A Measure of Success

So much to tell you since my last post. And none of it involves lions.

Friday was my last full day officially at YSA. There may be more to come at the end of this week but I'll fill you in on that when it happens.

So I had a fantastically productive last few days. About time to share with you my achievements over the last 7 weeks, approximately 6 of which have been spent working directly with YSA:

1. I have performed a full review of the procurement process and the entire accounting manual. I've made comments on a number of things in there that I felt were unnecessary and I've developed forms to help with the documentation of purchases made by cash (a number of suppliers simply do not have bank accounts!), to track the purchase and use of fuel and airtime and to document the tendering process and the decision made against the available options. Now it's a case of the board discussing these items and approving the changes to the policies
2. I've developed a form for the organisation in the case where it sends employees onto expensive paid training which requires the employee to commit a period of time or to repay the costs in full. I'm hoping this will also encourage the organisation to look at further training for employees when it gets independent income streams. I'm particularly looking for an accountant!
3.  I worked with Annet to improve the QuickBooks set-up to allow the donor funds to be presented separately even in the case of short term projects which do not have their own bank accounts. This should improve the speed and accuracy of reporting.
4. Hope pulled together an organisation-wide list of employees and from this I have put together the format for an internal newsletter. I'm hoping the first edition will go out just after the staff retreat and that it will bond people together even more and encourage the flow of knowledge and enthusiasm throughout the offices and individuals. I look forward to receiving it!
5. I've reviewed in full the fixed asset register, applied a threshold for capitalisation which gives the organisation a manageable list of assets to focus on. In addition, I have improved the information held on these assets and made recommendations that all such assets should be insured in full as soon as possible. The final aspect of this is that regular verification will take place to identify the whereabouts of these assets and also to ensure that all information held is as up to date as possible.
6.  In a two-phase process, I have reviewed the capabilities of the accounting staff and then converted the three accounting roles that exist within the human resource manual into the more realistic two roles that I believe should exist going forward. Working with Annet and Fiona, I have written these roles up and I think they are realistic and will provide a reasonable challenge for the people who occupy them.
7. We have reviewed the bank account signatories in general and also looked at segregation of duties across the board. This can be challenging in such a small organisation but the key is to involve non-financial staff as reviewers once appropriate training has been given.
8. We have implemented the concept of regular petty cash counts across all the offices and the reconciliation of these amounts to the daily cash books.
9. We have put together the basics of a timetable which incorporates the timings of all standard procedures but also looks at integrating the changes that I have made on a weekly, monthly and annual basis.
10. By the end of this week I will have sent YSA a document which details my recommendations on the current IT environment and recommends a number of improvements. There will also be a particular focus on the QuickBooks application and the use thereof.
11.  If the staff retreat goes ahead this week, I will provide a detailed training session for all non-financial staff which gives expectations of them, integrates the new processes and also looks at ridding them of some bad habits that have been shown in the past.
12. I have developed a new payslip for the organisation and also a process by which this will be used and in which employees will confirm receipt of salary amounts.
13. Finally, I have developed a timesheet which will initially be used in the case of specific donors who require it but may become an organisation-wide mandatory requirement should an appropriate timing arise.
    

It's not over until the fat lady sings and I still have some things to fulfil this week but I'm proud of my achievements already and I think they'll work well.

In celebration of my final day on site, I went out on Friday night with Geoffrey (the director), Hope (the project officer), Annet (the “accountant” to be) and Patrick (Mr. proposal). We went to the Sheraton Hotel in central Kampala. Had a really good night despite not having dinner until 2:30am. It made me realise just how much I am going to miss these guys and this country.

I'm going to miss showing Annet my photos on a Monday morning. I'll miss Aziz being so very helpful. I'll miss Dennis asking me if he can “bid me good evening”. He can. I'll miss Patrick telling me his latest ideas. I'll miss Geoffrey and his huge laugh. I'll miss going to lunch with Fiona and sharing the differences between our countries.

I'll also miss Hope. Never really spoke to her much before Friday night. That was unintentional but I regret it now. She's a really great person with a lot of drive and I wish her and the rest the best of luck in the future. Hopefully I will get the chance to see them all again whether it be on these shores or a little closer to home.

Friday night was also my last night in the great Minister's Village hotel. The food takes forever and the pillowcases are random but the staff are helpful, friendly and polite and will again be greatly missed.

Jinja, Uganda - Placement with Street Child Activist Uganda 


So if I'm not in Ntinda any more, I must be elsewhere. I have now moved to Jinja for my final week. I felt I would like to see another city and also like to see another organisation so here I am.

Drove over to Jinja on Saturday morning with a brief visit to see Sarah in her “palace”. You may think I am exaggerating and before I saw it, I thought such descriptions must be nonsense. In actual fact that's a pretty accurate description. Certainly compared to any hotels, houses or other accommodation that I have seen in Uganda. She did well. And she also makes a great lunch at short notice! That's probably the last time I will see her on Ugandan soil. I wish her the best of luck with the rest of her travels and hope to see her when she returns to blighty.

Godfrey was my chosen driver for the journey. I'd used him a few times before. His knowledge of the roads is rubbish but I like him for some reason. Usually his driving isn't so good either but he seemed better outside of the city. That was until he overtook on a solid white line (in fairness to him, you could see the road was clear and there was no danger). The traffic cop that saw him do it objected, pulled him over and fined him nearly the entire fee of the journey. His own fault.

It would be fair to say I have gone upmarket with my accommodation in Jinja but that's for another blog. The environment provided the perfect backdrop for my first meeting with SCAU.

SCAU stands for Street Child Activist Uganda. They are a partner for Street Child Africa which you may have heard of. They are a very different organisation to YSA in that they don't have an office or any computers. They operate from internet cafes when they need to and they consist of four part time persons who have other jobs as well.

The organisation began simply by encouraging street children to attend school. This happened as all the staff worked at a local primary school and were able to talk the management of the school into allowing the children to attend without paying fees. Essentially it was an initiative which didn't cost anyone anything although the school did have to try to may a little less money go a little further.

The second aspect of SCAU is their work with local Child Headed Households (CHHs). This is the particular aspect of their work that Street Child Africa back.

So I had a initial meeting Willy, the logistics man of SCAU on Saturday when I arrived at my guest house. It provided the perfect backdrop as there is lots of space (given that they don't have their own offices). I didn't know what to expect but I found out that they only performed accounting on paper and so it became clear that my task would be to integrate some basic Excel spreadsheets into their organisation.

Betty was so welcoming and both she and Willy were so enthusiastic. I really think this has been my most productive weekend ever. They have the basic concepts of MANGO and will begin to use it. I can't wait to see the results!
 

Betty looks after a number of orphaned children. In exchange for this, she had been provided with a reasonable house. She is currently heavily pregnant and so was unable travel to Jinja. After performing the training, Willy and I ate. It is a custom in Uganda that guests eat. In general, the members of the household do not eat at the same time. Willy and I tucked into our biscuits and sodas and I felt most welcome. Truly fantastic people.

The first picture of me in full exciting accounting action! One for the AfID scrapbook. Also, a two day placement? Surely a record?

Now leave me in peace to enjoy my last 7 days in Uganda :-(