Country Finance Manager,
Kabul,
Afghanistan Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED)
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Afghanistan : Country Finance Manager - Kabul - Afghanistan
Reference : CFM/AFG
Department: Finance
Contract: Fixed term
Country: Afghanistan
Duration 12 months
City: Kabul
Starting date: ASAP
Background on ACTED
Since 1993, as an international non-governmental organization, ACTED has been committed to immediate humanitarian relief to support those in urgent need and protect people’s dignity, while co-creating longer term opportunities for sustainable growth and fulfilling people’s potential.
ACTED endeavors to respond to humanitarian crises and build resilience; promote inclusive and sustainable growth; co-construct effective governance and support the building of civil society worldwide by investing in people and their potential.
We go the last kilometer: ACTED’s mission is to save lives and support people in meeting their needs in hard to reach areas. ACTED develops and implements programs that target the most vulnerable amongst populations that have suffered from conflict, natural disaster, or socio-economic hardship. ACTED’s approach looks beyond the immediate emergency towards opportunities for longer term livelihoods reconstruction and sustainable development.
With a budget of 190 million EUR in 2015, ACTED is active in 35 countries and implements more than 495 projects a year reaching over11 million beneficiaries with 400 international staff and 4,300 national staff.
Country profile
Country Profile 2015
Number of projects 23
Number of areas 3
Number of national staff 767
Annual budget (EUR) 14.6 M Euros
Number of offices ///
Number of international staff 11
Position context and key challenges
In Afghanistan, ACTED’s strategy combines emergency aid and development programming aiming at providing holistic assistance and at addressing the various challenges faced by the country, with the overall goal of alleviating poverty and building resilience. For 23 years, ACTED has remained committed to supporting Afghans through diverse programming such as good governance, building the capacity of civil society, rural development, and emergency humanitarian response. ACTED continues to strengthen stock piling, contingency planning and preparedness, in order to provide timely assistance for those affected by natural or man-made disasters.
Providing emergency and recovery assistance for communities hit by conflict and natural disasters
Natural disasters affect approximately 250,000 Afghans each year. In addition, the past years have seen an influx in military operations and offensives lead by armed opposition groups, resulting in the displacement of 197,000 individuals in 2015. ACTED responds to emergency needs by providing conflict and natural disasters-affected populations with emergency assistance in the forms of food and non-food items, vouchers or cash distribution. ACTED’s interventions also aimed at supporting recovery, through participatory approaches to building back shelters and water infrastructure damaged by natural disasters, as well as disaster risk reduction through training.
Supporting the development of economic, education and livelihood opportunities for marginalised populations
To support marginalized groups such as farmers, youth, and women, ACTED works with cooperatives and farmers to enhance governance, production, access to agricultural inputs and training in order to support the development of sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural areas. Vocational training, literacy classes, and support to small business development are also provided to hundreds of women and youth, and Self Help Groups every year, providing over women with safe and supportive space to develop business activities. ACTED is supporting education through the construction of Youth Development Centres, and formal and informal education opportunities to approximately 14,000 girls.
Investing in governance and local civil society to improve service delivery and inclusive development
ACTED vision for development is of an inclusive, vibrant civil society, and accountable government. Focus in Afghanistan is placed on empowering youth and women, through providing training on human rights, promoting volunteerism, facilitating sports and cultural events and the creation of grass-root organisations such as youth councils, aligned with government strategies and development plans. ACTED is a major facilitating partner of the National Solidarity Program, the flagship program of Afghanistan, that supports governance at the village level, and has established and empowered close to 3,000 Community Development Councils across the country. ACTED also works closely with local civil society organisations, building their capacity and developing joint projects to reach vulnerable communities.
Position profile
1. Accounting and treasury Management
1.1 Accounting management – supervise the accounting cycle for the mission
a. Ensure timely and accurate data entries in cashbook, bankbook and SAGA following the standard descriptions defined in ACTED’s Global Finance Procedure Manual;
b. Verify and coordinate the monthly compilation accounts from each area;
c. Supervise cash and bank balance checking process when closing the monthly accounts;
d. Communicate accounts on a monthly basis to HQ, respecting SAGA procedures and deadlines in line with the monthly accounting schedule as per ACTED’s Finance Procedures;
a. Manage the presentation, circulation, filing of vouchers and archiving of accounting and financial documents in compliance with FLAT and Finance procedures (maintain an up-to-date filing follow-up: A8.01_Red Cell Game); Review on a random basis quality and compliance of documentation from areas when centralizing;
e. Supervise the Yearly and Midyear Accounting Closures for both General and Analytical Accountancy aspects (V1 and V2).
