Ministry of Health
Key Functions and Results Expected
Strategic Functions:
- The Head of Finance will be responsible for the overall financial management oversight of all health sector development grants managed by PIU, as well as ensuring timely completion of financial reporting obligations as per the terms and conditions of respective grant agreements.
- Ensure that the programme financial resources are well managed and properly utilized and accounted for during the implementation of the planned activities, in line with set procedures and guidelines of the funding institutions and our sector development cooperation partners.
- Participate in all strategic meetings to enhance financial management.
- Attend CCM meetings and provide overall financial performance of donor funding as well as updates of audited financial reports.
- Ensure the grant recipients follow established accounting procedures, and institute proper safeguards and risk mitigation measures to protect the use of grant funds and attain maximum development outcomes.
- Responsible for strategic policy direction, management and accounting of donor supported grant funds by coordinating donor policies with other Principal Recipients.
- Ensure full compliance with donor reporting requirements in all material respects (both in terms of substance and format).
Operational Responsibilities:
- Responsible for applying the best practices in grant financial management and generally accepted accounting principles.
- Manages PIU banking relations, operations as well as payment agents
- Ensure full compliance with donor reporting requirements in all material respects (both in terms of substance and format).
- Engagement with partners in all strategic discussions in the management of grants and providing high-level reporting in financial management and risk management of the resources.
- Work effectively with all assurance providers of Donors, external auditors, internal auditors as well as the supreme audit to enhance the overall financial management and reporting of the MOH.
- Responsible for follow up and implementation of key recommendation from funding partners through management letters, external audit reports, MOH risk matrix, Co-Link assessment, etc., and provide regular updates to the Ministry of Health senior management and partners.
- Design and updating of financial management policies to ensure compliance with Malawi Government and Partner policies and guidelines.
- Design and deploy systems and controls for effective safeguards over grant resources, and ensure increased financial absorption.
- Oversee that the Donor directions, conditions and guidelines with respect to financial management, budgeting and reporting are adhered to, including those in the grant agreements and that program funds are released in a timely manner to facilitate grant implementation.
- Enhance controls within the accounting system and champion the migration to the upgraded SUN accounting package (6 ERP, or the most up to date version).
- Ensure that all requests for committing grant funds and/or making payments are complete, accurate in terms of supporting documentation.
- Ensure value for money in all financial and procurement transactions sourced through grant funds.
- Coordinate the timely, accurate and complete preparation of the finance section of the reporting templates, in accordance with donor requirements.
- Support the LFA and the Fiscal Agent in carrying out the necessary due diligence checks on all program financial transactions.
- Create conditions for an open and effective collaboration with the Fiscal Agent, for the purpose of introducing needed operation improvement changes.
- Institute adequate accounting system and chart of accounts to record and report on all financial transactions and monitor tax liability.
- Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting to the Ministry of Health, Donors and other stakeholders.
- Liaise with the MOH – Procurement Unit and the national programmes to ensure execution of procurement activities and ensure that the Ministry and the PIU has accurate information of delivery and stock status so that efficient supply management for commodities procured using Global Fund and Gavi grants is ensured.
- Build capacity of National Programmatic staff on the financial planning and budgeting processes.
- Ensure that the PIU Managers and all stakeholders are kept abreast of the state of affairs of the finance function.
- Ensure that all the government statutory requirements are adhered to.
- Facilitate the external audit of the grant funds and ensuring that recommendations from such audits are effectively implemented.
Managerial Responsibilities:
- Ensure proper segregation of duties of finance staff within the PIU.
- Build a strong team that can respond promptly and effectively to the demands of the various implementing units (sub recipients), assurance providers and donors.
- Performs periodic staff evaluation and contributes to staff development through adequate supervision and coaching.
- Ensure an effective workload distribution and effective coordination within the Finance Team, through enabling leadership drive and technical support.
- Enhance controls within the Overseeing that the accounting system and champion the migration to the upgraded has robust internal controls to safeguard the use of the grant funds and champion the implementation of an upgraded SSUN accounting package version Infor (6 ERP, or the most up to date version;