Financial Management Consultant
Background & Opportunity
The influx of refugees to Lebanon has overburdened local services and host community resources in areas already suffering from poverty and increasing reductions in cross border trade with Syria.
The livelihoods needs of affected populations in the North, in particular, far exceed currently available services. Widespread unemployment, labor market information asymmetries, and limited access to capital constrain economic opportunities and job growth.
To respond to the increasing economic needs of vulnerable refugees and host community populations in Akkar, the IRC partnered with the Akkar Network for Development (AND) to deliver employment-intensive programs to the aforementioned populations.
With the increasing burden to administer such intensive programs, the Akkar Network for Development is seeking the support of a Financial Management Consultant to better strengthen the management of its finances, set up robust accounting systems thereby improving the tracking and documentation of its activities.
Objectives
- Review the finance manual of the Partner
- Amend financial policies and guidelines following the review and assessment of the gaps
- Implement the financial management system
- Train finance staff on the updated finance manual
Tasks
To achieve the above objectives, the consultant is expected to:
- Review AND’s existing financial policies
- Examine and assess the implementation of the policies in light of the activities of the organization, and according to the best accounting standards
- Ensure that the implementation of AND’s financial manual is in place, and follows the rules with respect but not limited to:
- Accounting policy such as but not limited to petty cash policy, advance policy, Cash & Banking, Cash & Bank reconciliation.
- Personnel & payroll.
- Exchange rate guidelines.
- Budgeting & guidelines; including projection and spending plans.
- Financial control & reporting guidelines
- Financial control & documentation for payments.
- Train the finance team on the financial management system and finance manual.
Logistics
- Deadline to apply: December 10, 2017
- Deadline to finalize the work: March 15, 2018
Man-days
- The consultant is expected to provide 20 man-days to complete the above list of deliverables
Location
- Akkar – Halba
Finance Assistant – Akkar
Position Overview:
Under the overall guidance of the Field coordinator and the direct supervision of the Field Finance Officer, the Finance Assistant will be responsible for supporting program-related payments in the field.
Responsibilities:
- Assist in the implementation of financial policies and procedures.
- Processing of cash and bank transactions on a daily basis ensuring that they are fully in compliance with IRC and donor requirements.
- Process payments through preparation of checks and bank transfers after submission of complete supporting documents.
- Maintain petty cash and prepare cash counts (as per IRC petty cash policy).
- Prepare cash and bank reconciliations.
- Review supporting documents for payments to volunteers ensuring they are complete, with appropriate program verification.
- Organize and maintain an efficient and effective filing system for all financial, accounting, contracting, and other documentation, including sending necessary financial files to the country office, as needed.
- Conduct regular site visits to process program-related payments & participate in the ATM card distributions and cash payments.
- As required, travel to Beirut main office to disburse payments, and/or verify payment recipients, and follow up on the check receipts related to the area.
- Assist the field finance officer with any task as required or additional duties as assigned by the field coordinator.
Job Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Advanced Diploma in Accounting from recognized College/Institution (or degree)
- A minimum of 2 years relevant experience in finance or administration
- Work experience in a complex environment. Experience with NGOs is a plus
- Computer literate with some experience in excel, accounting package knowledge.
- Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
- Fluency in English and Arabic
- Ability to prioritize among multiple tasks and make decisions.
- Team player.
- Can work in stressful environment.
Key Working Relationships:
Position: reports to the field finance officer
Position directly supervises: N/A
Technical Reporting: There is a work relation with the field coordinator and finance CO office.
Other Internal and/or external contacts: describe the nature of departments or groups the position influences or requires support from to accomplish objectives.
Internal: Koubayat Field Office staff, Finance Department, Program staff.
External: Suppliers.
Working Environment/Travel and other requirements: Staff will be based in Koubayat office with travel required between the field office and the main IRC office in Beirut, and regular visits in the Koubayat area to conduct site visits and cash distributions.
