About

Introduction

Accounting for International Development (A f I D) offers accountants the opportunity to use their skills to make a genuine difference while gaining invaluable hands-on experience in the international development sector. Assignments ranging from 2 to 24 weeks form part of an ongoing strategy to build the financial management capacity and long term sustainability of non-profit organisations across Africa, Asia & South America. These organisations, which include street kid centres, health clinics and rural schools are doing amazing work to tackle extreme poverty and inequality but are unable to access vital professional services and training.

Our volunteers provide impartial, non-judgemental one to one support; coaching local people on all matters relating to the organisations finances. This may include budget preparation and analysis, the review and implementation of controls, internal and external reporting, the creation of financial procedures manuals and audit preparation.

The advanced technical and professional profile of our volunteers combined with the specific and universal nature of their objectives means real results can be achieved in a far shorter timeframe than that of traditional voluntary placements. This means volunteering is now a realistic prospect for employed, career minded accountants.

Why volunteer now?

In an era of decreasing foreign aid and rising donor scepticism, the amount now being channelled through independent local NGOs operating in developing countries is actually rising. With over a 250,000 now operating across Africa and more than a million in India alone, the most important question in International Development today is how to improve the impact and accountability of these organisations, whilst ensuring the long-term sustainability of their most worthwhile activities. Never has the demand for sound financial management across the sector been greater.

The meltdown of global financial markets combined with a rapid increase in unemployment has led many to reassess their values and embrace a more socially responsible career path. There is now a real desire to give something back to society and to make a difference through active practical involvement.

It is widely agreed that accountants now need to be able to work effectively with people who have different skill sets, timeframes, values and cultural beliefs. Having a broad viewpoint, being able to communicate well and having the ability to take responsibility for delivering results are critical skills in today’s workplace. Skilled volunteering is both a socially responsible and cost effective way for accountants to develop key skills while at the same time enabling grassroot community organisations to access a vast pool of otherwise unobtainable talent.

Our Origin

The creation of A f I D was inspired by founder Neil Jennings’ volunteer assignment in Rwanda. Neil left his role as Regional Director for an international accountancy recruiter to work as the overseas development director for small Rwandan NGO set up by orphans and refugees of the 1994 genocide.

“It became obvious that whilst the local staff had achieved amazing results with little or no resources, the survival of their activities hung desperately in the balance due to a lack of financial management experience. Volunteers had come and gone but sadly never really contributing to their long-term development. After returning to the UK I found that the mismatching of volunteer’s skills was commonplace; the most relevant professional skills were frequently overlooked or ignored. Few opportunities existed for highly skilled, employed professionals to share their skills and experience with the organisations that needed them most."

Neil and the staff of CCPRWA, Rwamagana, RWANDA 2007

Where We Work

Our volunteers are now supporting over 90 international charities and non-profit community organisations in 20 countries across Africa, Asia and South America.

Africa: Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, DRC, Mozambique, Lesotho, Burundi & South Africa
Asia: India, Nepal, Mongolia, Vietnam, Thailand, Phillipines & Cambodia
South America: Peru & Nicaragua

The Role of the Volunteer

Each volunteer forms integral part of an ongoing and long term strategy to develop the skills of local people. Assignments typically range from 2 to 24 weeks depending on the agreed objectives, the range and depth of skills of local people and the volunteer’s own availability.

If you are the first volunteer to visit a partner organisation your assignment will begin by conducting a financial health assessment; an educational internal audit assessing the needs and capacity of the staff and the organisation. This document will then form the basis for terms of reference for future volunteers continuing your good work and as a working training plan for the partner organisation.

Volunteers will work 121 with each of the staff responsible for the organisations finances; developing their financial management, accounting and reporting skills. They will assist staff with the preparation of financial plans and the monitoring & analysis of budgets.

The need for skilled accountants is largely driven by a lack of training at local level, combined with the complex reporting requirements of overseas donors. This is further complicated by the fact that these donors will typically restrict funding to individual projects and limit the allocation for core costs.

When you are a headmistress, a doctor or a nun trying to run an small NGO with very limited resources, it can be very difficult to keep accurate records AND perform your normal duties - with a different set of accounts, reports and sometimes bank accounts required by each donor, of which there can be many, the task becomes impossible.

