The three pillars

Throughout this framework, each Strategy is tagged with one of three pillars. They are a simple way to describe how our work fits together. Getting all three right — and in roughly this order — is what makes delivery reliable.

• Culture — how we work together and with researchers. Our shared values, service standards, knowledge sharing, and ways of working. Culture sets the tone for everything else.
• People — our expertise itself. The right people in the right roles, developed deliberately, cross-trained, and supported so that capability stays resilient through change.
• Machine — our systems and processes. Platforms, SOPs, dashboards, maintenance, procurement, and reporting — the “machine” that turns culture and people into reliable, repeatable service.

For its first decade, CTP invested most heavily in the machine — building platforms and strengthening processes. This framework keeps that strength and adds equal, deliberate investment in people (S6) and culture (S5), so all three pillars advance together.