Consortium Finance and Compliance Coordinator

About the role:

This is a new two year, with possibility of extension, unaccompanied role based in Freetown, Sierra Leone with frequent visits to consortium members’ offices and programme areas, with a salary of Grade 4 (from 44,133 to 49,038).

The Saving Lives in Sierra Leone Phase 3 Consortium (SLiSL 3)

The FCDO funded five-year SLiSL 3 Consortium brings together five core partners and two technical specialist partners to support health systems strengthening (HSS) in Sierra Leone to increase health service quality, access, and inclusivity. The programme has been designed to reflect the best buy aspects of Consortium partner interventions, integrating key learnings from Saving Lives in Sierra Leone Phases 1 and 2 (SLiSL1&2) and the Ending Preventable Deaths Bottleneck Analysis (HEART 2023).

The programme will be implemented in 6 districts; Bombali, Kambia, WAU, Kono, Moyamba and Kenema with a significant multi million pound budget.

The Consortium’s whole-of-system approach aligns closely with Ministry of Health (MoH) guidelines, policies, and strategic objectives, reflecting the Consortium’s demonstrated and long history of partnerships and positive relationships with the MoH. The programme will be implemented across four broad programme areas, that is, district support, community level interventions, health workforce development and accountability, and clinical services. The Consortium partners play an important role in providing specific expertise as well as integrated collaboration across the programme areas. The programme will use a combination of innovative pathways to sustainable and government-owned quality improvement. These include the introduction and scaling of life-saving and cost-effective technologies; a combination of evidence-based interventions for the development of participatory and accountable services; and a suite of safeguarding and inclusivity approaches to fundamentally enhance the planning and delivery of health services in Sierra Leone. The Consortium’s rich understanding of the complexities of the health system has resulted in a context-sensitive design that will ultimately deliver high impact and sustained changes.

Reports to: The Consortium Director and will work closely with the Country Financial Controller and finance managers of the consortium partners and liaise with the Consortium Leadership Board (CLB), System Director and Programme Director.

We would like you to start as soon as possible.

Job Purpose:

The purpose of the role of the Consortium Finance and Compliance Coordinator is to ensure consistent application of relevant finance and operations policies and procedures to ensure effective programme implementation as well as compliance with relevant FCDO regulations.

You will play a leading role in ensuring effective due diligence processes with partners and consortium members and developing & implementing effective, mutually designed, capacity building plans. You will also lead the Technical Working Group on finance and compliance under the Consortium Coordination Unit.

Key Responsibilities:

Consortium Financial Systems.

• Managing the financial aspects of Concern’s role as Lead Agency in the consortium delivering a 5 year, FCDO funded Health Systems Strengthening Programme in a consortium of 7 partners, (5 INGO and 2 local partners) in line with donor requirements and Concern’s policies & procedures.
• Ensure that financial management systems & records are adequate in order to identify and protect the assets & interest of the Consortium.
• Ensure that processes and procedures related to sub-grants are standardised and implemented consistently across the programme, including pre-award compliance checks, agreements, disbursements, reporting, timelines and partner capacity building.
• Ensure that adequate controls over cash and bank management are constantly monitored and updated to minimise the risk of fraud or misappropriation.
• Closely monitor all financial activities and keep the contract management team informed of any situations that may have a negative impact on internal controls or financial management performance.
• Undertake regular field visits in order to assess the financial systems of consortium members & put forward recommendation for improvements where appropriate.
• Review and monitor budgets of consortium members to support financial stability, on-going programme viability, efficient cost structures and value for money that meet the requirements of external funding agencies.
• Act as lead in the finance and systems Technical Working Groups (TWG), organise finance meetings and workshops for consortium members aimed at standardising compliance and financial procedures and addressing outstanding issues. Reporting back to the Consortium Director and leadership board on the outcomes of such meetings.

