PRL 1 · Practitioner-Identified Problem (open)

Is the problem articulated by practitioners in their operational context?

• ☐1-3 domain practitioners independently identify pain point as top-3 operational challenge
• ☐Problem documented using practitioner's own terminology (not researcher language)
• ☐Problem manifests ≥3 times per week in normal workflow conditions
• ☐Problem causation understood by practitioners (not just symptoms)

Ask Practitioner (Daily User): “Do you face this problem daily?”

Red flag: Occasionally or Sometimes

Gate: Problem must score ≥60/100 on urgency-feasibility matrix to progress to PRL 2

PRL 2 · Cohort-Validated Problem (locked)

Does the problem persist across a statistically meaningful practitioner cohort?

• ☐≥10 practitioners independently rank problem in personal top-3 operational challenges
• ☐Qualitative validation via job shadowing, workflow observation, or ethnographic study
• ☐Problem persists across different organisational contexts (not unique to one site/team)
• ☐Practitioners can articulate impact on service delivery, patient/client outcomes, or operational efficiency

Ask Practitioners (Sector Cohort): “Is this a sector-wide problem or just your organisation?”

Red flag: Only 1-2 organisations face it

Gate: Problem must achieve ≥65/100 on prevalence-impact scoring to progress to PRL 2.5

PRL 2.5 · Pilot Commitment Validation (locked)

Will practitioners allocate time and organisational permission to test potential solutions?

• ☐≥5 practitioners sign non-financial Letter of Intent committing to 2-week pilot participation
• ☐Practitioners commit specific time slots within existing workflows (not "if I have time")
• ☐Line manager/organisational approval secured for pilot activity
• ☐Clear success criteria co-defined by practitioners (not imposed by researchers)

Ask Practitioners (Pilot Participants): “Will you commit 10+ hours over 2 weeks to test solutions?”

Red flag: Maybe later or If we have time

Gate: Minimum 5 committed practitioners with organisational approval to progress to PRL 3

PRL 3 · Economic Signal Validation (locked)

Is there demonstrable willingness-to-pay from both individual practitioners and institutional budget holders?

• ☐Small Entity Validation: ≥30% conversion rate on £100 pre-sale offer OR commitment to paid pilot
• ☐Institutional Validation: Purchase Order simulation OR Letter of Intent with identified budget code
• ☐Dual-segment validation (individual practitioners + institutional decision-makers)
• ☐Budget pathway mapped (grants, departmental allocation, efficiency savings reinvestment)

Ask Customer (Pays) + 12 Stakeholders: “Will you pay £X today to fix this?”

Red flag: Let me think or After v2

Gate: Minimum dual-segment validation (≥30% small entity + 1 institutional LOI) OR single-segment validation at 50%+ to progress to Experiment stage

PRL 4 · Analogue Solution Efficacy (locked)

Does a non-technical solution approach achieve baseline efficacy in real practitioner workflows?

• ☐≥70% task completion rate using paper prototypes, manual processes, or no-code tools
• ☐2-week practitioner pilot with minimal technology dependencies
• ☐Time-to-task baseline established (current state vs analogue solution)
• ☐Practitioners can explain solution logic to peers without researcher mediation

Ask Supply Chain + Academics: “Can we source, build, deliver this reliably?”

Red flag: Can't source materials or Impossible

Gate: ≥70% task completion + practitioner confidence score ≥75/100 to progress to PRL 5

PRL 5 · Digital Prototype Workflow Integration (locked)

Does the digital minimum viable product (MVP) integrate seamlessly into real operational workflows?

• ☐Practitioners use MVP for ≥1 full shift per week over 4-week period
• ☐Measurable improvement: time-to-task reduced OR error rate decreased OR quality metrics improved
• ☐Practitioners can independently troubleshoot common issues
• ☐Practitioners explain usage to peers without vendor/researcher support

Ask Practitioner (Daily User): “Does this save you 2+ hours per week?”

Red flag: Maybe or I'd try it

Gate: ≥80/100 on workflow integration score + measurable efficiency gain to progress to PRL 6

PRL 6 · Immediate Switch Validation (locked)

Would practitioners immediately adopt if solution were available today, and would they resist its removal?

• ☐Net Promoter Score (NPS) ≥80 (would recommend to peer)
• ☐"Mission-Critical" responses: "I would quit/switch organisations if this were removed"
• ☐Adversarial testing: practitioners successfully defend solution to sceptical colleagues
• ☐Tech Value Rating (TVR) ≥10/20 (composite of time saved, error reduction, satisfaction, peer recommendation)

Ask Frontline Operator + Market: “Would you fight to keep this tool?”

Red flag: Silence, shrugs, or It's okay

Gate: NPS ≥80 + TVR ≥10 + ≥3 identified champions to progress to Build stage

PRL 7 · Champion Advocacy & Mobilisation (locked)

Are practitioner champions actively mobilising internal resources and peer networks for adoption?

• ☐≥3 practitioner champions secure internal budget allocation OR organisational commitment
• ☐Champions co-present solution at professional conferences, networks, or internal governance meetings
• ☐Champions recruit additional pilot sites or user cohorts independently
• ☐Champions co-own product roadmap (not passive users)

Ask Internal Champion: “Does your team need this yesterday to win?”

Red flag: Nice to have or Eventually

Gate: ≥3 active champions + ≥2 organisational commitments to progress to PRL 8

PRL 8 · Operational Embedding (locked)

Is the solution embedded within operational practice across multiple organisations with demonstrable sustainability?

• ☐≥100 active users across ≥5 organisations
• ☐90% retention rate after 3 months (churn ≤10%)
• ☐Referral rate ≥30% (users recruit peers without vendor prompting)
• ☐Solution integrated into organisational onboarding and training protocols
• ☐Evidence of routine use (not project-dependent)

Ask Community (Peer Network): “Would you recommend this to peers?”

Red flag: <30% referral rate

Gate: ≥100 users + 90% retention + 30% referral + operational embedding evidence to progress to PRL 9

PRL 9 · Sector Standard & Ecosystem Transformation (locked)

Has the solution achieved sector standard status with measurable ecosystem effects?

• ☐Community of practice established (conferences, user groups, professional networks)
• ☐Training curriculum adopted by professional bodies (Royal Colleges, Chartered Institutes)
• ☐Policy influence: solution cited in sector guidelines, standards, or regulatory frameworks
• ☐Second-order ecosystem effects: competitors emerge, complementary solutions develop, academic literature grows
• ☐Practitioner identity incorporates solution usage ("I'm an X practitioner who uses Y")

Ask Market + Customer: “Is this becoming sector standard?”

Red flag: No ecosystem effects visible

Gate: Community formation + professional body adoption + policy influence + ecosystem effects = PRL 9 achieved