The needs of our partners stem from a lack of experience in all aspects of financial management, not just the basics, such as bookeeping, controls and systems but also more strategic financial planning and staff management. There will always be a need for volunteers with extensive life & work experience (Partners, FDs & CFOs) to work on more complex issues and help keep the organisation on track to achieve its longer term goals.

Additional volunteer responsibilities may also include;

Supporting International Donor (Charity) relations
Implementation of new financial controls & procedures
Assisting with funding proposals, donor reports and new project budgeting
Teaching English, Sports & Microsoft Office skills

Championing the role of the Accountant

In many developing countries the role of the accountant is still completely alien to the local population. One of the most fundamental objectives of all of our volunteers is to help elevate the profile of local finance staff, ensuring they have the confidence and the ability to become a key feature in the organisation’s decision making process and helping to create new role models within their local communities.

Each volunteer should look upon themselves as a well-informed, independent consultant working on the areas they, and their partner, feel most appropriate at the time. If a volunteer at any time a feels unable to deal with a critical issue, then, once communicated, this can easily be factored into the next volunteer’s hiring profile and subsequent terms of reference. It is this timely and constructive direction from each volunteer to the next that means the longer term programme of support will always be focussed on the right areas; leading to more effective development.

For a detailed breakdown of the aspects of a partner organisation's finances our previous volunteers have supported click here

Our Commitment

Our aim is for all our partners to ultimately have the capacity they need to be self-reliant. We are committed to using a collaborative approach when shaping all our placements, involving all the stakeholders at every level.

We understand that capacity building has to be based on local realities and this can only be achieved if it is led by local people and therefore we will always endeavour to develop the skills, confidence and potential of local people.

The Future

By 2014 we hope to be supporting over 200 partner organisations spread across more than 25 countries and assisting more than 200 local people to attain formal accountancy training.

AfID is wholly committed to the technological advancement of its online research and reporting facilities. We hope to create a truly interactive professional community sharing resources and working together to help our partners to achieve their development goals.

What is a Social Enterprise?

Social enterprises are businesses trading for social and environmental purposes. They are distinctive because their social purpose is absolutely central to what they do - If they are profit making these are reinvested to sustain and further their mission for positive change.

The Big Issue, the Eden Project and Jamie Oliver's restaurant Fifteen are examples of social enterprises. So are award-winners Divine Chocolate, a fair trade chocolate company co-owned by the cocoa farmers cooperative Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana and Women like Us, which connects women with flexible employment.

In these difficult times governments are seeking more innovative solutions to today's social, environmental and economic challenges. This is where social enterprises can and do make a real difference. Where traditional approaches have fallen short, social enterprises are often able to make inroads to tackle social and environmental issues. They can bring knowledge and positive change to communities which may otherwise be marginalised.

For many social enterprises including ourselves, being sustainable - in every sense of the word - enables them to become more independent and to reduce any dependency on public grants. It also ensures that we can continue to help provide a solution for a very difficult problem.

For more information on social enterprises visit http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/

# Case Study 1 - PKF forensic accountant Hannah F. in Rwanda

PKF forensic accountant Hannah Fox wanted to learn first-hand about the challenges facing charities in developing countries and to use her skills to make a positive difference. Accounting for International Development (AfID) organised a six week volunteer assignment for Hannah, coaching the staff at Ahazaza Independent School (www.ahazaza.org) in Rwanda. The school enables intelligent and motivated children from all backgrounds to benefit from a high standard of teaching in the three national languages. A small farm attached to the school allows children to pass on the knowledge acquired to better their parents’ agricultural techniques and improve their standard of living. The local residents named the school AHAZAZA, meaning "the future", because it sees its pupils as representing the future of Rwanda.

Read the Case Study

# Case Study 2 - NAO auditor Jonathan B. in Kenya

National Audit Office principal auditor Jonathan Broadley believed strongly that for aid to really work the recipient organisation needs the financial capacity to achieve its social objectives. He approached Accounting for International Development (A f I D) as he was keen to share his experience with an overseas non-profit organisation and help to develop its current system of financial controls, enabling them to better serve their community. As an agriculture graduate and past visitor to Kenya, Jonathan jumped at the chance to support SMART (Sustainable Mobilisation of Agricultural Resource Technologies), a non-profit organisation based in the west of Kenya, committed to the long-term food security and economic empowerment of the Pokot region through the practice of sustainable agricultural farming.