Financial Control/Risk Management

• Ensure that donor compliance is adhered to within the Consortium Coordination Unit and Consortium members
• In collaboration with the consortium coordinator review and update the risk register on an ongoing basis developing and improving appropriate controls to mitigate the risk as appropriate in compliance with donor policies and procedures
• Maintain an effective & efficient system of internal controls which comply with donor and consortium financial guidelines to minimize the risk of fraud or misappropriation.
• Ensure that all financial records & accounts are compiled timely, accurately and in line with international accounting standards & donor regulations.
• Ensure that the consortium financial operations comply with legal & statutory requirements e.g. audit & financial reporting to all relevant national authorities.
• Lead the preparation of the annual and revised consortium and donor budgets, including the preparation of the budget template, and complete responses to budget feedback.
• Ensure that sub-grant related processes and procedures are standardized and consistently implemented throughout the program, including pre-award compliance checks, agreements, disbursements, reporting and partner capacity-building.
• In collaboration with the Systems Director, work with consortium members to ensure that relevant donor procurement rules are followed for all grants with periodical reviews of the procurement plans and participating in tender/purchasing committees with member agencies where joint procurement is being undertaken.
• Provide support to consortium members to ensure consistent compliance with the terms of sub-grant agreements, including financial management and compliance with donor regulations, as needed.
• Conduct visits to member agencies’ offices including field programme offices for periodical review of records and have a thorough understanding of activities in the field and recommend corrective actions for improvement reporting to the Head of Partner Organisation and Consortium Director.
• Supervise external and donor audits and annual expense verification exercises with external auditors and facilitate audits with Consortium members.
• Keep track of lessons learnt and share with consortium members during the course of implementation.

Financial Reporting

• Review and consolidate financial reports, fund requests, expenditure forecast and budget of member agencies and the consortium unit in a timely and up to a high standard as the grant calendar dictates.
• Monitor budget utilization of the consortium unit and consortium members and take appropriate action on any significant variances.
• Maintain accounting records for the Consortium Coordination Unit.
• Support CFC for work related to year end accounts for external auditor and provide any ad-hoc year reports for head office.
• Provide financial analysis where necessary especially on maximizing available funds and value for money.

Staff Management and Capacity Building

• Train and develop the capacity of the partners’ financial team in donor and consortium financial requirements to ensure that a good level of financial management is maintained.

Other Duties

• Ensure quality information management related to this grant by overseeing the regular maintenance of grant files, reporting calendars, and updating of internal documentation and consortium unit tools.
• Undertake other appropriate duties requested by the Consortium Director.
• Preparing monthly cash flows and ensuring adequate cash levels in the field and for partners.
• Management of pre-financing requests with donors, HQ and follow-up of pre-financing with partners.

Concern Code of Conduct (CoC) & Associated Policies

• Fully adhere to and actively promote Concern’s CoC & Associated Policies.
• Ensure direct line reports and all finance staff understand and adhere to the Concern CoC & Associated Policies.
• Ensure all finance staff understand the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) and Concern’s commitments.

Confidentiality

• Ensure the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever acquired in the course of duty, relating to the practices and business of Concern Worldwide, to any other person or organization without authority, except in normal execution of the above duties.
• Ensure strict guardianship and security of financial data and documents at all times, including secure storage, accurate & complete filing, proper archiving and limiting access to the finance office to authorised personnel only.

Accountability

In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS):

• Actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E);
• Work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed;
• Work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.

Skills and Experience Required:

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting/business or finance with professional accounting qualifications. g., ACCA, CIMA, CPA or CA or their equivalent.
• At least five (5) years post qualification experience in a finance/accounting role, in an overseas position in the International NGO sector. Auditing experience with NGOs would be an advantage.
• Experience of working on projects funded by major international donors such as FCDO, ECHO and USAID.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Experience in risk management
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication and organisation skills.
• Strong coordination/negotiation skills specifically with the ability to effectively coordinate among consortium members.
• Computer literacy, particularly in Microsoft Office programmes such as Word and Excel as well accounting packages & other database competencies
• Proven experience of conducting training for finance and non-finance managers
• Good organisational and time management skills
• Experience in managing multiple budgets

Desirable:

• Previous experience of working in or managing finance in a consortium model of working.
• Experience in project start up and close out.
• Experience in Audit and/or financial assessment