The CITIIS maturation phase aims to introduce and strengthen global best practices of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, community engagement and environmental and social safeguards across all projects through, a comprehensive 24-step maturation framework. Beginning with a roadmap the phase is divided across four sections;

• project structuring,
• stakeholder engagement,
• capacity enhancement and
• mainstreaming of CITIIS values.

A necessary deliverable within this matrix is the Project Logical Framework (PLF) through the Logical Framework Approach (LFA). The goal of the PLF is to use the principles of LFA and build a shared understanding of the approach within each project and to develop both indicators for project progress and means of verifying them for monitoring. Each project framework will finally include its long-term goal and the outcomes, outputs and activities required to reach the goal.

The maturation framework was developed by the PMU in consultation with Espelia, a Paris based consultancy for management of public services and AFD. The team together created a template for the maturation roadmap and report. At the project and program level a project reporting tool and monitoring guide were created. Over the course of nine months the many steps of the framework work in tandem with one another leading ultimately to implementation of projects after assessing and mitigating their risks.

The final deliverable of the framework is a maturation report. To arrive at this report, the projects use tools like results-based monitoring and promotes the development of ‘pilot projects,’ that may fail. This process aims at creating a culture of sustained transformation by allowing trial and error to gauge what works in the project context. Each project also develops a communication and outreach plan after mapping their stakeholders, staff the SPVs with environment and social and public engagement officers who, assess the E&S impacts and mitigation measures that need to be adopted. To facilitate this process, the experts work with their cities to help them arrive at the most conducive plan while, also getting assistance from the CITIIS Program Management Unit (PMU) across all stages.

Amaravati has completed the Maturation phase by submitting all the deliverables required. The Special APEX Committee meeting held on 31st March, 2021 accorded a conditional validation of the maturation phase of the CITIIs project by ASSCCL. The maturation is deemed to be completed but the SPV can issue tenders only after the compliance documents of audited statement and the transfer of own source funds is provided to the Apex committee.