The Organisation

 

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

 

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

 

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

 

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

 

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 75 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

 

Job Title	Lead Accountant – Budget & Reporting
Function	Finance	Supervises	Senior Grants Accountants
Reports to	Head of Finance
Location	Country Office	Travel required	10 %
Effective Date	June 2022	Grade	Level 15

ORGANISATION OVERVIEW & ROLE PURPOSE

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. However, this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination, and it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners in more than 70 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan International’s purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality of girls. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. We enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. Plan International Uganda’s (PIU) five-year Country Strategy (CS) has been approved for the period 2023 – 2027. Currently, the country programme reaches over 1 million children supported in four Programme Areas (PAs) and an urban programme in Kampala. It has a country annual budget turnover of around €16 million, a growing team of over 300 full time staff. PIU manages a caseload of 33,000 sponsored children and a large and diverse grants portfolio from bilateral and multilateral donors with a strong pipeline and potential of further funding opportunities.

The purpose of this role is to oversee the grants management, review and monitor all budgets, expenditures, reports for Plan International Uganda to ensure accuracy and consistency in accordance with Plan financial policy / procedures, donor and National Offices requirements. Provides leadership over the smooth running of the grants management, ensuring all information is updated in the relevant Plan International Uganda Systems to ensure the information provided supports management decisions making to enhance the effectiveness of activities to support the achievement of Plan International Uganda’s strategy. The incumbent will be responsible for the Senior Grants Accountants and ensuring donor compliance at all levels according to Plan International Uganda’s approved policies / procedures and donor requirements

ROLE DIMENSIONS:

The Lead Accountant-Budget & Reporting provides oversight and management support for all aspects of Grants management ensuring transparency, accountability, effective grants management and compliance in all aspects of PIU’s Grant portfolio.  The role provides leadership to the Budgeting & Reporting team based in Kampala office and provides adequate management information to the project/program managers and donors / National Offices

The role involves considering the budgetary and reporting implications of both strategic and operational plans, advising management on how to achieve optimal value for money; considerable analytical thinking is required.

The key challenge for this position is accuracy and compliance in grants management and reporting. Work within the guidance of laws and regulations, policies and procedures to implement grants To deal with high level managers and relevant partner organisation in ensuring accuracy and compliance with financial policies and procedures as well as with National Offices and donors Timely and accuracy in financial reporting Liaise with Finance and Business Development Department to ensure effective work planning and smooth coordination

Level of contact with children

This position has been classified as “low contact”: Limited interaction with children

Key result areas:

KRA 1: Grant Systems Development & Oversight

Lead the ongoing review and improvement of PIU’s Grant Management systems, liaising with the Global hub to adapt central systems to the Uganda context, so that data entry is efficient and reporting meets user requirements:

Keep abreast of best practice in grants management especially of changing (or new) donor, national offices and legislative requirements; ensuring that PIU’s grant management system is updated accordingly

Liaise with the Global Hub to ensure that PIU’s Grants management system is effective for safeguarding Donor funds, achieving the desired impact, and adding value to the implementing partner

Oversee the upload of the consolidated annual grants & sponsorship budgets and individual project budgets into SAP

Ensure implementation of an effective grant compliance and management system that provides assurance that all grants are being implemented as per quality standards and grant agreements

KRA 2: Budgeting

Provide support to PIU’s Country Management Team in the annual planning and development of budgets, in particular, provide support to the proposal development for new projects

Collaborate with BDM in the grants budget development during proposal development process, reviewing budget ensuring compliance with donor / National Offices financial policy requirements and Plan International Uganda’s financial management standards.

Oversee the quarterly review of all budgets, continuously monitoring the BVA and ensure updating the budgets with any agreed changes to them.

Work closely with the teams to prepare and submit budget modification requests to the National Offices and Donors

KRA 3: Financial Analysis, Reporting & Advisory

Monitor budget performance and provide advice to accountable managers on the effective management of the financial resources; ensuring a Value for Money and that finances are managed in line with Global and PIU’s policies and Ugandan statutory requirements:

Oversee the rigorous grants management and prompt reporting; taking full responsibility for the effective implementation of the quality standards especially within reporting.

Ensure timely reporting (both narrative and financial) to the donors and National Offices; adhering to defined reporting standards to respective donors/National Offices and highlighting areas of concern in terms of under spend and overspend; proactively confirming availability of funds for effective implementation of projects

Manage the monthly reconciliation of income to ensure that all prefinanced expenditures are covered by the donors; following up with the National Offices to release income for prefinanced expenditures

Coordinate funding analysis process, which helps to identify specific programmatic funding needs for prioritisation

Provide prompt response to donor, National Offices and Global Hub inquiries relating to finance/grant reports in coordination with Point Person

KRA 4: Donor Accountability & Relationship Management

Work closely with the Business Development Team in discerning and responding to the requirements of donors; ensuring that all Donor financial accountability requirements are delivered on time and to the stipulated standard

Proactively work with National Offices (NOs) and a wide range of multilateral and bilateral donors to maximize quality grant management and donor compliance.

