Case Study : Triple P – an example of a university consulting business
This case study is provided as an example of the consulting and then licensing pathway as outlined in Topic 2, Subtopic 2.2
Case study description
| Key inventor |
Professor Matt Sanders |
| Innovation |
Multi-level, comprehensive parenting program |
| Institution |
The University of Queensland, Social and Behavioural Sciences Faculty, School of Psychology |
| Commercialisation model |
Consulting and then Licence |
| Licensed |
2001 |
The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program – was developed by Professor Matt Sanders and his colleagues from the Parenting and Family Support Centre in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. The program is a unique, multi-level model of family intervention that promotes good communication and strong relationships between parents and children. Triple P and its specific interventions were developed to be delivered through a multi-level system of training, publications and media campaigns. The program is evidence-based research and is supported by 43 efficacy studies.
Professor Sanders began developing Triple P in 1979 when he commenced his PhD on the value of good parenting and its positive effect on child behaviour. In 1992, Professor Sanders moved from the Department of Psychiatry to the Psychology Department. Over the next four years, he established a research centre to develop the Triple P model. He raised funds through grant applications and lobbying Australian state and federal governments.
By 2000, it became clear that UQ was no longer capable of handling the volume of Triple P training and publications, as well as the marketing required to support the program’s growth.
UniQuest and UQ decided to license the Triple P publishing and distribution rights to Families International Publishing Pty Ltd. The licensing arrangement was put in place in 2001 and shortly afterwards Families International Publishing changed its name to Triple P International Pty Ltd and turned the business over to marketing the Triple P program.
Through the combined efforts of Triple P International, UniQuest and UQ, Triple P now has a presence in 18 countries. Triple P International employs 14 staff and, most importantly, more than 1 million families internationally have been able to access its benefits.
Case study commentary
Triple P is one of UQ's most successful commercial ventures. The venture is unique because the actual 'product' in this case was comprised of the skills and expertise of Professor Sanders. His programs for addressing parenting issues were packaged into handbooks and training courses which are protected by copyright.
Lesson learned
Key points to be taken from this case study include:
- Expertise which is traditionally delivered by consultancy can be repackaged and sold in other forms such as training courses and materials. In the Triple P case, these alternative commercialisation avenues allowed research to be more efficiently transferred to the community.
- While commercialisation requires a time investment from researchers, in the long term it can provide an avenue for funding further research.
- Establishing a solid base of evidence-based research over more than a decade was crucial to the success of this venture. It should also be noted that the research program is still ongoing and continues to feed the program's commercial growth. The close working relationship between the research group and the commercialisation partner enables the rapid transfer of research outcomes and ongoing product/service development.
- Triple P is widely implemented in the community. While this has been achieved with invaluable government funding and cooperation, ultimately commercialisation was the vehicle that made it financially possible to take this program beyond a university environment to a global audience.
- Professor Sanders continues to play an integral role in leading and developing the research program as well as promoting Triple P internationally.
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