The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared an outbreak of Ebola in North Kivu Province, Eastern DRC, on 1 August 2018. This is the first time Ebola has been reported in this part of the country and represents the tenth outbreak of the disease in the DRC, with the most recent outbreak in Equateur province ending only days before on 26 July 2018.
The province of North Kivu is among the most populated in DRC with 8,000,000 inhabitants, and has been marked by chronic and intense insecurity, which has resulted in intermittent disruption of key response activities. The overall humanitarian situation in DRC, and especially in North Kivu has significantly deteriorated since mid-2017, with approximately 1 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The health and protection sectors are experiencing some of the highest numbers of people in need.
The Ebola outbreak in North Kivu is still expanding. By 20th March 2019, the outbreak has reached 991 cases, becoming the second largest in history, only second to the 2014-16 West Africa outbreak. Cases have been reported from 18 health zones in the two neighboring provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.
The IRC is supporting the containment of the EVD outbreak in the North Kivu region of DRC. The IRC’s primary focus will be to provide support to existing MoH health facilities to ensure the safe continuity of services. The IRC’s support will include the strengthening of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and the establishment of EVD screening and isolation points at the facilities , upgrading of water supply and waste management at these facilities, ensuring safe access to lifesaving services for women and children, and promoting community resilience and participation in solutions. The IRC is currently supporting 59 facilities in Beni, Mutwanga, Butembo, Katwa, Vuhovi, Musienne and Goma.
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reporting to the Field Director, the Deputy Finance Controller will be responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of the Finance Department to support the Ebola response program. Specifically, this will include providing technical oversight to the Finance Manager and wider finance team to ensure quality, timely and accurate reporting.
The Deputy Finance Controller has overall policy and management responsibility for the finance and accounting functions for the Ebola response programme. The Deputy Finance Controller responsibilities include general controllership, staff training, management, treasury and budget functions.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Controllership
•Ensures that all policies and procedures are in compliance with IRC and funding source policies, procedures, and requirements.
•As required, establishes finance and supporting function policies, systems and procedures, and directs or performs their development, documentation, and implementation.
•Manages the finance department activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by New York HQ and donors.
•Identifies requirements for and develop reporting formats to aid in the management of country operations and grant expenditures.
•Provides Ebola response management and program staff with monthly actual-to-budget expenditure reports and analysis for all grants and unrestricted funds.
•Ensures balance sheet reconciliations are completed monthly and on a timely basis and review final reconciliations and trial balances with the Field Director.
•Closely monitors all financial activities, and proactively keeps the Field Director advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.
•Directs the preparation of and approval of all donor financial reports in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements and ensures the review of such reports by the Field Director and Country Finance Controller prior to submission.
•Develops, schedules and performs or supervises the completion of country internal control audits, and initiates necessary actions to correct internal control weaknesses.
•Facilitates and co-ordinates external, internal, donor or government audits
•Oversees the protection of the Ebola response program assets (cash, inventory, NEP) through the enforcement of internal control policies and procedures.
•Maintains current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial matters and ensures compliance with tax regulations and other legal requirements.
•Is the principal liaison with IRC NY HQ on all finance, accounting, grant budget management, and cash management matters
Training & Staff Management
•Develops and implements a training program for the Ebola response Finance staff to ensure staff development and minimize IRC’s exposure when staff are absent or depart.
•Maintains current job descriptions for all positions within the finance group.
•Ensures comprehensive and constructive performance reviews are completed on a timely basis and facilitates discussion of performance and career options with all country finance staff.
•Oversees training and technical support to Ebola response program logistics and administrative staff for skills improvement in the areas of accounting, reporting and internal control.
•Ensures strong coordination and collaboration within finance team as well as with other departments. Ensure roles and responsibilities are well defined, communicated and respected by all finance team to ensure maximum efficiency and balance within finance team.
Treasury
•Supervises all Ebola response Program bank relations and bank account activities including negotiation of fees, interest and currency exchange rates.
•In compliance with IRC policy, establishes country policies regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency holdings.
•Oversees the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliations.
•Establishes country policies on advance payments, credit terms, and use of bank payment instruments.
•Designs, implements, and monitors systems, procedures and reporting necessary to maintain on current basis accurate forecasts of cash requirements for meeting future spending, including commitments entered into and which obligate IRC to future spending.
•Supervises the preparation of Cash Transfer Requests to New York and ensures that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate grant implementation.
•Ensures the development and implementation of a plan to minimize the country’s foreign exchange exposure to currency gains and losses.
•Supervises the collection of contractual and other receivables.
Budget
•Assists with the preparation and revision of program and grant proposals and budgets.
•Assists in the preparation and maintenance of the Ebola response program Operating Budget; including preparation of budget guidelines to assist program managers in formulating budgets.
•In compliance with donor requirements and IRC policy develops the “Field Operations/Overhead” budget and recommends a methodology for allocation of overhead to grant budgets.
•Prepares the annual and monthly cash budgets based on approved funding.
•Presents and facilitates the review of actual to budget expenditures with the Field Director and Program Coordinators.
