Tracking Adoption of Research Recommendations: The Recommendation-Adoption Score

Understanding Research Breakage

Did you know that research recommendations often fail to reach users effectively? This phenomenon, termed research breakage, highlights the gap between what researchers propose and what actually gets implemented. At Cisco, they realized that vague metrics and status updates were masking this issue, leading to overstated adoption rates and ultimately, a loss of credibility. The Recommendation-Adoption Score (RAS) was developed to quantify this breakage and provide a clear picture of how much research value truly reaches users.

The Importance of Clear Recommendations

To tackle research breakage, it's crucial to treat recommendations like inventory. Just as retailers track products through their supply chain, researchers must ensure that each recommendation is clearly defined and tied back to evidence. This means avoiding fuzzy descriptions and ensuring that each recommendation has a specific definition of 'done.' If a recommendation can't be clearly assessed, it’s already at risk of breakage. Assigning a named owner to each recommendation is equally vital; without accountability, recommendations can easily drift into obscurity.

Calculating the Recommendation-Adoption Score

Calculating the RAS involves categorizing each recommendation into statuses: Adopted, Committed, Communicated, or Canceled. Each status has a specific user value, with adopted recommendations scoring the highest. For instance, an adopted recommendation that addresses a major user problem scores 3 points, while a committed recommendation scores 0.66 points. This structured approach ensures that recommendations don’t just disappear into limbo, where most breakage occurs.

Real-World Application of RAS

Let’s say your research yields several recommendations. By applying the RAS formula—Actual user value ÷ Total possible user value x 100—you can calculate how effectively those recommendations have been adopted. For example, if your actual user value is 16.66 points out of a possible 36 points, your RAS would be approximately 46.3. This score indicates that while some improvements have been made, more than half of the potential value identified in research has not reached users.

Interpreting Your RAS Results

Understanding your RAS score is crucial. A score in the Poor range (0–29) suggests that teams are largely ignoring research, while a Fair score (30–54) indicates some movement but not enough to drive significant change. This insight allows teams to identify areas for improvement and adjust their strategies accordingly. The goal is to move towards a Good score (55–79) or even Excellent (80+), where research recommendations are effectively translating into user value.