Senior WPE Officer
Background/IRC Summary:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
Since November 2012, the IRC Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program established five Women and Girls Community Centers and ten mobile teams in North Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley to respond to and prevent Gender Based Violence (GBV). The WPE Program aims at increasing access of women and girls to psychosocial and case management services and enables communities to identify and mitigate safety and security risks faced by women and girls. All programming is implemented using survivor-centered approaches that prioritize confidentiality, dignity, safety, and respect.
Scope of Work:
The WPE Sr. Program Officer is responsible for supporting and managing all programming activities that occur within the team and will be responsible for compiling program data and trends.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Management
- In collaboration with the team, develop operational Center plans that include staffing and a schedule of psychosocial and outreach activities to be conducted;
- In collaboration with caseworkers and community mobilizers, organize work-plans for outreach workers that addresses work schedules, responsibilities, and training/support activities;
- Maintain database of refugee settlements in work area, and activities conducted in these work areas;
- Monitor the Case Management hotlines and GBV referrals made in her work area;
- Update and maintain referral lists and contacts for relevant organizations in the work area;
- In collaboration with the WPE Program Manager, craft emergency response and contingency plans to adapt to rapid changes in the work area.
Team Support and Supervision
- Hold regular planning and debriefing sessions with team members on a weekly basis
- Hold monthly individual sessions with team members to review job description, monitor job performance, and provide support as required.
- In collaboration with the WPE Manager and Sr Caseworker, facilitate or organize trainings that support technical skills of staff, e.g. how to run effective focus groups, how to conduct safety assessments, how to talk about services offered by WPE, how to talk about GBV, how to conduct referrals, and other identified needs.
- Oversee and monitor capacity building and support plans for team members.
Reporting
- Ensure that attendance records and other reporting tools are implemented and provided to the Admin Officer on an agreed upon schedule;
- Monitor data collection to ensure that staff collect data in safe and ethical ways;
- Update the monitoring and quality database on a regular basis and submit to the Program Manager according to an agreed upon schedule;
- Maintain and update capacity-building and support plans and submit to Program manager according to an agreed upon schedule;
- Compile weekly and monthly reports to provide information on trends, challenges, and activities to Program Manager
Advocacy and referrals
- Act as main focal point for referral of non-GBV cases and protection concerns within the area of responsibility
- Identify key advocacy messages to share with Program Manager, relevant UN Groups (UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, etc., and government ministries;
- Represent WPE at Protection Working Groups, GBV Working Groups, and other meetings as requested by Program Manager to present challenges and concerns and to coordinate work with other GBV providers and other humanitarian actors;
- Collaborate with Program Manager to identify key advocacy messages to share with WPE Coordinator
Other
- Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs
REQUIREMENTS:
- Clear understanding of gender inequality and issues surrounding gender-based violence
- Demonstrated ability to lead, train, supervise and motivate staff in their respective tasks in a professional, respectful, and supportive manner.
- Experience working in humanitarian responses targeting vulnerable women and girls. Experience working with refugee populations preferred.
- Familiarity with principles of monitoring and evaluation. Experience in writing brief narrative reports.
- Computer literacy, including Microsoft Word and Excel.
- Fluency in Arabic
- Ability to communicate in English and write clear and concise reports in English
- Degree/diploma in Women’s Studies, Social Work, or a related field
- Positive and professional attitude, able to organize, maintain composure and prioritize work under pressure, work overtime when necessary and be able to coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail. Proven ability to work as a member of a team essential
Key Working Relationships:
- Position reports to: WPE Program Manager
- Position supervises: Community mobilizers and Caseworkers
- Position works with: WPE Admin & Data Officer, Adolescent Girl Officer, Case Worker, Case Management Officer, Adolescent Girls Officer Capacity Building Officer and WPE Manager.
Working Environment:
Travel and other requirements: Staff will be based in Akkar, with field travels to Akkar surroundings and Wadi Khaled.