AfID provides partners organisations with a programme of support designed specifically to develop their financial management capacity and long-term sustainability. Our qualified volunteer accountants can provide one to one coaching and consultation on all matters relating to the organisation’s finances and accounting. Support may be limited to one assignment or partners may be supported by a succession of volunteers, handing over to each other over an extended period of time.
As a guide our volunteers support has included the following topics*
- Organisational needs assessment/ Risk & controls audit
- Developing financial procedures & controls
- Budget preparation, monitoring and analysis
- Year-End/ Project-end audit preparation
- Internal and External (donor) reporting & grant management e.g. EU, DFID, USAID.
- Cash-flow forecasting, cash management & financial planning
- Confidential coaching & mentoring new or inexperienced FMs/FOs and CDs.
- Review and development of local income generation activities
*Please note these are only examples and additional areas of focus may be appropriate.
First Volunteers
The first volunteer to visit a new partner will always begin the programme by conducting a detailed financial health assessment of the organisation and of the skills and potential of its staff, evaluating need and existing capacity. Working closely with the volunteer and the partner organisation’s management team, AfID will use this first report to tailor a long-term programme of support; creating the terms of reference and a skills profile for the volunteers that will follow.
Is there anything your volunteers do not do?
Volunteers will not take responsibility for stand-alone accounting functions such as external audits or new software implementations however we are happy to help your staff prepare for an external audit, address audit directives, conduct impact assessments, prepare for a new software implementation and make the most of the new software.
