TRAINING ON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT BY UN WOMEN ON 8TH DECEMBER, 2016 BOLTON WHITE HOTEL -ABUJA.
INTRODUCTION
The meeting started with the welcome remark by Aijaz Qureshi, UN Women Operations Manager, and further into self introduction by participants.
The training was facilitated by Matthew Kolawole Loremikan, Finance Specialist – Head of Finance Operations & Field Support Unit, UN Women HQ. He began with defining Financial Management as the main component of any programme or project. Below is a narrative on the contents of the training session.
SUMMARY
Procedures
UN Women Project Implementation
A proposal is sent out by UN Women and filled by the partners portraying to be the best team for the execution of the project. Most of the UN Women projects say 99% come under the Direct Implementation (DIM); where UN Women work with grass roots organizations engaging the likes of the civil society organizations in order to have a better impact of the project implementation.
NGOs, government agencies, UN, and UN Women though referred to as partners are also seen as Responsible Parties (RP) because UN Women are the ones effectively implementing the project.
Project Implementation Modalities
UN Women enters into standard agreement with various Implementing partners and Responsible partners in accordance with annual work plans/ strategic notes and project documents/product. Product is the final
Implementing Partners: Government entities, non-UN inter government organizations, NGOs, UN agencies, UN Women (Direct implementation).
Types of Agreement
Note: All terms and conditions should be properly read to understand all financial obligations.
UN Women Cash Modalities
UN Women Funds Management Cycle
Reporting is done every three months. For instance, money gotten by February is reported for by the end of May. The cycle is represented below:
The reporting process must always be done even when no activities were carried out.
UN Women’s Standard Request and Reporting Forms
The FACE form has three main sections; Header area, Body area and Certification area. Other areas are the Budget and reporting areas.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION
The presentation took a more practical aspect where a case study project was used in filling the FACE form. Before and during this session, several questions were asked. Some of which are shown below:
ANSWER: The FACE form is a rolling document until the end of the project.
ANSWER: Report at the end of the three months and finally at the end of the project. Even if the project is for two months, reporting is done immediately after receipt of funds and the following month to keep the UN Women abreast of project’s progress.
ANWER: There should be a constant dialogue with the UN Women operations manager of any change that is intended. You do this so as to stay in line with the terms and conditions. So the best thing is to get an approval for amendment before reporting.
ANSWER: Sundries cannot be bought, so cannot be approved. Anything to be approved must be specified.
ANSWER: Within any activity line partners have the discretion to exceed 20% of those lines but anything beyond this, the program manager (UN Women) should be consulted for approval.
ANSWER: Yes, as long as it remains within the budget.
ANSWER: Spending more than the budget is out of the question. An approval must be gotten for any amendment before executing a project.
UN Women NEX Audit
Documents required during an audit exercise:
Common Audit Findings
CONCLUSION
As an NGO that UN Women has decided to partner with it is important that we get it right from the first day. In all our doings we should always be ready for audit which could happen even before the project ends.
The whole session was interesting, interactive and provided a great learning opportunity of the processes and procedures of the UN Women.
Organisations
National Identity Management Commissions
Federal Ministry of women Affairs
Adamawa state Ministry of Women Affairs
Zamani Foundation
Peace Development Centre
Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN)
UN Women
WILPF Nigeria
National Centre for Women Development
IANSA Women Network – International Action Network on Small Arms