Here's how you can steer clear of common mistakes in grant administration.

The grant agreement which is a requirement when it comes to federal and state awards will delineate all rules, requirements, deliverables, and regulations governing the grant. The agreement will also set forth reporting requirements as well as timelines. Keep in mind that within parameters, a grant administrator can negotiate the terms and conditions in the grant agreement but once it is executed then it becomes force of law which means you must be sure to adhere to all requirements. While a typical federal grant comes with multiple documents and guidelines, the grant agreement is the foundation on which compliance will be based so it is fundamental to a grant administrator role to know the agreement completely.

A key way to plan ahead is to approach management with a clear risk management strategy. Use a RAID to identify issues and solutions, imbed the maintenance of the RAID in your weekly management tasks. Socialise it’s use with your team and encourage a frank and fearless approach to identifying risks. All team members have a unique perspective to bring to this and through promoting this type of practice you are building solid crisis avoidance practices into your team.

Can't stress this enough, if you have staff or are in any phase of starting your organization please please please. . . Document EVERYTHING no matter how small. Even if you have and hold all of the institutional knowledge and never think of leaving "your org", remember that you may never know what opportunities might present themselves in the future and you could in fact become the only key holder one day. Don't be that person, don't make it harder for someone else to pick up the pieces. Value your work by taking the time to do the most tedious of tasks.

It’s essential to document outcomes from discussions, either virtual or face-to-face. Following up with a clear email confirming outcomes, decisions, and actions is an easy way to create a paper trail for reflection later in the process. This is particularly important as a risk management strategy. Build this practice into your daily routine.

Federal and state agencies increasingly expect recipients of grants to have a comprehensive transparent plan of engagement with all those who will be directly or indirectly impacted by the project or activities being funded. A key focus of such an engagement strategy is identifying the key stakeholders representing a breadth of interests who will be affected. The plan needs to include regular sharing of grant progress reports and updates. It also requires multiple opportunities throughout the grant period to allow for input and feedback both from the stakeholders and from the public as a whole. Keep in mind that these engagement requirements will likely be conditions of compliance spelled out in the grant agreement.