Tools and templates

Use this page to quickly browse the essential tools and templates for carrying out key actions from the CRS project management standards.

Note: The results in this section are limited to the resources that appear under "Tools and Templates" on Compass key action pages. Use the Keyword Search for a more general search of all Compass guidance and resources.

An example of a "Back of the Envelope" calculation: an initial calculation done to get a sense of how much is available for programmatic activities, and to help inform CRS budgeting and partner budget ceilings.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A template for a project activities schedule for inclusion in the project proposal. From CRS' ProPack I guidance for project design. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

Tools, templates, guidance and examples related to CRS' policy and procedures on project evaluations. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures resource site. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services

Tools, templates, guidance and examples related to CRS' policy and procedures on project evaluations. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures resource site. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services

A financial management tool that can be used by analyze unpaid balances and project advances by date ranges.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A tool designed to help develop capacity strengthening action plans that are directly linked to the results of CRS’ Holistic Organizational Capacity Assessment Instrument (HOCAI).

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A tracking tool for detailing deadlines for project deliverables to the donor and other compliance requirements, such as technical and financial reports and updated project design/technical/MEAL documents (i.e., M&E Plan, table of contents, logframe, detailed implementation plan [DIP], workplan, etc.)

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A template for developing a bridge staffing plan for a proposal development process. Use this template to document how CRS will manage the regular job duties of members of the project design/proposal development team while they are participating in the design/proposal development process.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A form used to make modifications (increase/decrease) to the project budget (post-Insight, used only for non-sponsored, discretionary-funded projects).

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A form that assists in reviewing budgetary transactions and supporting documentation, and resolving any discrepancies that are discovered. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A table designed to help quickly and easily capture basic information about planned capacity strengthening activities. CapTrack is a complement to other capacity strengthening tools, including HOCAI, Assessment-Action Planning, and others available on CRS' Institute for Capacity Strengthening (ICS) website.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A set of resources for identifying particular institutional donor funding opportunities, assessing the environment, and implementing strategies for increasing the chances of winning the funding opportunity.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

A set of templates for use in large-scale emergency responses where several Caritas Internationalis (CI) Members are responding and/or supporting a response of the national Caritas. NOTE: You must be registered on the CI Baobab site to access this resource. If you are not yet registered, you may register here. If you have any questions, contact CRS’ Humanitarian Response Department ([email protected]).

Author: Caritas Internationalis

A one-page graphic that describes Caritas Internationalis' key approaches and tools for emergency response. NOTE: You must be registered on the CI Baobab site to access this resource. If you are not yet registered, you may register here. If you have any questions, contact CRS’ Humanitarian Response Department ([email protected]).

Author: Caritas Internationalis

A set of resources for reference in large-scale emergency where several Caritas Internationalis (CI) Members are responding and/or supporting a response of the national Caritas. The Toolkit includes resources on procurement, distribution, logistics, warehousing, and other supply chain management resources in English, French, and Spanish. NOTE: You must be registered on the CI Baobab site to access this resource. If you are not yet registered, you may register here. If you have any questions, contact CRS’ Humanitarian Response Department ([email protected]).

Author: Caritas Internationalis

A set of resources for reference in large-scale emergency where several Caritas Internationalis (CI) Members are responding and/or supporting a response of the national Caritas. The Toolkit includes resources on procurement, distribution, logistics, warehousing, and other supply chain management resources in English, French, and Spanish. NOTE: You must be registered on the CI Baobab site to access this resource. If you are not yet registered, you may register here. If you have any questions, contact CRS’ Humanitarian Response Department ([email protected]).

Author: Caritas Internationalis
Format: PDF

A set of resources for reference in monitoring, evaluation and accountability activities in large-scale emergency where several Caritas Internationalis Members are responding and/or supporting a response of the national Caritas. NOTE: You must be registered on the CI Baobab site to access this resource. If you are not yet registered, you may register here. If you have any questions, contact CRS’ Humanitarian Response Department ([email protected]).

Author: Caritas Internationalis

A document which details processes that staff must follow in CRS' response to any emergency where the Caritas Internationalis Protocol for CI Coordination in Emergency Response has been activated. NOTE: You must be registered on the CI Baobab site to access this resource. If you are not yet registered, you may register here. If you have any questions, contact CRS’ Humanitarian Response Department ([email protected]).

Author: Caritas Internationalis

A checklist that helps the project manager or Chief of Party to mitigate common pain points in the project close-out process.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A checklist that helps preparers and reviewers of project-related documents submitted to a donor to ensure document quality. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A checklist to guide project close-out team discussions during regular status review meetings.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A table of partner collaboration and support issues to consider at each stage of the project design process. From CRS' ProPack I guidance for project design. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A list of performance management questions, sorted by position, that supervisors of project staff can use in coaching and performance management.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A checklist to support MEAL advisors' review of draft evaluation terms of reference. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures site.   

