A "project" refers to a set of complementary implementing mechanisms or "activities," over an established timeline and budget, intended to achieve a discrete development result, that is often aligned with an intermediate result in a country development cooperation strategy (CDCS). Project design is the process by which USAID defines how it will operationalize a result or set of results in a CDCS or other strategic framework to ensure efforts are aligned. Project implementation refers to an ongoing process in which USAID staff work collaboratively to ensure that activities taken together are achieving the intended project outcomes.