Finance Consultant

Finance Consultant

We are a child rights organisation, with a focus on empowering girls. Our programmes range from disaster preparedness and relief, to long-term development programmes.

We are seeking an experienced finance consultant to support us close of Phase 1 of their Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) funded programme and finalise the budgets for Phase 2 of our famine relief programme in South Sudan and Ethiopia

Overview of the Mission:

We current have two projects funded by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) being implemented in Ethiopia and South Sudan responding to the current food security crisis in East Africa.

Plan UK are the grant holders of the two DEC projects (Phase 1: 14^th March 2017 – 30 September 2017) and need to ensure compliance with donor requirements. Plan Ethiopia and Plan South Sudan are the implementing agencies in-country.

We would like to recruit a financial consultant/s to work with the Ethiopia and South Sudan country offices to support financial monitoring, production of reports and review the control financial frameworks as per the Phase 1 projects. There is the set-up of Phase 2 of the projects due to start 1^st October 2017 and potential support to the budget development of Phase 2 plans depending on the timing of the missions.

Overview of the DEC Projects:

Plan UK’s DEC projects are responding to the current food security crisis in East Africa. The food security crisis affecting the Horn of Africa is caused by drought due to consecutive seasons of failed rains and the strongest El Nino on record. In South Sudan, armed conflict and economic insecurity have been a predominant factor impacting the scale of the current crisis.

South Sudan: In South Sudan, we are working in Rumbek and Wulu counties in Lakes State. We are distributing crop and vegetable seeds and tools to 3,800 households. Infant and Young Child Feeding sensitisation sessions are being provided to all members of affected households to improve nutrition and our WASH component involves the provision of health and hygiene promotion and the distribution dignity kits to adolescent girls. We are also providing child protection and parenting education sensitisation sessions

Ethiopia: In Ethiopia, we working in SNNPR, in Male and Bena-tsemay districts, and the main sectors of intervention are WASH and protection reaching 1,250 households. We are providing drought affected families with WASH kits for managing water quality and personal hygiene as well as training community structures on management and maintenance of rehabilitated water systems. Our protection component focuses on the enhancement of community based child protection mechanisms to support addressing child and gender protection issues.

In terms of the DEC projects, notable dates are:

· Phase 1 of the DEC project: Implementation period 14^th March 2017 – 30 September 2017. The DEC Phase 1 final report is due 30^th of October 2017

· Phase 2 of the DEC project: Implementation period 1^st October 2016 to 30 September 2018. The Phase 2 proposal is due 30 August 2017 and is in the process of being designed

Consultant Tasks with the Anticipated Schedule:

Ethiopia (DEC project)w/c 28th August – w/c 11th September: (dates could be potentially moved back 1 week)

• Support the country office in the production of the final financial report for the initial 6 month phase of the DEC project, ensuring accuracy and compliance with donor requirements
• Ensure that the financial report agrees with the narrative report prior to submission
• Follow up on any recommendations made by the humanitarian team visit (July 2017) and ensure they have been implemented
• Review the control framework of the country office and identify key weaknesses and how they can be mitigated; agree an action plan with the country office to implement key process and control improvements
• Support with the financial budget of Phase 2 (if feasible and needed depending on timelines as submission is 30^th of August) and the financial set-up of Phase 2 of the DEC project

The consultant will be based in Addis Ababa with potential travel to field locations

South Sudan (DEC project)w/c 11^th September – w/c 25^th September (dates could be potentially moved back 1 week)

• Support the country office in the production of the final financial report for the initial 6 month phase of the DEC project, ensuring accuracy and compliance with donor requirements
• Ensure that the financial report agrees with the narrative report prior to submission
• Review the control framework of the country office and identify key weaknesses and how they can be mitigated; agree an action plan with the country office to implement key process and control improvements
• Support the financial set-up of Phase 2 of the DEC project

The consultant will be based in Juba with potential travel to field locations pending security clearance.

For South Sudan, Plan UK is likely to have the Plan UK Emergency Response Manager in the country at the same time as the consultant and this person will work closely with the consultant as support.

For both Ethiopia and South Sudan, as part of the schedule we would also expect a pre briefing with Plan UK London (with the Plan UK Programme Manager, Grants Finance Manager) remote introduction to country office representatives, agreement of travel plans and security briefings, visas, any necessary vaccinations etc. (Anticipated end of August 2017). We will also have a de-briefing immediately after the missions (with the Plan UK Programme Manager, Grants Finance Manager)

Outputs for consultants:

Ethiopia:

· Production of financial report for the initial 6 month phase of the DEC project

· Report (1-2 pages) on follow-up on recommendations made by the humanitarian team visit July 2017

· Report (1-2 pages) on control framework of the country office and agreed action plan with the country office to implement key process and control improvements

· Overall trip report (2 pages)

South Sudan

· Production of financial report for the initial 6 month phase of the DEC project

· Ensure that the financial report agrees with the narrative report prior to submission

· Report (1-2 pages) on control framework of the country office and agreed action plan with the country office to implement key process and control improvements

· Overall trip report (2 pages)

Requirement for consultants:

· The consultant must have had a formal SAFA (Security and First Aid in hostile environments) training from the last 2 years.

Interested parties should submit the following:

• Copy of their CV
• Two references (including one from your last client/employer).

The closing date for applications is 22 August 2017 at noon BST. We will be reviewing applications as they come through.

Please email Simone Thomas at Simone.Thomas@plan-uk.org