Free guide
Donor Transition Readiness Checklist
A practical checklist for ministries, programmes and partners preparing for reduced external funding — covering costing, financing, procurement, service delivery, data and governance.
PDFUpdated 30 September 2026Health financing & insurance · Costing
What's inside
- What donor transition means and why it needs planning
- How funder transition policies work, with Gavi and the Global Fund as examples
- A 30-question readiness checklist across six areas
- How to turn the checklist into a costed transition plan
Key points
- 01Transition works best when it is planned years ahead, not when funding ends.
- 02Start by costing what the programme actually uses, including donated inputs.
- 03Procurement, supply chains and data systems often fail first.
- 04Community and civil society services are at particular risk and need explicit financing.
Frequently asked questions
What is donor transition?
The process by which a country takes over the financing and management of programmes previously supported by an external funder, as that support declines or ends.
Why do economic costs matter in transition planning?
Because they include donated commodities, seconded staff and other inputs that are free to the programme today but will need funding after transition.
Who should complete the checklist?
The ministry programme team with finance, procurement and data colleagues, and the partners currently funding and implementing the programme.
Need this done properly?
This guide explains the method. If you would rather have the analysis done for you — with local data, independent quality control and a report you can defend — we can help.
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Tell us about the decision you need to support. We will propose a scope, timeline and price.