You got the grant, now what?
You got the grant! Now what? Start work and don’t look back right? In my 14 years of administering grants this happened all too often. Suddenly the terms and conditions that were signed are forgotten along with the scope of work, timeline, and deliverables that prompted the funding being awarded in the first place. Panic sets in as your first project report notice arrives asking for details you haven’t tracked. So how do you successfully manage and track your grant project? Here are my recommendations as a former grant administrator and project lead:
1. Have a designated project lead written into your project and USE them: This seems obvious, but one of the primary issues I’ve seen impacting project success is there isn’t an experienced lead that knows the project scope in detail, is on top of coordination, and is tracking project outcomes (i.e. participation, surveys, research findings and conclusions, etc.,). Be honest with yourself and your current workload and write someone in the grant budget that has experience in managing a project and in reporting grant performance. Don’t assign the less than motivated cousin or colleague that really needs a salary, and yes this happens more than you would think….
2. Establish a grant tracking process from the start: This can be as simple as calendar reminders for when critical tasks need to begin/finish for key milestones to be successfully accomplished. You can then input the activity and outcomes in a master tracking sheet along with any measurable data that needs to be reported. Then once reporting rolls around you have everything in one master sheet.
3. Have scheduled reminders for checking in with project partners: Don’t assume quiet is good, it often means nothing has actually happened. If they aren’t communicating or delivering, be ready and confident in shifting course. Work with your funding sponsor in navigating this area. I’ve seen too many projects fail because project partners didn’t deliver or communicate and the project lead didn’t catch the issue in time to save the project.
4. If you are running into significant problems or delays, communicate with the funding sponsor. Have a plan for how you can shift gears and still be successful. They appreciate the communication and it builds confidence that you care about the project’s success and that the funding is used responsibly. This bodes well for future funding awards.
5. Good luck and do great things!
-Ashley Jeppson, All Points West Consulting