Choose the decisions the dashboard must support
Ask what a leader needs to decide at the next review: which report needs attention, which variance needs investigation, whose approval is missing and which issue may need funder clarification. Build the view around those decisions.
Avoid a single overall green status that hides a critical missing item. Show the underlying exceptions and the date the information was last checked. If a field is unknown, label it unknown instead of defaulting it to a reassuring value.
Use a small, traceable field set
For each grant, include an identifier, accountable lead, next reporting deadline, budget position date, delivery status, evidence readiness and the next decision. Link each field to its source record. A dashboard is a summary, not a second set of accounts.
Where you display a financial variance, define what it compares. Actual spend versus budget, forecast final cost versus award and cash remaining are distinct measures. Agree definitions with finance before setting thresholds or colours.
Set ownership and refresh rules
Name the person who updates each input and the person who reviews the combined view. Set a refresh rhythm that matches the reporting and delivery cycle. Distinguish the date a dashboard was opened from the date its source information was refreshed.
Test the first version in a real review. If a leader asks a question the dashboard cannot support, add the missing source or decision field. Resist adding decorative metrics that do not change an action.
Build the underlying controls first
A spreadsheet can be sufficient for an initial dashboard. A more sophisticated tool will still show an unreliable position if obligations, owners and evidence are unclear. Start with the control register, then automate stable inputs where useful.
Keep a route back to the detail. A dashboard status should never prevent a reviewer from seeing the unresolved issue, responsible owner and next action that produced it.
A worked example
Fictional illustration. These dates, amounts and requirements are examples, not a rule for every funder or a client result.
| Grant | Next report | Current exception | Decision / owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fictional Grant A | 31 January | December output evidence incomplete | Delivery lead to confirm evidence plan by 17 January |
| Fictional Grant B | 28 February | Forecast position not reconciled | Finance and programme leads to agree the dated forecast |
Check your working version
- Every status has a source and refresh date.
- Unknown information stays visible.
- Financial measures are defined.
- The view identifies decisions and owners.
- A reviewer can trace a summary to the underlying record.
Use the free branded workbook (.xlsx) to record your own case. The workbook includes Obligations, Evidence and Exceptions tabs.
Sources and scope
The steps and example above are suggested operating practices. Confirm the actual requirements against your award agreement and current programme instructions. They are not a compliance opinion.
- Charity Commission: internal financial controls (CC8). General context for charities in England and Wales; different jurisdictions and organisations need the relevant guidance.
- National Lottery Community Fund: managing your funding. An example of funder-specific guidance, not a universal rule.
Published for Antony Draper Advisory with AI-assisted drafting. Examples are fictional and have not been presented as client evidence.
Choose a practical next step.
Use the free plan yourself, or talk to Antony about the grant that needs attention. The free call ends with one agreed priority, a suggested owner and the next action.
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