Apply Below 👇

Gitcoin Grants Builder

Project Overview

The Cartographer Syndicate is seeking proposals for conducting research and analysis on grant programs within the Web3 ecosystem. This initiative aims to gather insights that will inform the design and implementation of RFP 1: Reputation Systems w/Trustful and help assess program impact.

The selected contributor(s) will identify best practices, analyze program effectiveness, and provide recommendations for improvement.

Awardees: Zer8 & Mashal Waqar will analyze Web3 grant programs, including Thank ARB Milestone 1, to develop a maturity framework for grant programs. They plan to interview key ecosystem stakeholders and leverage their extensive experience in grant management and ecosystem building in their analysis. The insights from this analysis will be incorporated into the registry as part of the reputation system (RFP 1) being developed with Trustful.

RFP 4 Project View: https://www.notion.so/sovs/cfea00c65130411fb00c941245af4fa7?v=145c2015412547ecb354eee96e71b0e5&pvs=4

Scope of Work

The selected contributor(s) will focus on the following areas of research and analysis:

1. Best Practices: Identify and document best practices employed by successful grant programs regarding reputation systems, impact measurement, and overall program management. This may include examining the following:
   • Alignment of grant programs with ecosystem needs and objectives
   • Governance structures and decision-making processes
   • Application and evaluation frameworks
   • Grantee support and engagement mechanisms
2. Program Effectiveness: Analyze the effectiveness of existing grant programs by examining their objectives, funding mechanisms, and outcomes. Assess the impact of these programs on the Web3 ecosystem and identify factors contributing to their success or challenges. This may involve:
   • Evaluating the clarity and specificity of grant objectives
   • Assessing the alignment of funded projects with program goals
   • Examining the implementation and effectiveness of impact metrics
   • Identifying areas for process improvement and optimization
3. Maturity Framework: Develop a framework for assessing the maturity of grant programs based on key characteristics and stages of development. This framework should consider factors such as:
   • Clarity of objectives and alignment with ecosystem needs
   • Formalization of organizational structures and processes
   • Robustness of impact measurement and evaluation mechanisms
   • Level of stakeholder engagement and communication
   • Adaptability and continuous improvement practices
4. Impact Metrics: Investigate and propose relevant impact metrics that can be used to assess the success and effectiveness of grant programs. Consider quantitative and qualitative measures and guide how these metrics can be integrated into the Web3 Grant Registry. This may include:
   • Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) for grant programs
   • Exploring methods for measuring ecosystem growth, adoption, and engagement
   • Identifying metrics for assessing the quality and impact of funded projects
   • Proposing mechanisms for tracking and reporting on grant program outcomes
5. Sample Size and Diversity: The research should cover diverse grant programs to ensure comprehensive insights. We recommend analyzing:
   • At least 10 grant programs
   • A mix of programs from different blockchain ecosystems (e.g., Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon)
   • Programs of varying sizes and maturity levels

Deliverables & Milestones

The expected deliverables for this project include:

1. A comprehensive report detailing the findings, analyses, and recommendations from the research on best practices, program effectiveness, maturity framework, and impact metrics.
2. A presentation summarizing the key insights and actionable recommendations for improving the design and implementation of the Registry Reputation Framework RFP and enhancing the assessment of program impact.