Research Design Document

Purpose

This is the CPC approval surface for Phase 1 design. It frames the linked artefacts below; it does not replace them. CPC approval of this package unlocks Phase 2 screening. Governance companion (meeting alignment): Kickoff Report. Verification criteria for M1 are summarised in Milestone 1.

Design stance

The research is mixed-method and hypothesis-testing: desk screening first, primary evidence to test and revise, then decision-ready synthesis. It is organised around the RFP decision gates, not a predetermined geography or conclusion. See Thesis and Phases.

Decision gates

Every workstream exists to answer the eight gates in Decision Gates. No section of the research exists except to answer one or more of them.

Screening instrument (RARF)

The Regional Adoption Readiness Framework is the comparative scoring model for candidate clusters. This design applies it as desk scores with explicit confidence first, then revises scores after primary research with changes tracked. The framework is intended to remain reusable after this engagement.

Adoption signal control (CASS)

The Cardano Adoption Signal Standard is the control against treating intent, events, or informal interest as adoption. Every identified signal is classified to evidence-supported tier only.

Candidate regions

Country-cluster screening set (cities as access points): Candidate Regions. Selection logic: Region Selection. East Asia is out of scope. CPC agreed is completed at Research Design Review.

Use-case hypotheses

Named plays (cluster × use case) for Phase 2–3: Use-Case Hypothesis Register. Assessment criteria: Use Cases.

Primary research

Desk research alone cannot answer counterparty accessibility, delivery capacity, or genuine adoption-signal questions. Target envelope, respondent categories, and access documentation rules: Primary Research.

Interview guide

Structural architecture (conduct / ingest / verify) and training prerequisites: Interview Guide. Before each interview, Question Packs are used to confirm the intended regional play being tested.

Stakeholder recruitment

Hubs own regional stakeholder access. Enrolment chain and verification approach: Stakeholder Recruitment Plan.

ALJ design

We have chosen to remove the ALJ from the project to make the scope more realistic for the given budget. This was a miscoordination of the original proposal made.

Bias controls

Controls apply at design, recruitment, collection, and analysis: Bias Control.

Ethics brief

Consent, anonymity, and participant protection before any primary interaction: Ethics. This brief is part of CPC approval at Research Design Review.

Data and confidentiality

Attribution classes and public vs confidential separation: Data.

Stakeholder Access — counterparty roles and access-status classification
Regulation — landscape mapping method
Infrastructure — prerequisite assessment method

Approval ask

CPC is asked to approve this design package: the linked artefacts above, with gaps closed before fieldwork begins. Mutual agreement on the candidate region list remains a separate M1 verification item.