(Offre en anglais) Le projet “Tfanen-Tunisie créative” recrute un(e) “Finance Officer” Retour vers les opportunités

Project Background

The EU (European Union) €6m “Programme to Support the Strengthening of Tunisia’s Cultural Sector” (PACT – Programme d’Appui a la Culture enTunisie” – ENI/2015/38-415) aims to support the redefinition of the Tunisian cultural policy (Strand 1) and the restructuring of the cultural sector
(Strand 2), in the context of Tunisia’s democratic transition.

The first strand is implemented exclusively through a Twinning Contract (€1m) between the Tunisian Ministry of Cultural Affairs (MoCA) and the French Ministry of Culture and Communication to strengthen the institutional capacities of the MoCA to enhance the decentralisation of culture. The Twinning project aims to

• strengthen the institutional capacities of the MoCA to enhance the decentralisation of culture sector governance;
• strengthen the regional and local capacities toward decentralised and integrated cultural development
• strengthen the capacities of the MoCA in information and communication strategies (internal and external levels) and
• strengthen monitoring, evaluation and strategic foresight processes across the MoCA system. The Twinning contract provides short term consultancy and workshops in Tunisia (experts from:France, Belgium and Austria) and includes study visits by MoCA experts to Europe.

The second strand is implemented through a PAGoDA Contract (€4m) led by the British Council on behalf of/in partnership with EUNIC, which was branded as ‘TfanenTunisie Creative’. The project specifically aims to stimulate a local collaborative approach in the view of supporting the creation of a social and cultural ecosystem, inclusive for all groups of the society. The project will aim to :

• Promote cultural diversity and access to culture in Tunisia, targeting in particular vulnerable populations
• Support the freedom of expression and creation, increased international exposure and knowledge-sharing.

The Tfanen project is evolving in a changing institutional context to which it must adapt while respecting its initial objectives. Based on the results achieved of its initial implementation phase, the project has entered the stock-taking and planning phase having equipped its teams with the appropriate tools for the continuation of its activities and monitoring of ongoing grants projects.

Tfanen comprises a strong capacity building and social innovation component that requires strategic design and holistic monitoring in coherence with the overall project plan targeting various audiences: ministry staff, decentralised public bodies, cultural professionals and civil society organisations.

Based on Tfanen’s competence strengthening plan (Learning & Sharing plan), the project will focus primarily on skills enhancement and public-private partnership development through a series of participatory learning and sharing Labs from October 2018 to October 2019, with the average frequency of one lab per month. Tfanen is currently planning and preparing for the unfolding of this comprehensive capacity building plan, having implemented the first pilot event.

The Tfanen project started in June 2016 for an initial duration of 36 months. In 2018 the project was extended for an additional period of 6 months and will be extended again during 2019 for another 24 months (until December 2021).

Purpose of the consultancy 

As a Deputy Finance Manager and a member of the core team delivering the Tfanen project, the Consultant will be responsible for supporting all the administrative and financial management of the project.

In particular, this role will support consistent and effective management of all aspects of project finances, ensuring rigorous financial control and complete, accurate and accessible information in compliance with clear financial, procurement, administrative and audit procedures and requirements.

The Deputy Finance Manager Manager works as part of the wider Tfanen team and may be required to work occasionally in or with other areas as the project evolves and develops.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities imply providing support to the Tfanen Finance manager in the following tasks:

• Work with the Finance Manager on Financial and administrative grant management, payment of grants, review and follow up of grantee financial reports
• Participation in grantees’ financial capacity building exercise on financial management, according to Tfanen Guidelines by bringing clarifications to grantees about financial guidelines, identifying grantees’ training needs and coordinate with grant team the organisation of relevant training sessions
• In close collaboration with the grant team, review and validate grantees’ budget amendments requests according to Tfanen grant’s financial guidelines and in line with local regulation
• Update and support electronic filing of documents on the project’s SharePoint site, under the supervision of the Project Manager
• Participate in grantees’ budget proposal evaluations within new calls (concept notes and final proposals)
• Support the team with final financial evaluation, monitoring and closing of allocated grants
• Support grant administrative and financial monitoring and follow up activity, ensure audit requirements are considered in day-to-day Programme delivery and that audit trail is visible, transparent and maintained by all members of the team
• Ensure due diligence administrative and financial checks on potential partner organisations and grants beneficiaries
• Ensure grant projects’ reporting monitoring and tracking by maintaining an electronic database for grantee Financial reporting and tracking
• Coordinate effective and timely grant support to the Grant and the Finance managers for all assigned grant funded projects; provide monthly reports on the progress grant-funded projects ensuring the accuracy of information
• Risk assessment and mitigation related to grants’ finance and budget management.
• Support vendor registrations and appropriate financial system (SAP) set-up in order to fulfil payments and other Programme expenditure
• Follow up on monthly financial reports (open POs, late GR, vendor payments, clearing of petty cash, etc) and liaise with BC Tunis BOT team, Administrative Officer , Project Manager and vendors in collecting and submitting financial documents (e.g. invoices, time sheet, vouchers, receipts)
• Ensure all activity is financially compliant (both corporate and according to the EUD contract), cost effective, delivers value for money and meets British Council and client (EUD) requirements.
• Ensure smooth administrative and financial day- to-day management of the office and work in close collaboration with the Administrative Officer in the execution of the project administrative and finance tasks
• Provide support for Programme closure and financial reconciliations
• Assess that all financial support, technical assistance activities and contracts have been carried out following relevant procedures and procurement regulations
• Participation on the implementation of the project’s audit and the production of the financial part of reports (internal and to EUD), incl. final report and in relation to grants.
• Work in close collaboration with the British Council Tfanen Project Manager to manage the procurement of internal and external resources for specific activities and services, ensuring British Council procurement standards are met
• Support the British Council Project Manager and Team Leader on filling monthly control checks (MCC)
• Serves as acting finance team head in the absence of the Finance Manager
• Other duties as assigned

Key Working Relationships

• Tfanen Team leader, Grant and Capacity Building Manager, M&E team, Communication andFinance Managers
• Creative Europe Desk Networking and Capacity Building Manager
• Tfanen Learning and Sharing Adviser
• Tfanen grantees
• Tunisian public authorities, at national and local levels, involved in grant projects and/or expected to participate in Tfanen Labs
• Tfanen Project Board Members (British Council, Institut Français, Wallonie Brussels International, Goethe Institut) and other members of the EUNIC Cluster Tunisia
• EU Delegation in Tunisia

Timeline

• The length of the assignment will stretch provisionally over at least 8 months, for up to max. 160 working days in total, with an expected start in March 2018. The assignment may be extended in line with the foreseen Tfanen project’s 2-year extension.
• The appointed consultant will be based in the Tfanen office dedicated to the core project team and is expected to deliver through both field missions and office management.

Outputs

• Brief monthly reports on financial grant reports
• Maintain and update a grant risk Matrix
• Follow-up on late GR IR reports

Management

The consultant will be line managed by Tarek El Kamel, Tfanen Finance Manager. The contractual and administrative aspects of the advisor’s mission will be coordinated by Nadia Naccache, Tfanen Project Manager at the British Council Tunisia.