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A checklist to support MEAL advisors' review of key project MEAL documentation prior to submission to donors. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures resource site.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

Five questions to use in an after-action review of the close-out process for a project.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A template for developing a comprehensive project close-out plan for discretionary-funded projects. This document includes a template for multi-year projects, for projects of 12 months or less, and for partner close-out plans.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A template for developing a comprehensive project close-out plan for institutional donor-funded projects. This document includes a template for multi-year projects, for projects of 12 months or less, and for partner close-out plans.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A checklist of questions for reviewers to address when reviewing a concept note. From CRS' ProPack I guidance for project design. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A tool that helps reviewers of concept notes to focus on project design decisions and internal logic, and facilitates compilation of review comments. From CRS' PREPARE! Regional Proposal Review Guidance.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A template for an agreement between CRS and another party protecting confidential information from disclosure, often used during project design phase discussions for competitive funding opportunities.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A guide to help a consortium lead and consortium members make the managerial, financial, and administrative functions of the consortium effective, efficient, and supportive of project goals, community needs, and donor intent.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

Guidance for determining whether an awardee under an assistance agreement should be classified as a contractor or a subrecipient.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

An online CRS Learns course that outlines approaches that CRS staff can use to cope with traumatic stress. 

Author: The Headington Institute

A template for developing the budget for a project.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A library of CRS layout templates for external-facing documents and presentations. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services

The forms that must be filled out, signed, submitted to the Global Supply Chain Management department, and approved in order to hire a consultant.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A library of standard job descriptions for CRS country program staff.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

A template for a grant letter outlining the terms and conditions for the awarding of private funds for discretionary-funded projects. Prepared by the CRS Office of General Counsel.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

Guidance on when, why and how to set up a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and a teaming agreement with another organization with which CRS is planning to partner on a competitive funding opportunity. An NDA between two parties describes confidential material or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes and any restrictions on the use or distribution of those materials.  Teaming agreements help articulate the expectation of each partner related to proposal development and program implementation. The TA covers both pre- and post-solicitation phases, with an NDA executed to cover any period without the TA in place, but having a need to share information (e.g., in the early capture planning phase). 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

Templates for quarterly and final project reports, for use in discretionary-funded projects or for projects funded by institutional donors who do not have their own reporting templates.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A template for creating a CRS job description for any position falling outside of those in the CRS library of standard job descriptions. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A CRS database to help proposal and project teams identify internal candidates for temporary support. Talent Source is a site within CRSLearns that showcases internal talent. Hiring Managers can use Talent Source to find staff for positions and for TDYs.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

CRS’ template for developing a teaming agreement, a proposal-specific agreement that governs the relationship between organizations during proposal development, submission and negotiations with the donor, particularly related to the roles and responsibilities of each party, confidentiality, exclusivity, and non-competition. The TA can be signed at any point during partnership discussions, including pre-solicitation, with certain clauses being applicable only after a funding opportunity is released by a donor. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A tip sheet to guide project teams in thinking through considerations for the retention, archiving and disposal of data generated by a project. 

Author: The Electronic Cash Transfer Learning Action Network
Format: PDF

A template for documenting a project's detailed implementation plan.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A set of documents that can be used for planning a detailed implementation plan (DIP) workshop, including a 7 steps of planning document, a detailed facilitation plan template, facilitator slides, and flowchart printouts.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Other

A template for defining the key elements (why, what and what for, where and when, who, and how) of a DIP workshop, for workshop planning and communication with participants.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

An adaptable guide for the planning and facilitation of a DIP workshop.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

Slides for use in DIP workshops, as outlined in the DIP workshop facilitation guide.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

Handouts to accompany the Compass facilitation guide template for a DIP workshop.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A design-phase tool for developing the project budget based on the activities listed in the project activities schedule.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

An example of distribution and dispatch plans for a project.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel
Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A set of guidance and tools for vetting potential institutional donors and partners for their fit with CRS’ resource needs and agency values.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

An example of how to use a spreadsheet to convert a donor budget to the CRS budget template format (BTF).