Coordinate grant start-up and close-out processes and workshops including orientation for Programme staff on grant/donor procedures and requirements, project timelines, budgets and other necessary compliance requirements.

Initiate, draft and manage Funding Agreement Documents (FADs) and Sponsorship Project Agreement Documents (SPADs) and ensure they are submitted in a timely manner.

Proactively engage with NOs and donors to build strong relationships backed with evidence of grant delivery. This includes facilitating donor/NO field visits in collaboration with the programmes and communications staff.

Oversee the post-acquisition grants management process including FAD management and development of local contracts

KRA 5: Risk Management

Lead on the identification of PIU’s grant-related risks and the development & implementation of risk-management controls and practices:

Ensure that key Grants Management risks are comprehensively mapped at all levels of PIU’s end to end Grants Management; develop and implement risk mitigating actions

Support PIU’s CLT in identifying and mitigating the risks associated with PIU’s Grants activities; including proactively contributing towards the development and implementation of policies and procedures for managing the following: Donors Contracting Accountability

Ensures project activities are implemented in line with approved project proposal and FADs, especially. with regards to compliance requirements

Ensure that project audits, financial audits and evaluations are conducted as per donor and statutory requirements; implementing all the audit recommendations

Liaise regularly with all key internal departments (viz. Programme, Finance, Admin, Human Resource, Risk etc) to ensure there is a joint approach to the management of grants with regards to compliance requirements

KRA 6: Leadership & Staff Management

Develop and lead the Budgeting & Reporting Team in a manner that empowers them to deliver high quality, timely, support to the wider organisation:

Liaise with the department’s internal and external customers to understand their needs for support and information; develop service level agreements if appropriate

Regularly review the team staffing levels to ensure that required service levels can be realistically delivered; at the same time ensuring that staff are fully occupied and working efficiently

Communicate clear performance expectations to the team, providing training, coaching and other support as required; manage any poor performance firmly but fairly, in line with PIU’s policy

Coordinate effectively with others to ensure high performance within PIU’s matrix operating structure

Foster an inclusive environment by implementation of policies that provide for diversity and equal opportunities and utilisation of a leadership style that will drive employee engagement

KRA 7: Safeguarding, Gender Equality & Inclusion

Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS:

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university

ACCA/CPA/CIMA fully qualified

At least 5years of progressive experience in Grants management and working with donors in relatively large organisations of similar complexity to Plan International in Uganda, specially grants funded organizations or commercial businesses.

Leadership Competencies

Myself as a Leader

Courageous in taking a lead, challenging self and others on their attitudes, assumptions, unconscious bias and behaviour; speaks positively about change and supports others in adjusting to it.

Lasting Impact

Drives progress in area of responsibility by setting and communicating an ambitious but realistic strategy, aligned with PIU’s strategy; willing and able to take complex decisions, weighing up the available information and assessing opportunities and risks.

Open & Accountable

Ensures effective delivery by leading through others, working closely with our support functions, keeping abreast of what is going on in own business unit or function and responding quickly if problems arise.

Work Well Together

Creates a positive team spirit, helping people work well together as a team; proactively resolves situations of conflict by generating solutions that will work for all involved; deliberately adjusts own behaviour to influence or persuade others.

Inclusive & Empowering

Delegates tasks and decisions, trusting and stretching others but ensuring they have the resources and support they need; adopts a coaching approach with the people they manage or advise.

Skills & Knowledge

Motivates and develops others by taking an interest, giving constructive feedback and praise, ensuring they are properly trained and helping them develop their potential; acts as a role model of continuous professional development and willingness to learn from mistakes.

Critical Business Management Competencies

Experience of strategic financial management including understanding relevant funding sources, revenue cycles, budgeting and cost estimation, balance sheets, return on investment etc.

Outstanding ability to analyse and interpret complex data-sets, both internal and external, to spot trends and patterns, opportunities and risks, and to inform decisions and action (even when the information is incomplete or ambiguous).

Experience of incorporating digital and technological solutions into plans and activities, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of working practices, enhance communication and support innovation.

Experience of identifying and mitigating business or project risks; ability to undertake and interpret risk assessments with a track record of actively managing risks appropriately in context, taking professional advice or escalating where appropriate.

Strong written and spoken communication skills, including in [any required language], with an ability to effectively adjust content and presentation to suit varied audiences internally and externally, to get key messages across.

Good track record of integrating change and continuous improvement into work plans, budgets, the design of systems and processes, staffing and training.

Critical Technical Competencies

Thorough understanding of budgeting, reporting, and grants management processes.

Solid Analytical thinking and problem solving, financial trouble shooting and audit experience

Solid knowledge of key donor regulations and compliance requirements

Location:Uganda, Kampala

Type of Role: Fixed Term

Reports to: Head of Finance

Grade: Level 15

Closing Date:19/08/2022

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