Head of Finance and Admin
DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL
Total years of experience :22 years, 5 Months
As head of finance and administration, my responsibilities include;
• Managing finance unit and ensuring accounting procedures and systems are followed according to DRC and donor’s regulations.
• Review and assist in preparation of budgets for new projects.
• Grants management of multi donor projects.
• Coordinating with headquarters on all finance related issues including monthly closing, financial reports and grants management.
• Managing administration and logistics department including fleet, warehouse and support staff management in accordance with DRC rules and regulations.
• Managing IT department including communication systems and information management systems management.
• Managing HR department including implementation DRC HR policies, procedures and systems.
• Participation in senior management team meetings, strategy meetings, implementation meetings, donor coordination meetings and meetings with stake holders.
As manager Grants unit, my responsibilities included;
• Managing Grants unit and ensuring grant life cycle is followed according to USAID regulation.
• Reviewing new grant proposals, grants database file and sending it to donors.
• Reviewing Final Evaluation Reports for grant closure and sending it to donors.
• Follow up on implementation of the grants in accordance with budget, timeline and bill of quantities.
• Ensure work on projects in completed as per deadline set and approved by the donors.
• Ensure all projects are updated in the database on a daily/weekly basis and reported to donors.
• Ensure compliance with quarterly program strategies.
• Ensure compliance with USAID policies and procedures regarding grants management.
• Facilitating field teams with timely information.
• Assist in recruiting Grants unit staff, inductions and orientations.
• Assist in updating grants database for activity clusters.
• Coordinating with donors on grants approval, compliance and closures.
• Develop M&E and Media strategies for specific grants and SOPs for the program as a whole.
• Work with the field teams on implementation of M&E and Media strategies.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to donors on a weekly and quarterly basis.
As a member of emergency response team, my responsibilities include;
• Assisting country programs in complying with donors’ and internal polices, controls, cash management and accounting system accuracy.
• Support country programs on budget planning, information, monitoring and budget training.
• Preparation of donor financial reports, utilisation of funding portfolio, and relationships with local donors’ representatives.
As a member of the senior management team, I was responsible for supervising and managing finance, administration, procurement and personal departments. I coordinated with donors from different agencies on project wise basis and facilitate external and internal audits. My main duties included the following:
• Supervising activities of finance and accounting for the country program.
• Maintain and monitor finance system is in accordance with ARC policies and USAID and UNHCR guidelines.
• Supervise adherence to budgets, financial policy and internal control measures.
• Coordinate with HQ on regular basis for reporting and grants management issues.
• Coordinate with donors in Rwanda with respect to audits and management letters.
• Ensuring adherence to rules and regulations in administrative and procurement issues.
As manager Grants unit, my responsibilities included;
• Managing Grants unit and ensuring grant life cycle is followed according to USAID regulation.
• Reviewing new grant proposals, grants database file and sending it to donors.
• Reviewing Final Evaluation Reports for grant closure and sending it to donors.
• Follow up on implementation of the grants in accordance with budget, timeline and bill of quantities.
• Ensure work on projects in completed as per deadline set and approved by the donors.
• Ensure all projects are updated in the database on a daily/weekly basis and reported to donors.
• Ensure compliance with quarterly program strategies.
• Ensure compliance with USAID policies and procedures regarding grants management.
• Facilitating field teams with timely information.
• Assist in recruiting Grants unit staff, inductions and orientations.
• Assist in updating grants database for activity clusters.
• Coordinating with donors on grants approval, compliance and closures.
• Develop M&E and Media strategies for specific grants and SOPs for the program as a whole.
• Work with the field teams on implementation of M&E and Media strategies.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to donors on a weekly and quarterly basis.
As a member of Head office team, I was helping the program team in implementing the existing planning and budgeting tools in national programs in 20 countries in the region. I was also responsible for improvement of the tools through added integration with program. I was responsible for training program staff at national level on budgeting and planning tools.
As member of the Finance team I have been helping the Finance department in performing its operation smoothly and efficiently focusing on effective financial management, grants management, management information, budget monitoring, contract management and financial reporting. In the organisation I have successfully managed :
• Microsoft Navision 4.0 implementation in the organisation.
• Development and implementation of Financial and budget Manual.
• Capacity building of staff in Navision.
• Grants Management and reporting of DANIDA, EC, ECHO and MRRD (USAID) contracts.
• Documenting the procurement process with flow charts and diagrams.
• Finalization of Annual Financial Statement, donor financial reports and conducting audit there on.
• Re designing DACAAR’s financial dimensional coding system to get it inline with current management requirements.
Worked at three different capacities with the firm. Conducted audits, consultancies and book keeping assignment. Was member and leader of teams on various assignments for different projects funded by Govt of Pakistan, Govt of Afghanistan and international agencies including UN, USAID, EC, ECHO, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, DANIDA, DFID, GTZ, ACTED, CIDA, SIDA, SDC and various others. Conducted assignments of manufacturing concerns of cement, textile and cotton thread, Small and Medium Enterprise financing institutions, Banks and service industry.