15 common questions we get about implementing Grant Management Software

We would all like this to be easy – plug and play – but it just isn’t. There are many consideration and moving parts to a Grants Management Software implementation project. To switch to a new Grants Management Software, start by initiating a new project and defining your scope and objectives. As a starting point, most organisations will require a business case and project plan for this type of technology roll out. As part of this process, you will need to conduct a needs assessment, map out your current processes, analyse benefits and ROI, evaluate suitable vendors, consider data migration and integration requirements, as well as user training and change management.

Best practices includes thoroughly conducting a needs assessment, stakeholder engagement, careful vendor selection, comprehensive planning, robust testing, user training, and ongoing support and monitoring. Read more in our post How to Plan a Grants Management System Implementation Project.

Finding the most suitable Grants Management Software to meet your organisations needs will require research, evaluation, and comparison. Create your own evaluation criteria matrix or comparison table, include criteria that is most important to your organisation, this could be; features and functionality, customisation options, scalability, integration capabilities, user-friendliness, security features, compliance, experience, cost, and customer support.

Once completed you can review a side by side comparison of your shortlisted vendors to find which one ticks more of your boxes.

Read more in our post How to choose the right Grant Management Software.

Most Grant Management Software implementations involve configuring the system, testing, data migration or data integration, user training, change management and ongoing support. Detailed planning and careful execution are essential for a smooth and successful implementation. Read more in our post How to Plan a Grants Management System Implementation Project.

Costs can vary depending on you the complexity of your requirements. Expect anywhere from tens of thousands (for a simple deployment with no integration) to low hundreds of thousands of dollars (if the implementation requires deployment of an integrated Finance system and/or integration to 3rd party systems including ERPs).

It is crucial that you consider not just the software licence cost or user costs of the chosen system, but also the cost of resources to implement and configure the systems for your organisation’s requirements as well costs for any data integrations or training that maybe required. Understand that not all GMS providers have implementation costs included in their licensing (only customer success or support hours), and these are usually additional.

Consider customisations, data migration or integration, training, and support requirements and their influence on cost, alongside the traditional software license or user fees.

Modern Grant Management Software will improve grant management efficiency, reduce errors, enhance reporting capabilities, provide better compliance tracking, data security, and streamline collaboration among stakeholders. It has been designed to eliminate clunky manual processes and empower even small teams to deliver more.

Consider reading: 10 ways to make your grant management process better in 2024

Plan your data migration by assessing existing data, ensuring accuracy and integrity (consider whether data cleansing will be required), and using appropriate tools and processes to move data to the new system. Understand what data will be migrated to the new system – master data, operational data regarding grants programs with applications in progress, historical funds disbursements and/or contract data, and more.

For further reading, go to: What is the best time to switch to new grants management software in your grant cycle?

Create a vendor evaluation criteria matrix, assess features, customisation options, integration capabilities, user-friendliness, security, compliance, and consult references or case studies. Read more in our post How to choose the right Grant Management Software.

Develop a training plan, provide comprehensive training to staff and users (this can be face-to-face, webinars, videos, documents – which ever works best for your organisation), and implement change management strategies to encourage user adoption.

Common challenges include data migration issues, resistance to change, technical hiccups, and potential temporary disruptions in the grant management processes. Change may involve not just the technical capabilities in the new system, but also the functional / process improvements that a new GMS will drive, internally as well as while interacting with the external applicants and assessors.

This can vary greatly depending on your GMS project requirements. Plan for a project timeline ranging from 3 months to 1 year, depending on the complexity of your Grants applications requirements, and Grants programs and their application windows.

A successful transition to a new GMS can significantly improve grant management efficiency by automating tasks, reducing errors, and providing better reporting and compliance tracking. Moreover, it significantly improves the impact your organisation can generate, by providing a superior experience to applicants and driving more entries within the application window.

Yes, many organisations have successfully transitioned to new GMS solutions, resulting in improved grant management processes, better outcomes, and increased efficiency. Contact GMS vendors or Implementation Partners to request case studies or testimonials.

Ensure the Grant Management System complies with relevant data protection regulations and industry standards. Prioritise data security and protection during the transition. Ask vendors about where the applicants and contracts data is stored from a data residency standpoint.

Discuss integration options with your chosen vendor or implementation partner. It is usually a good idea to involve your IT department to ensure a seamless connection with existing software and systems.