Read the Case Study

# Case Study 3 - KPMG accountant Jennifer S. in Rwanda

Chartered accountant Jennifer Steel was keen to use her sabbatical from KPMG as an opportunity to experience new countries and cultures first hand. She felt it was important to seek fresh challenges and share her accounting skills with a good cause. Volunteering with Accounting for International Development (A f I D) seemed a perfect way to combine these aims. After considering opportunities in four African countries Jennifer agreed on a two month assignment supporting a Rwandan charity called Association Dufatanye Inshuti z’Abana (DIZA). DIZA provides education to vulnerable children and orphans. The charity began by supporting orphans of the 1994 genocide and has now expanded to support other vulnerable children in the community, specifically those suffering from or affected by HIV and AIDS.

Read the Case Study

# Case Study 4 - Ernst & Young auditor Sarah J. in India

After winning a competition jointly organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and Accounting for International Development (A f I D) Ernst & Young auditor Sarah Johnson quickly found herself travelling to southern India. Having previously volunteered in Africa, India appealed as a fresh challenge and a three month assignment took her to picturesque Pondicherry to work with a small local charity. Sharana run a number of community development initiatives that include a schooling programme that enables underprivileged children to pursue a formal education and a community development programme that focuses on improving living conditions for poor families.

Read the Case Study

# Case Study 5 - ACA Stephen M. in Uganda

After successfully completing his training contract with KPMG, ACA Stephen Marshall wanted to travel the world and experience ‘something different’. Stephen approached Accounting for International Development (A f I D) before he departed to arrange a ‘worthwhile and challenging’ volunteer assignment using his newly acquired skills and experience. After much consideration Stephen chose an assignment in Northern Uganda, an area badly affected by a prolonged rebel war, supporting the grassroot NGO partners of UK charity International refugee Trust (IRT). These include a local development project, Obaya Community Association (OCA) and two orphanages run by the Sacred Heart Sisters, a community of Catholic Nuns; Moyo Babies Home and the Redeemer Children’s Home. All three organisations are doing amazing things for their community, but sadly all are unable to access essential professional skills training for their staff.

Read the Case Study

# Case Study 6 - Deloitte's Rob D. in India

Rob Davies, an Assistant Manager at Deloitte, had been field managing outsourced internal audit engagements and mentoring chartered accountants for many years and he was keen to find a new role that would have a lasting benefit for others less privileged. This led to an interest in volunteering and he jumped at the opportunity to combine his skills in audit with his wish to visit India and work hands-on in International Development.

Read the Case Study

# Case Study 7 - Grahame W. ACA & FD in Uganda

Interim Finance Director Grahame W. was running his own business in Birmingham and made time around his client commitments to share his wealth of experience with the Comboni Samaritans of Gulu (CSG) in Uganda CSG are a community-based organisation providing support to those suffering from or orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS, and those displaced by the civil war in the region. Grahame set up his own business with the aim to gain a better work / life balance, which included the opportunity to pursue other projects such as volunteering overseas.

Read Grahame's Case Study

# Case Study 8 - CIMA Accountant Stuart W. in Cambodia

Management accountant and a psychology graduate Stuart Westcott chose to volunteer in part to ‘push his own boundaries, to experience new things, places and people’ whilst ‘being of service to others’ as well. All Ears Cambodia (AEC) provides vital support to children and adults affected by deafness and ear disease through diagnosis, treatment and referral, with care directed at those most in need. “There is no cause nobler than to give the weakest a better future; to give them a chance and to see how they fly” (AEC website). There are permanent clinics in two of the major cities in Cambodia and part time and temporary outreach clinics are also provided in other locations across the country.

Read Stuart's Case Study

About

Introduction

Why volunteer now?

Our Origin

Where We Work

The Role of the Volunteer

Our Commitment

The Future

What is a Social Enterprise?

# Case Study 1 - PKF forensic accountant Hannah F. in Rwanda

# Case Study 2 - NAO auditor Jonathan B. in Kenya

# Case Study 3 - KPMG accountant Jennifer S. in Rwanda

# Case Study 4 - Ernst & Young auditor Sarah J. in India

# Case Study 5 - ACA Stephen M. in Uganda

# Case Study 6 - Deloitte's Rob D. in India

# Case Study 7 - Grahame W. ACA & FD in Uganda

# Case Study 8 - CIMA Accountant Stuart W. in Cambodia

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