Note: This step can only be completed by the Program Manager.
After the Assessment Panel members have gone through their application review process, it falls to the Program Manager to have the final say on each application. This step should be completed before the Review Completion Date.
Keep in mind: Program Manager approval can only be completed after all Assessment Panel members have submitted their approvals / rejections. If any Assessment Panel member has not completed their review, the Program Manager can complete the review on their behalf. In addition, the Program Manager can add proxy reviews for other people, to supplement Assessment Panel reviews.
There are several ways to get started on this step:
- When all Assessment Panel members have made their decisions on an application, you will receive an email notification. Click the link in the email to go straight to the approval stage in your SurePact account.
- When all Assessment Panel members have made their decisions, the relevant task will be listed in your Homepage Tasks.
- Open your Funding Programs summary and double-click the funding opportunity, which should open to the Review & Approve stage.
In this stage, you can see each application’s Review Progress and total Score from all Assessment Panel members. To submit your final decision on an application, click its Actions icon. This opens a menu with two options.
- Choose View to see only the submitted application.
- Choose Review to see the submitted application and assessment process side-by-side.
When reviewing, the completed application appears on the left. On the right, Assessment Panel team members are listed first, with their Approve / Reject decisions. Clicking a review’s + icon expands to show review details, including score values and comments.
If any Assessment Panel member has not completed their review, you can click their Review button to complete it on their behalf.
Note: Add Proxy Review can be used to add more reviews, on behalf of people other than Assessment Panel members. For example, you may want to include input from a third-party expert or former employee with program knowledge.
After you have read all Assessment Panel reviews, and / or completed your proxy reviews, click Review under Final Decision.
Enter a comment, which will be seen by the applicant in their portal, and click Reject or Approve.
Note: It’s up to the funding body to determine how much human interaction should occur with applications, especially for those who have had their application rejected. Review comments can be useful when sent digitally, though sometimes they may not paint a complete picture for the applicant.
If you think further explanation is warranted, a phone call, meeting, or email may be a welcome supplement to the funding program workflow.
After confirming the review, Review Progress will move to 100%, Status will be updated to Approved or Rejected, and the Approved /Rejected count at the top will also update.
When an application is approved, the approved fund value also updates. (Though this value may change in the Recipient Allocation stage.)
Once Program Manager approval is complete for all submitted applications, the application review round is complete. Each application should have Approved or Rejected status.
If the funding program workflow includes only one application round, then the next stage is Recipient Allocation. If multiple application rounds were defined in the Workflow step when creating the funding program, the application review workflow will proceed to subsequent application rounds, each following the same steps.
Once all application rounds are complete, and final decisions are made, each applicant can see application status in their SurePact account. Each applicant is also notified via email.
- Approval emails state that the application was approved, and to sign into their SurePact account for details and next steps.
- Rejection emails inform the applicant that a decision was made, and to check their SurePact account for updates.
The next stage is Recipient Allocation.