Financial Management Specialist

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture is the lead implementing agency of a six-year programme known as Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) Programme. TRADE is a successor programme of Rural Livelihoods and Economic Enhancement Programme (RLEEP) and it is being co-funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) whose overall goal is to contribute to improved sustainable livelihoods of rural people in Malawi through Value Chain commercialisation and resilience of rural poor and smallholder’s producers”. TRADE Programme specifically seeks to: (i) increase production and productivity by smallholder farmers; (ii) functionally upgrade smallholder farmers and the rural poor to undertake new functions such as processing, storage, packaging to capture more value; (iii) improve horizontal linkages by strengthening the capacities of cooperatives to provide market access functions to smallholder farmers; and, (iv) improve vertical linkages between stakeholders at different functional levels of the commodity chain, including private sector.

TRADE supports rural entrepreneurs, focusing on youths and women to develop and sustain their agribusiness enterprise opportunities and ensuring that commodities are nutrition sensitive. The objective is achieved through targeted support to smallholder farmers and non-farm actors to benefit from commodity markets, improved access to rural financial services, market and business development services and partnerships with the private sector.

The programme directly contributes to Pillar 1 and 3 of MW 2063. and Strategic objective 2 of the Malawi Country Strategic Opportunity (COSOP 2016-2021). Under the Ministry of Local Government as lead agency, TRADE is being implemented under 3 interlinked components namely: sustainable producer-private partnerships; enabling environment for smallholder commercialization and component; and, institutional support and programme management. With a total target of 300,000 households, TRADE covers Eleven (11) Districts of Mchinji, Ntchisi, Dedza, Blantyre, Kasungu, Nkhata-Bay, Rumphi, Karonga, Lilongwe Rural, Thyolo and Chitipa, focusing on Seven (7) commodities namely Groundnuts, Soybean, Sunflower, Potato, Dairy, Beef and Honey).

The Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture, therefore, invites experienced candidates to fill various positions existing under the TRADE Programme as follows:

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

No. of positions: 1
Recruitment: National
Reporting to: National Programme Coordinator

Job Purpose

The Financial Management Specialist (FMS) will be responsible for financial management of the Programme and for maintaining all project accounts in good order. As head of the Finance Unit, the FMS will take charge of all matters in the Programme accounting cycle. The Programme accounting cycle to be overseen by the FMS, starts from financial related inputs in Annual Workplan and Budget preparation and budget control, committing funds, disbursements and cash flow management in an effective and efficient manner, financial reporting to ensure smooth audits and facilitation of supervision missions on all financial management aspects.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Installation of appropriate accounting/reporting systems to ensure that the Programme Support Unit and especially the National Programme Coordinator are regularly informed of on-going financial activities and transactions. Ensure that TRADE structure in terms of its components, sub-components, categories, activities, and approval limits is accurately profiled in the Government of Malawi (GOM) Integrated Financial Management System;
• Ensure timely capture of TRADE in the GOM budget as required by the GOM budgeting processes and calendars;
• Communicate to all implementing partner institutions, service providers and grantee recipients their financial responsibilities, the funds available and how to access the funds, and the requirements of reporting and record keeping in accordance with prevailing government practices which are acceptable to IFAD;
• Maintain all accounting records in a form appropriate for regular auditing (at least once a year);
• Ensure that all project funds are used in accordance with the conditions of the financing agreements, with due attention to economy and efficiency, and only for the purposes for which the funds were provided;
• Ensure that counterpart funds have been provided and used in accordance with the conditions of the financing agreements, with due attention to economy and efficiency, and only for the purposes for which they were provided;
• Ensure that all necessary supporting documents, records and accounts are kept in respect of all project activities, with clear linkages between the books of account and the financial statements presented to the financiers;
• Ensure that designated accounts are maintained in accordance with the provisions of the financing agreement and in accordance with the financier’s rules and procedures;
• Ensure that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Public-Sector Accounting Standards as adopted in Malawi;
• Liaise with external auditors to audit the Programme accounts to meet the required submission dates by IFAD;
• Oversee tax matters of the Programme, ensuring that tax exemptions for the procurement of goods for the Programme are secured at the appropriate time;
• Process documentation and follow up on disbursements from the IFAD to ensure that releases are not delayed. Ensure that funds for Programme implementation are disbursed in a timely manner to enable Programme interventions to be carried out on time;
• Prepare and submit regular withdrawal applications to IFAD and follow up to ensure that the Programme does not run short of liquidity;
• Follow up on all project funds released to implementing partners for timely retirement and proper utilization;
• Ensure that Statements of Expenditure (SOEs) are carefully compared for eligibility with relevant financial agreements and the disbursement handbook, and with budget control discipline;
• Ensure that fixed assets are well accounted for and annual verification is undertaken of the condition of assets and their location;
• Prepare informative management accounts in the form of monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports regarding aspects of Programme financial monitoring bringing out variances and advising implementers as to the limits of expenditure;
• Act as a counter-signatory to Programme fund releases as required for Programme financial transactions and also sign as witness to contracts as much as possible;
• Carry out any other activities that are assigned by the National Programme Coordinator.

Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification plus first Degree in either of the following; Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration:
• At least 7 years’ experience in the financial and administrative management of Programmes or businesses with similar funding budgets and staff complements to the Programme in the public;
• Private, NGO sectors and specific private sector/commercial accountability and experience will be a pre-requisite for selection;
• Experience in development partner supported programme accounting with similar setting will be an added advantage.

All applications, with attached copies of professional and academic certificates, National ID, Curriculum Vitae and evidence of membership to a relevant professional body, should be hand delivered to the following address, not later than 14th June, 2025:

The Secretary for Local Government, Unity and Culture,
Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture,
Post Office Box 30312,
LILONGWE 3.
(Room 12)