Performance Monitoring for Grant Managers Training Course

Course overview

Grant managers are expected to show whether funded activities are reaching agreed populations, delivering outputs on time, and contributing to credible outcomes. Yet monitoring information is often scattered across partner reports, spreadsheets, field data and donor templates. This makes it difficult to identify underperformance early, challenge unsupported claims, explain variances, or make defensible decisions on grant adjustments, extensions and corrective actions. This course equips grant managers to turn implementation data into practical management evidence.

Participants learn to build and use a grant performance monitoring system from the results framework through to reporting and decision-making. They define measurable indicators, establish baselines and targets, create indicator reference sheets, set data collection schedules, assess data quality, analyse disaggregated results and investigate performance variances. The course also covers partner monitoring, monitoring visit tools, risk-based monitoring plans, dashboard design, and the use of findings to manage adaptive action while meeting donor reporting requirements.

Instruction combines worked humanitarian and development grant cases with hands-on analysis in Microsoft Excel, KoboToolbox and Power BI. Participants practise reviewing a partner's results data, conducting a data quality assessment, interpreting a performance dashboard and drafting management actions for an underperforming grant. Each participant leaves with a tailored Grant Performance Monitoring Pack: a results-monitoring matrix, indicator reference sheet, monitoring calendar, data quality checklist, dashboard specification and corrective-action tracker ready to adapt to their own portfolio.

The course is designed for grant managers responsible for programmes delivered directly or through implementing partners, from foundation-level practitioners building a first monitoring system to experienced managers seeking more disciplined performance review and escalation methods.

Course objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Develop a grant results-monitoring matrix linking activities, outputs, outcomes, indicators, data sources and reporting responsibilities
• Write SMART indicator definitions and indicator reference sheets with numerator, denominator, disaggregation and calculation rules
• Set defensible baselines, targets and milestone trajectories for a time-bound grant
• Create a risk-based monitoring plan and monitoring visit checklist for implementing partners
• Apply data quality assessment methods to test data validity, reliability, timeliness, precision and integrity
• Analyse output and outcome variances in Microsoft Excel using disaggregation, trend analysis and target-versus-actual comparisons
• Build a grant performance dashboard specification for management and donor reporting
• Draft corrective actions, decision logs and escalation triggers from monitoring findings

Benefits of attending

Target competencies

Who should attend

• Grant Managers — who must use performance evidence to manage delivery, approve adaptations and report to donors
• Programme Managers — who oversee implementation teams and need to identify results risks before reporting deadlines
• M&E Officers — who support grant teams to define indicators, verify data and produce usable performance analysis
• Partnership Managers — who monitor implementing partner commitments and need structured evidence for performance discussions
• Project Coordinators — who consolidate activity and output data for multi-site development or humanitarian grants
• Donor Compliance Officers — who review narrative reports and need to test whether reported results are supported by evidence

Requirements and prerequisites

This is a foundation-to-intermediate course. Participants should understand the basic purpose of a project or grant logframe/results framework and be comfortable working with tables in Microsoft Excel, including entering data, sorting and applying simple formulas. Experience managing, supporting or reporting on a development or humanitarian grant is helpful but not essential. No prior training in statistics, Power BI, KoboToolbox, database design or formal evaluation methods is required. Complete beginners should expect guided practice with indicators, monitoring plans and performance data before progressing to analysis and management decisions.

Training methodology

The course is delivered through instructor-led demonstrations, short technical briefings and progressive work on a simulated multi-partner grant. Participants build monitoring tools in stages: translating a results framework into indicators, testing a KoboToolbox collection form, checking sample partner data, and using Excel and Power BI to interpret results. Small-group review panels examine realistic reporting weaknesses, data-quality issues and delivery risks. On the final day, each participant adapts the course templates into an application plan for a live or upcoming grant.

Course outline

Day 1: Results frameworks and grant monitoring architecture

• From grant agreement to results-monitoring questions
• Theory of change, logframes and assumptions
• Activity, output, outcome and impact measurement levels
• Results chain alignment and contribution logic
• Roles, responsibilities and RACI assignments for monitoring
• Monitoring calendars, reporting cycles and decision points
• Risk-based prioritisation of monitoring effort

Workshop: Participants convert a donor results framework into a grant results-monitoring matrix with responsibilities, data sources and reporting dates.

Day 2: Indicator design, targets and data collection

• SMART indicators and indicator selection criteria
• Indicator reference sheet components and definitions
• Numerators, denominators and percentage calculations
• Baseline design and target-setting approaches
• Disaggregation by sex, age, disability, location and vulnerability
• Data collection methods and source verification
• KoboToolbox form design and validation rules

Workshop: Participants write three indicator reference sheets and configure a basic KoboToolbox form with mandatory fields and validation checks.

Day 3: Data quality and partner performance monitoring

• Data quality assessment dimensions and scoring
• Validity, reliability, precision, timeliness and integrity tests
• Source document review and audit trail sampling
• Implementing partner monitoring plans and evidence requirements
• Monitoring visit objectives, checklists and interview prompts
• Remote monitoring controls for access-constrained settings
• Data protection, informed consent and safeguarding considerations

Workshop: Participants conduct a desk-based data quality assessment of a partner dataset and produce a scored findings and remediation checklist.

Day 4: Performance analysis and management reporting

• Cleaning and structuring grant performance data in Microsoft Excel
• Target-versus-actual variance calculations
• Trend analysis, cumulative progress and milestone tracking
• Disaggregated analysis and equity-focused interpretation
• Root-cause analysis using five whys and fishbone diagrams
• Power BI dashboard measures and visual selection
• Narrative reporting from evidence to management message

Workshop: Participants analyse a simulated grant dataset, identify performance exceptions and draft a one-page dashboard narrative for senior management.

Day 5: Adaptive management and performance accountability

• Performance review meeting agendas and evidence packs
• Corrective-action plans with owners, deadlines and verification
• Escalation thresholds and decision-log design
• Managing target revisions and documenting approved changes
• Using monitoring evidence in donor narrative reports
• OECD DAC criteria and their use in evaluative reflection
• Grant Performance Monitoring Pack application planning

Workshop: Participants facilitate a simulated grant performance review and complete a corrective-action tracker and 90-day monitoring implementation plan.

Tools & standards covered

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, KoboToolbox, OECD DAC evaluation criteria

A typical training day

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in the East Africa Time zone, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

How you can take this course

Certification

Participants who complete the full five days receive the Skillset Development Certificate of Completion, stating the course title, course code, dates and delivery format — suitable for professional-development records and employer reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions