptation.

These ToRs function as the official governance contract for countries adopting VIF.

For definitions, see 00c - Glossary.
For system context, see Sections 03, 04, 05, 07, and 09.

2. How to Use This Annex

This annex is designed for:

  • Ministers and senior public officials
  • University and private-sector partners
  • NSC members
  • Policy units and innovation agencies
  • Legal and compliance teams

Use this annex to:

  1. Establish the NSC during Phase 1 (see Section 08 - Roadmap)
  2. Define legal and operational governance structures
  3. Standardize roles and responsibilities
  4. Align decision-making across ministries and partners
  5. Integrate foresight and evidence into policy strategy

This annex provides the minimum national standards for NSC operation.
Countries may adapt it to their legal frameworks provided they maintain:

  • evidence integrity (MCF 2.1),
  • maturity alignment (IMM-P®),
  • governance independence of the IC,
  • public–private symmetry,
  • transparent decision-making,
  • traceable documentation.

3. NSC Governance Architecture

NSC Governance Flow
flowchart TD
    A(NSC Mandate) --> B(Composition)
    B --> C(Governance Responsibilities)
    C --> D(Decision Rights & Boundaries)
    D --> E(Annual Review & Foresight Cycle)
    E --> F(Compliance & COI)
    F --> G(Outputs & Reporting)

4. Mandate

The NSC ensures the national incubation network is:

  • strategically aligned with development priorities,
  • grounded in evidence-based decision-making (MCF 2.1),
  • built on institutional maturity progression (IMM-P®),
  • responsive to emerging trends (Vigía Futura),
  • financially sustainable,
  • transparent and publicly accountable.

The NSC does not interfere in day-to-day operations (TOU) or investment decisions (IC).

5. Composition & Membership

5.1 Membership Structure​

Membership must ensure representation across:

  • national government ministries (2–4 members),
  • private-sector representatives (1–2),
  • university or research institutions (1–2),
  • municipal or regional authorities (optional),
  • Vigía Futura foresight representative (1),
  • independent expert (1).

5.2 Appointment Rules​

  • Members are formally appointed by the lead ministry or national innovation authority.
  • Terms last 2–3 years, renewable once.
  • Diversity across gender, region, sector, and expertise is encouraged.
  • Members must complete governance and ethics induction.

6. Responsibilities

The NSC is responsible for:

6.1 Strategic Direction​

  • Approving national incubation strategy
  • Defining sector priorities (with Vigía Futura)
  • Approving long-term vision and goals
  • Ensuring alignment with national economic plans

6.2 Policy Alignment​

  • Ensuring compliance with public-sector regulations
  • Reviewing cross-ministerial mandates
  • Defining legal frameworks for public–private collaboration

6.3 Governance Oversight​

  • Approving accreditation standards
  • Approving major system changes
  • Approving annual national KPIs (Section 07)
  • Reviewing compliance and maturity assessments

6.4 Accountability​

  • Publishing governance reports
  • Overseeing transparency and open data (where lawful)
  • Monitoring system-wide risks

7. Decision Rights & Boundaries

7.1 NSC Decision Rights​

The NSC has authority to:

  • approve national strategy,
  • approve multi-year budgeting for NIF,
  • ratify IC membership,
  • set national KPIs,
  • approve governance and compliance rules,
  • approve node accreditation standards.

7.2 Boundaries (Prohibited Interference)​

To preserve system independence:

The NSC may NOT:

  • intervene in investment decisions (IC autonomy),
  • override evidence requirements (MCF 2.1),
  • modify maturity assessment results (IMM-P®),
  • direct specific startup-level decisions,
  • bypass compliance or audit procedures,
  • impose political interference in operational matters.

8. Operating Procedures

8.1 Meetings​

  • Frequency: quarterly, with special meetings as needed.
  • Quorum: 50% + 1 of members.
  • Chair: Elected by members for a 1-year renewable term.

8.2 Documentation​

  • Minutes must be recorded using official templates (Section 10).
  • All decisions must be logged in the national digital system.

8.3 Working Groups​

The NSC may create temporary working groups for:

  • policy design,
  • foresight exercises,
  • funding strategy,
  • compliance reviews.

9. Annual Review & Foresight Cycle

At the end of each year, the NSC conducts a national review that includes:

  1. KPI evaluation (Section 07)
  2. Foresight update via Vigía Futura
  3. Maturity level review (IMM-P®)
  4. Funding adequacy review (Section 05)
  5. Governance and compliance audit

Outputs feed into the following year’s roadmap (Section 08).

10. NSC KPIs

KPIDescription
Governance Compliance Score% of adherence to governance rules
Foresight Alignment IndexDegree to which decisions follow VF priorities
Decision Implementation Rate% of NSC decisions executed by TOU
Meeting Regularity% of meetings held as scheduled
Transparency ScorePublication and documentation completeness

11. Localization Guidance

Countries must adapt:

  • membership structure,
  • legal obligations,
  • public accountability rules,
  • meeting protocols,
  • confidentiality clauses.

Countries must not modify:

  • evidence standards (MCF 2.1),
  • maturity standards (IMM-P®),
  • conflict-of-interest rules,
  • IC independence,
  • the annual foresight cycle.

12. Outputs & Reporting

The NSC produces:

  • annual strategic plan,
  • annual governance report,
  • sector prioritization updates,
  • system-wide KPI recommendations,
  • accreditation and compliance resolution.

13. Reference Snapshot

Primary Doulab frameworks:

External influences (non-primary):

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

See 11-references.md for full bibliography.

14. 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.