1.2 Treasury management – ensure a controlled and smooth cash management
a. Ensure justified bank selection process, open/close bank accounts under the authority of the CEO;
b. Oversee the management of bank accounts: control, follow and make sure flows are properly lettered (advances, transfers, etc.), check balances and justifications, authorised visas; Report to HQ through the flows reporting tool A1_PRATIC;
c. Supervise the management of safes and cash: available amount, balance checks, security instructions;
d. Assess monthly cash-flow needs for projects and areas, fill and share the form A4.01_Cash Request on the 15th of each month;
e. Manage money transfers, areas cash-supply and amounts in circulation, whilst defining payment procedures (bank transfer, cheque, cash etc.);
f. Make sure donors are invoiced on time and report it through the tool A4.04_ATROCE, comply with good practices described in the Money In Acted HOUse Plan (MIAHOU).
2. Commitment of expenditures, budget control, & Financial Management
2.1 Commitment of expenditure – guaranty budget availability and compliance to ACTED and donor’s procedures before releasing payments:
a. Collect visas of authorised staff members, set-up commitment ceiling in local currencies, define methods and timescales for payment;
b. Before commitment / payment of any expenditure, check authorization levels, budget availability, budget line on which the expense is to be allocated to, ensuring full compliance with ACTED and donors procedures:
c.In close coordination with the Country Logistics Manager (CLM) or equivalent, negotiate terms of contracts including payment schedule & taxes obligations; ensure that procurement procedures are adhered to; Follow-up commitments and payments through the tool A7.02_Contract Follow-Up (CFU); Ensure financial, compliance & budget control points during Purchase Committee meetings; review coherence between orders, quotations/offers, purchase orders, call for tender documentation, procurement memo, contract, invoices, receipts, works/services completion certificates; Check the receiver’s ability to endorse payment;
d.In close coordination with the Admin Team, ensure that staff contracts are in line with ACTED standard salary grid, available budgets and regulations; propose salary grids revisions based on benchmarks, national legislation and budget constraint; review and validate the payroll on the 25th of each month;
e.Validate partner’s accounting and documentation accuracy and compliance before payement.
2.2 Project budget follow-up, mission’s cost control, internal & external audits – anticipate and mitigate financial risks ensuring operations are run in a compliant and cost-efficient manner
a. Lead Budget Follow-Up (A7.01) and Allocation Tables (A5) consolidation process;
b. Analyse/report gaps between planned budgets and actual expenses; comply to the flexibility rule;
c. Anticipate financial risks, present budget updates and mitigation plans during FLAT meetings;
d. Analyse and report monthly running costs, fleet and communication of each area (A6.01-04)
e. Prevent and report any financial and operational loss (A6.01 ACT follow-up);
f. Submit to HQ all the annexes of the internal financial follow-up reporting tool (TITANIC) by the 15th of each month;
g. Follow-up Exit Forms for international staff and make sure they are sent to HQ once validated;
h. Take the lead on external audit preparation in support to the country compliance teams if any; Contribute to opening/closeout meetings, responses to audit reports, recommendations’ implementation plans.
3. Project financial cycle management
3.1Develop project budgets and reports – ensure the financial feasibility of projects, respecting ACTED and donors’ rules and deadlines
a. Gather information from the relevant departments to consolidate budgets for project proposals according to project/mission needs and donor constraints; Propose sufficient programme and support budgets including mission’s investment plans in close link with country coordination;
b. Review and negotiate terms of grant contracts before signature (payment & financial reporting schedule, use of HQ cash-pooling system, etc.);
c. Plan, consolidate, draft & crosscheck with Project Development Department (PDD) financial reports when required (ad’hoc, interim and final), respecting contractual deadlines and rules such as flexibility, eligibility and liquidation period, etc.;
d. Follow-up payments from donors and financial project close-out (contract liquidation).
4. Team leadership & other tasks
a. Update the organization chart and ToRs of the finance and administration departments (if applicable) according to the mission development;
b. Oversee the team, plan & conduct finance staff recruitments, undertake appraisals, follow career management, identify staff with potential and contribute to ACTED internal mobility policy; Ensure training and capacity building for finance team members of ACTED and Partners in order to increase the level of technical ability and skills;
c. Actively promote strong & structured articulations with all teams (Logistics & PDD in particular); Represent ACTED with relevant finance & admin networks at country level;
d. Improve information flows within the department and with other departments;
e. Plan field monitoring missions;
f. Perform any other related activities as assigned by immediate supervisor.
Qualifications
• Masters degree minimum in Finance or related area
• 3+ years of solid experience in financial management and monitoring systems, preferably of large development programs, possibly complemented by academic expertise
• Excellent financial and analytical skills
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting on programme financial performance
• Ability to manage a financial/monitoring team and demonstrate leadership
• Ability to monitor and evaluate financial and monitoring skills of communities through capacity-building efforts
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility
• Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements
• Fluency in English required - ability to communicate in local languages an asset
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management software
Conditions
• Salary defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance
• Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package