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A checklist to assist CRS teams in integrating donor MEAL requirements into a project MEAL system and to document compliance with the same, per CRS' MEAL Policy and Procedure 7.1. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures resource site. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A tool for proposal development teams to analyze donor requirements that impact project management.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A checklist intended to help project teams keep track of key planning activities for donor field visits or meetings. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

Guidance and a checklist to facilitate collaboration between the country program hiring manager and human resources when recruiting for national staff positions.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A template to use in developing an implementation plan and budget to guide project early start-up activities, including pre-award activities, through the development of the initial project detailed implementation plan.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A template for requesting waivers to standard procurement operating procedures or thresholds during an emergency.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A brief guide to assist decision makers at country and regional level in making informed decisions on critical operations-related issues in the first two- to three-week period following a disaster event. From CRS' Emergency Field Operations Manual.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A one page document of onboarding activities to introduce staff to the CRS project management standards and the Compass website.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A template for evaluation terms of reference with annotations that help the user fill in each section.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

An example checklist to guide monthly project monitoring meetings, developed by a CRS Malawi project team.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A template for preparing an e-mail or memo summary of key feedback on a financial liquidation report submitted by a project partner.   

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

An example budget detailing common project design and proposal development costs. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A resource that helps CRS staff to develop strong responses to RFIs and other information exchange requests from U.S. government donors, primarily USAID.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

This tool presents key steps and reflection questions associated with annual effectiveness checks on the FCRM.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

This tool will support teams to develop standard operating procedures for the feedback, complaints and response mechanism implementation in their operating context.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A log of feedback received from project participants. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures site.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A form for documenting the community feedback mechanisms established for a project. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures site.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

Guidance for country programs and regional offices on completing the FAACT process.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

A form for tracking findings and recommendations from CRS financial monitoring trips to sub-recipient partners.  See Tab 4 of the Subrecipient Financial Assessment Checklist of CRS' SRFMP.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A collection of guidance and tools for CRS fleet managers, developed by the Global Supply Chain Management team.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

A form for Temporary Duty (TDY) staff to offer feedback to the office requesting the TDY support at the end of the TDY, to improve the process and experience for any subsequent TDYs in the country program/team.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A form for the supervisor of a Temporary Duty (TDY) staff to provide feedback on the staff person's performance during the TDY assignment. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A resource explaining the "Institution" record in Gateway and providing instructions on how to complete and update Institution records. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

Instructions on how to enter standard assessments required under CRS' Sub-Recipient Financial Management Policy (SRFMP) in Gateway.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A job aid explaining the key documents on Gateway and instructions on how to upload them.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A set of RACI diagrams and a list of key documents in Gateway for business development pipeline management, partner management, project management, as well as finance and award management. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A guide to help heads of programming and project managers to develop a learning agenda, plan an annual learning event, and integrate learning approaches into project implementation.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A library of onboarding resources for staff of projects supported by the Global Fund.

Author: Catholic Relief Services

A checklist used for grant closure and for preparing final project financial reports.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A resource to help project teams develop a plan to engage any project donor(s), prospective donors interested in the issues addressed by the project, and other key stakeholders (e.g. private sector; government actors CRS seeks to influence). The guidance includes an adaptable template. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A three-page guidance document to help country program senior management and the project manager/chief of party to form a project close-out team of appropriate size and skills based on the specifics of the project. Includes examples of close-out team composition for a range of projects, from simple discretionary-funded projects to complex, multi-country projects.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

Guidance from CRS' Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning in Emergencies resource pack on how to incorporate learning events at different stages in an emergency response. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

Guidance on leading key CRS and partner programming and management staff through a  review of the project operating context at the time of project start-up and a validation of the project design in light of any changes in that context.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

Guidance from the Project Impact and Quality Assurance (PIQA) department on how to budget for and charge agency technical assistance (TA) in CRS projects, primarily regional and global TA support. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

A guide outlining considerations for managing and communicating knowledge generated by a country program to add value to investments in organizational learning. From CRS' MEAL Policies and Procedures resource site.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

CRS guidance on when and how to conduct assessments during emergencies. This guidance focuses on the early assessments at the initial stages of the response, which typically consist of two or three stages over time.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

Guidance on how a project team can identify, analyze, and document broader lessons learned that can be useful for other projects, and use lessons learned in their own projects. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A handbook with guidance on how to use participatory methods to conduct needs assessments.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

Detailed guidance on how to plan and conduct a project evaluation, from CRS' Guidance on Monitoring and Evaluation.  

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A tool developed by CRS to assist organizations to conduct a self-analysis of their strengths and challenges, develop an action plan, and improve organizational functions through capacity strengthening. From CRS' Institutional Strengthening Guide.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A guide to using USDA donor templates and the USDA Food Assistance Information System for semi-annual reporting.

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: PDF

A template for a key project monitoring tool, the Indicator Performance Tracking Table, which provides a snapshot of project status, specifically performance against indicators. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Excel

A guidance document on CRS Learns providing tips for individual development planning by CRS staff. 

Author: Catholic Relief Services
Format: Word

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