diff --git a/.github/workflows/backend.yml b/.github/workflows/backend.yml
index e11c177026d..1cb199c7ff5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backend.yml
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Create KFP cluster
-        uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-tekton-cluster
       - name: Set up Python 3.10
         uses: actions/setup-python@v4
         with:
           python-version: '3.10'
+      - name: Create KFP cluster
+        uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-tekton-cluster
       - name: Install sdk
         run: |
           python3 -m venv .venv
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yml
index 9bb0ae250a7..bc7783bafda 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
@@ -46,6 +51,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
@@ -69,6 +79,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
@@ -92,6 +107,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
@@ -115,6 +135,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
@@ -144,6 +169,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/kfp-kubernetes-execution-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/kfp-kubernetes-execution-tests.yml
index 8895ed9b67f..92c60ccf43d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kfp-kubernetes-execution-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kfp-kubernetes-execution-tests.yml
@@ -19,17 +19,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.9'
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
       - name: Forward API port
         run: ./scripts/deploy/github/forward-port.sh "kubeflow" "ml-pipeline" 8888 8888
 
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.9'
-
       - name: apt-get update
         run: sudo apt-get update
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/periodic.yml b/.github/workflows/periodic.yml
index 2f81dde8347..a91a13426c9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/periodic.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/periodic.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.8
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
       - name: Port forward kfp apiserver
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sdk-execution.yml b/.github/workflows/sdk-execution.yml
index 135296844c8..c0040b7a168 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sdk-execution.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sdk-execution.yml
@@ -18,17 +18,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.8
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
       - name: Forward API port
         run: ./scripts/deploy/github/forward-port.sh "kubeflow" "ml-pipeline" 8888 8888
 
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: 3.8
-
       - name: apt-get update
         run: sudo apt-get update
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/upgrade-test.yml b/.github/workflows/upgrade-test.yml
index 4a2da52a2f8..ae2162f4641 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/upgrade-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/upgrade-test.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.8
+
       - name: Create KFP cluster
         uses: ./.github/actions/kfp-cluster
 
diff --git a/scripts/deploy/github/helper-functions.sh b/scripts/deploy/github/helper-functions.sh
index e48177eb184..bc233980775 100644
--- a/scripts/deploy/github/helper-functions.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy/github/helper-functions.sh
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ wait_for_namespace () {
 }
 
 wait_for_pods () {
-    pip install -r kfp-readiness/requirements.txt
-    python kfp-readiness/wait_for_pods.py
+    C_DIR="${BASH_SOURCE%/*}"
+    pip install -r "${C_DIR}"/kfp-readiness/requirements.txt
+    python "${C_DIR}"/kfp-readiness/wait_for_pods.py
 }
 
 deploy_with_retries () {