Objective

The period between receiving an award notice and receiving funds should be treated as a Project Readiness Phase rather than a waiting period. Its primary purpose is to ensure that projects can commence immediately once funds are available. 
 By the time funding is received: 
 
 
 Hiring processes should already be underway. 
 
 
 Implementation plans should be finalized. 
 
 
 Project management systems should be operational. 
 
 
 Procurement plans should be approved. 
 
 
 Compliance requirements should be substantially complete. 
 
 
 Partnerships should be formalized. 
 
 
 Reporting structures should be established. 
 
 
 Teams should understand their roles and responsibilities. 
 
 
 The goal is to eliminate avoidable delays and achieve implementation readiness before project launch. 
 Overview 
 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 
 
 
 Typical Timing 
 
 
 Focus 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 1 
 
 
 Days 0–7 
 
 
 Immediate Response and Award Acceptance 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 2 
 
 
 Weeks 1–4 
 
 
 Administrative and Financial Setup 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 3 
 
 
 Weeks 2–8 
 
 
 Team and Resource Planning 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 4 
 
 
 Weeks 2–6 
 
 
 Project Infrastructure Development 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 5 
 
 
 Weeks 4–8 
 
 
 Compliance and Reporting Setup 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 6 
 
 
 Final 1–2 Weeks 
 
 
 Pre-Launch Activities 
 
 
 
 
 Phase 7 
 
 
 Months 1–3 
 
 
 First 90 Days of Project Execution 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Note: Timelines may vary depending on the funder. Some grants release funds immediately after award notification, while others may require contract negotiations or compliance approvals that take several months. The activities outlined below should therefore be adapted to the requirements of individual funders.